merchant & mills' top #64

by Cameron

I've been wanting to try Top #64 from Merchant & Mills for almost a year now - I traced the pattern during our staff retreat last January. With the temperatures dropping, I finally had the motivation I needed to sew up a cozy new shirt.

 I'm so pleased with the final product. It fits me well almost straight from the envelope. The only adjustments I made for fit were to make the side seams .5 cm rather than the 1.5 cm that are included in the pattern. I also lengthened the bottom hem by 8" to make it more of a dress than a top. I wanted something that I could wear over jeans in the cooler months and on it's own when it warms up. I like that it's a very simple, easy to wear style with just enough details to make it interesting.

The actual sewing was a treat. The construction is straightforward (and the instructions are top notch), but unlike anything I've sewn before, so I had fun watching it all come together. As they suggest on their packaging, I took it nice and slow, focusing on getting the small details right to make a quality garment. I surprised myself by truly enjoying the top stitching.

I used a medium-weight chambray for my first go, but I'm imagining it in all sorts of different fabrics: a cozy wool, classy cotton/linen, plaid cotton flannel, or a printed canvas. I don't think there's a bad choice!