So, can you guess which 3 tried’n’true patterns I combined to make this tunic? I could have used Ebony or the Groove dress… or even a Plantain… frankly, you could get to a finished project half a dozen ways or more!
Here’s what I chose to use:
- Sewaholic Renfrew cowl (the best cowl ever, but more on that later)
- Cashmerette Concord sleeves, shoulders, and scoop neckline
- Hey June Santa Fe tank from the underarm down, lengthened just less than an inch
I love the result! It’s the perfect cosy winter top. It’s made with my current fabric obsession, which is another colourway of the thick rayon-poly blend jersey that I used for this top. I’ve now bought it in all four colours that Len’s Mill carries!
As you can see, the Santa Fe always turns out a bit higher in the front on me, because it doesn’t have any extra length for the bust… but I quite like that! I’m also a big fan of hems that curve up slightly at the sides (like my TNT Jalie Raglan tee or Santa Fe) because the hem doesn’t hit as obviously at the widest part of my hip.
(In case you are curious, the leggings are made with jegging fabric from L’Oiseau, just like these black ones I made in fall (and wore with the same maroon colour – I’m getting predictable! I like how opaque and resilient the fabric is, but I got an oil stain on the front thigh the first time I wore them so they’ve never really gone into wardrobe rotation!)
Now, can we talk Renfrew cowl? Every other cowl pattern piece I’ve ever sewn or seen a tutorial for is a rectangle, and it makes for a very dense, slightly awkward cowl. Renfrew has curved shaping on all four sides, which makes it wider at the top of the cowl than where it attached to the neckline. This lets everything drapey gracefully, and sit nicely as your move throughout the day. With a smidge of extra width, it attaches easily onto the scooped neckline of Concord, as I also showed in my Ren-Cord mashup last year!
Did you hear that Jennifer of WeBoughtAManor and I have challenged each other to wear a Cashmerette pattern every day for the month of February? We’ve each got at least 30 items, so it should be possible without extra panic sewing. I bought a selfie stick in preparation… so please feel free to laugh at me trying to get a selfie every morning as I run out the door!
If you want to join in for a few days or a week or whatever, just tag any outfit pics on Instagram with #CashmeretteChallenge. It is not official or organised with rules – just purely for fun!
This top is a great reflection of why I love sewing knits and TNTs: sewing is stress-free, you can create just what you want, and good fabric never goes to an experimental waste!
Crafting A Rainbow 
What a nice cozy top! I love the drape of the cowl. I also love your necklace!
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Thank you! I can’t wait to wear this again, because I felt good in it all day!
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I totally agree about the Renfrew cowl. I recently sewed a dress that was advertised as having a cowl but it was really more like a limp fabric necklace flopping around the neckline. Your top is lovely; the color is gorgeous!
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I”m laughing so hard at your description – but yes, that’s exactly it! Who wants that?
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I do love the cowl neck on this top Gillian – the problem is I’m not re-buying the Renfrew 🙂 I did buy it a couple of years ago and gave it away at our meet-up once I discovered Sewaholic patterns were NEVER going to fit me without an enormous amount of fiddling. I was trying to imagine what shape the cowl pattern piece looks like to get it so nicely at the seamline to the Concord! That’ll teach me not give patterns away so quickly – there might be even one piece in there that’s useful!
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Sewaholic were so good for me as a pear-shaped sewist… they helped me realise that a pattern should have to have 5″ removed here and there to make it fit!
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Great shirt–lt’s a good color on you, too. Love it styled with that necklace. If you are inclined to share, I would love to know where the necklace came from.
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I got this necklace years ago when I lived in Japan! They have the best cheap accessory shops, so I think it was $5! 😉
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Burgundy is a great colour on you, especially Fall/winter. You’ve brightened my day! 💞 Mom xxx
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I think you and I have ended up with similar colour palettes, because I love how burgundy looks on you too! ❤
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The Renfrew cowl is the best. I’d only gotten around to making it once, and was sad that I had to get rid of that shirt in the last wardrobe purge. I’m doing a test version of the pattern in a new size as a pajama top soon, and if it works this time, I’m definitely making a new cowl version!
I love your creativity in mashing the three patterns together to get just the look that you wanted! I would have guessed a cowl neck Ebony.
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I hope your Renfrew pjs work for you! I only have one or two of my original Renfrews still kicking around, so I don’t really remember much about how the bodice fits… but I sure did love it back in the day! I’m 5″ bigger now though, so I’d have to check if I even still fit on the size charts! 😉
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Hey…do you have the cleaning product named “409” in Canada? It works magic on grease/oil stains. Even after they’ve been dried! Give it a shot and I bet you’ll get your pants back!!
I love this look in you. It’s looks perky and exciting. Great colors too!
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Like Pam, I have a suggestion for removing oil stains – lighter fluid. Any time that I’ve had any sort of grease stain on any type of fabric, I just dampen it with lighter fluid (DO NOT set it on fire; that’s only if you hate the garment 😉 and let it sit for about a day. Then wash as usual and the spot will be gone. Works like a charm!
I also really love your mashup. Great combination of fabric and design elements from various sources ❤
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I”m going to look it up! Thanks for the suggestion!!
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What a fabulous mash-up! Gorgeous colour on you too
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Thank you! I’m so happy my pattern mashup worked, because I love this fabric!
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Totally cute! I’ve made the Renfrew but never the coal version… I should get around to that. 😂 I spent most of this past weekend doing riffs on TNTs and boy did it feel good!
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TNTs are just the best, aren’t they? So relaxing to sew, so fun to tweak!
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Lovely top!
Oil and grease stains are easy to get out if you if you get to them when they are ‘fresh’. Just put liquid dish washing soap (not dishwasher) on the spot and wash. Do not dry in the drier.
It won’t work if you’ve already washed them.
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I absolutely love this outfit. The top is a perfect colour on you and the leggings are lovely. Shame about the oil stain. Could you maybe try putting a paste of something like Vanish onto it and leave it for a while then wash? I did that with a pair of jeans and it seems to have gone although it might take the colour out. Still love those beads. Xx
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