The Fan Favorite: The FTC One Hour Top

What's not to like? The Fancy Tiger Crafts One Hour Top is a FREE pattern that takes one hour (maybe a bit more time for the slower sewists among us) and requires only 1 3/4 yards of fabric to make. This versatile pattern is meant to be made out of your favorite summery knit fabric and drapes like a comfy dream. 

With that said, it's no surprise that we have noticed just how popular this free pattern continues to be, so we thought we would celebrate this ultimate summer top by making up a few in some of our favorite fabrics. Our selection of knit fabrics offers tons of color and drapey textures so it wasn't hard to find a few that we wanted to work with. 

Our makers, Marta, Anna, Christina, and Kim each chose a different fabric from some of our lovely options and used our classroom to spread out and get to work. Side note: Did you know that you can schedule and rent our classroom Monday - Friday from noon to 5 p.m.? Just give us a call to rent the space and the use of our machines! 

Marta chose a Medina Linen/Rayon Slub knit in Avocado. She also opted to do a more relaxed look using a serger to create clean seams but leaving all edges unfinished. This meant she had to be extra clean with her grading and cutting process but also gets to look forward to that fun roll the knit will take on after washing. 

"One of my hacks when I am using a serger and don't want to hem my garments, is to use a needle and weave my ends back into the seam," said Marta. This hack allows the threads to find a home and makes them less likely to fray. 

Marta and Kim both chose to grade their patterns a tad. Marta added 2 inches onto the outside edge of the body of her top. Kim also added additional sleeve length to the arms and ended up liking the length and cute cuff her added alteration created at the end. 

 Kim decided to make her top out of the same Medina Linen Slub that Marta chose but went with our lovely Turmeric color.

Kim admitted that her grading may have been a bit off but she liked the overall outcome of her top. Marta (who tied hers up for our photos) considered turning her top into a more cropped version and said she might do that next time. 

Christina and Anna worked side by side because this was Anna's first time to work with knits and a serger. It was also only her second time sewing a garment! This proves just how easy and accessible this pattern is! Anna chose our Bamboo/Cotton French Terry in Mink. 

One tip that Christina shared with Anna was to pin fabrics horizontally and parallel to the seam with plenty of room to pass the fabric through the machine. This makes it easier on the maker later on when they are at the machine because they don't have to remove pins as they are trying to sew. 

Christina chose our Ribbed Tencel Modal with Spandex fabric in Mint. This fabric can be pretty slinky and weighs a bit more, so it drapes more heavily. Christina had to make alterations at her neckline to account for the drape and pull of the fabric once the top was on her body. This was a personal preference and may not impact other makers, but it is incredibly easy to alter the neckline and shoulder seams to account for any fit issues. Christina serged all of her seams and used a double needle to create a finished look for her shirt."Double-pointed needles are not hard to use at all," said Christina. "If you don't have a second spool holder on your machine all you have to do is put the spool and the bobbin together. I always run one going over and the other going under so that they don't knot or fray but otherwise your machine should be fine if you thread them through. You just thread each one into the machine and then through a needle and it works."