Faberwood Organic Jersey Handmade Button Down Top

I might be unusual in this opinion but my favourite things to sew are always the simple, everyday makes. Sewing elaborate dresses and intricate blouses can be really fun, but for me nothing beats sewing a classic jersey top or jumper. That isn't to say that I don't enjoy more involved projects because I really do, it's just so nice to make something knowing that it will receive a lot of wear. 

This top is basically my ideal make! It's simple and easy to sew but still involves techniques that make it interesting both to make and to wear. If I had drawn a sketch of what I thought this top would look like before making it (this scenario assumes that I can draw and this thus hypothetical), it would have looked exactly like the finished version. What's not to love about a make that comes out exactly as planned?! 

It's often interesting to think about what comes first in sewing project planning, the fabric or the pattern. For me, it's nearly always the fabric, only occasionally do I choose the pattern first and then buy the fabric. When Fiona from Faberwood offered to send me some of her lovely fabric and mentioned this Flàme Organic Jersey I immediately knew that I wanted to make a button-down top out of it. I use this as a way of deciding whether or not to buy fabric, if I can't envision it as a garment then I don't get it. I've made a few things from Faberwood fabric in the past and I love the selection of fabrics that Fiona has. My Arum top, pineapple trousers and raindrop top (which I then remade here) are all made from gorgeous Faberwood fabrics. I already find it strange looking back at posts written a few years ago, the photos are so much worse and I look so young!

I do have a slight obsession with button-down jersey tops. As in, I've made at least four with plans to make more! I wear them all so much though, it's a style that I really like and one that can look really different depending on the shape of the top and the fabric. The first button-down top that I made was this one, which I then made again with long sleeves in white. I then made a version without a collar in navy last year which I really like and wanted to make again. This top is the same as the navy one but I think the different colours mean that they don't look too similar. What makes this fabric really perfect for a top like this one is that it's a lovely weight and really good quality (which is why I love organic jersey). I also love the flecks of colour on the cream background so much, they add such a nice detail. I love elevated basics and this top is exactly that.

I used my usual cheat button technique which I love, it involves sewing the buttons through both layers of fabric to avoid sewing buttonholes. I don't hate buttonholes but they're not particularly enjoyable to sew onto stretchy fabric. Using this cheat technique massively simplifies the sewing and avoids any messy buttonholes. I always use buttons from my dad's old shirts on these tops (I think he finds it quite strange that these buttons used to be on his shirt!), they're the perfect size and mean that I can get enough buttons that match.

I often finish jersey makes with a lettuce hem but wanted a crisper, neater finish on this top. I felt like the fabric, which is really high quality, deserved a proper finish. I'm really happy with the wide hem, it avoids the fabric twisting and showing the wrong side which I can't stand but is something that I wasn't aware of when I first started sewing with stretch and turned under too little fabric when it came to hemming. The other benefit of the hem is that it's different to the other similar tops that I already own. 

I'm so happy with this make, it's such a lovely feeling when something turns out exactly as planned! I really love this top, the style and fabric are both very 'me' and it's exactly the kind of thing that I wear all the time.