Last year I bought the Elbe Textiles Stayley top, printed out the pattern and there it sat. I decided to cut it out to sew up at the Fremantle Sewing Group retreat a couple of weekends ago. Then it hung around my sewing room as I wasn’t well enough to attend the retreat. I was determined to finish it!

The pattern consists of a tee shirt with short sleeves and a long sleeved top with an interesting hemline designed to be worn over the top. The pattern blurb states the following:

“The Staley Top comes with two options, perfect for layering together. View A is a cropped jumper, featuring a split hem detail that is slightly longer at the back. View B is a semi fitted t-shirt with a scooped neckline and a curved hem. 
The armscye and sleeve head are the same for both views, which makes it easy to mix and match pattern pieces if you’d prefer View A with short sleeves or View B with long sleeves. 
Both views come with two cup size options – B cup and a combined C/D cup.”

I used some really interesting double faced knit that I bought a few years ago at the Morrison sale – a local designer who used to sell off headstock. I was rather pleased that I had enough for both pieces and made both View A and View B.

The fabric is a really pleasant surprise, it is really soft and, because of the double layer, it’s really warm too. We had quite a dreary day today and I was able to take Miss G and Heidi for a walk and not feel the cold.

I’m wearing it with some Jalie Eleanor jeans made from wool Ponte from Knitwit Fabrics. These are very warm! The necklines on both tops are low – probably too low for this time of the year, so I added a scarf that Tom and Bridgette gave me, which I felt looked perfect with it. It also stopped the draughty neck syndrome which often accompanies a lower neckline.

Side and back views.

When I got home I took off the long sleeved tee so I could show you the short sleeved one. I made this from the non-striped side of the fabric.

I really like the shape of this tee shirt. The only change I will make next time is to fiddle with the neckline.

An action shot! I’m showing Miss G Ted’s Book that I made in 2020 having been inspired by Kristen Shaw who sent me a book called Dirty WaWa. Miss G is wearing a little outfit I made her from a KwikSew pattern book for babies. Photo bombed by Heidi, who was determined to be involved.

I feel as though I’d make a few changes to this set next time, but now I’m writing this, I can only think of changing the neckline! I think I will wear this a lot, both as a set and as separates.