.Tova #2: the muslin that should have been first.

Back in October I blogged about my first Tova top. The one that I was sure would be a great fit so cut into some of my precious Nani IRO, only to end up with a beautiful top that was just too tight for me across the bust and underarm area. I have since handed it off to my little sister and after lots of feedback from you lovely blog readers, Instagram and Facebook followers I didn't feel so bad about the poor fit because it seems as though many others have experienced the same issues as I did!

So, I did what I really should have done at the beginning of my sewing experience with the Tova and made myself a muslin! To be honest, I hate making muslins. They seem like such a waste of good sewing time, but I know that it is valuable when you aren't getting a good fit from a particular pattern. For this muslin, I went with a brushed cotton fabric I had in the stash. I bought this super cheap (like $3m?) on clearance at Spotlight once. I think I must have bought about 5m of it because it just keeps on going and going! I used it to line my Minoru jacket and still have a decent amount left over.

So, this time around I decided to sew a size medium, with no adjustments (I sewed a straight small last time.) I also added a fair bit of length to the top because I thought it could look cute as a dress. Here are the two options below...I asked for opinions of dress or top on FB and IG and both versions got a decent vote...but a few people did mention that the dress looked a bit like a nightie in this fabric (which I was kind of worried about, myself) so I chopped it off and stuck with the top!

The fit this time is a lot better across the chest, but if I am being super picky, I feel like the sleeves and underarm area are a bit loose and baggy so I would probably reduce some of the bulk next time. I also took in the side seams a lot - I think I curved them in at the waist a bit to give the shirt more shape and like how this looks a lot more than the straight, boxy look the size medium had before.
I also added a couple of buttons to close the front placket up a bit because it was a little too low for my liking.

Prior to this top, I haven't worn red clothing in a very long time. I just don't feel comfortable in it so I thought that this top would never be worn. But I was totally wrong! I wear it HEAPS. So maybe red isn't a bad colour for me afterall?! Or perhaps it just works in this particular top and the blue plaid check lines help to break the boldness of the red up a bit? I don't know, but I am happy that my muslin is completely wearable and wasn't a waste of my time!

Will there be a third Tova? I do think so. It is such a comfortable top to wear - especially in the cosy brushed cotton fabric.