Vogue 8771 Batwing Sleeve Top

   

I love batwing sleeves! And what a perfect pattern for our breezy and cooler winter season.

Vogue 8771

Lots of options here - different sleeves, length, and  fabric combos. And hemlines...check out that cute dropped back hemline on the longer version.

The pattern suggests 2-way stretch fabrics with spandex. However - I decided to use a soft french terry from Fabric.com.

And used the longer version with just a few modifications (of course...). 

Fortunately for me, lots of you have sewn and reviewed this pattern, so I had an idea of how to approach it. The biggest investment I made was in measuring the pattern and working out some changes based on (1) my fabric choice (1-way stretch and not much of that!), and (2) my plan to wear the top with leggings (brave girl...). 

I wanted the top  to be true to its design but not too clingy, since I planned to go past my bottom and hips with the hemline. 

Changes I made:

(1) The cuff - I really like the slim cuff but wanted a shorter one. Mine is 3 1/2" long, drafted from the top 4 1/2" of the cuff pattern. The pattern calls for sewing the top of the cuff to the sleeve and hemming the bottom. Hats off to Robyn, at Sew Love Red - I used her tip to cut the cuff on the fold, double it back, and attach it as a band would be attached. Such a nice finish for the sleeve. Caution: the cuff is very slim - measure the pattern against your forearm! 

(2) I cannot find the reference but some wonderful blogger noted that the bottom of the front on this version came right at/above the crotch of her jeans - which she did not like. Out with the measuring tape - sure enough,  that's where it would hit. So I added 2" to the length of both the front and back, using the 'lengthen/shorten' line on the pattern. 

(3) Many folks found this top to run big, but it must be a spandex, stretchy fabric thing. I sewed my usual Vogue medium (12-14), which is for a 38" hip. The pattern has only 2" of ease at the hip! So I added to the side seams. I actually started the addition about 2" into the sleeve, beginning with 3/8", moving down and increasing to 1" below the waistline. Worked great, the top has just the right amount of hug for me :-)  

(4) And lastly - almost everyone mentioned the neckline as being very wide. The first thing I did after cutting the fabric was to staystitch the neckline seam allowances. Really helped. And I used an applied neckband, rather than finish the neckline with a narrow hem. Need a guide for measuring and applying a neckband? Check out Sarah Veblen's tutorial on Threads. 

Edited to add something I forgot! I did move the bust apex curve on the front of the arm pieces down a couple inches. Equivalent to an FBA on a princess seam. 

Views of the top inside out - great curves!

What a great top! It is so soft and comfy, like a dressy sweatshirt. 

I'm thinking red heather french terry next... Ciao! Coco