Itch to Stitch Glenelly Top

A good t-shirt is a wardrobe staple, don't you agree? While they're a classic piece, it's always nice to have a slightly different twist on the standard t-shirt shape so I was keen to give the recently released Itch to Stitch Glenelly top a try.

The Glenelly pattern has top and dress options and features a square neckline and short raglan sleeves. The dress option has a slightly raised front waistline and gathers in the centre front and back waist. 

The pattern has regular or full bust options and hip sizes from 33 to 62 inches.

While the square neckline was one of the main things that attracted me to the pattern, when it came to sewing it was also the part that I was slightly concerned about. It looked like the sort of thing that could be easy to mess up when in fact you need to sew it accurately or else the top just isn't going to look right. 

Thankfully I needn't have worried because the instructions are really good in general, and are especially thorough when it comes to sewing the square neckline in particular. They break the process down into really small steps and I found that they made it straightforward to get a nice finish on the neckline - it is a little bit fiddly, but if you take your time and follow the instructions it's really not too tricky.

Another thing that attracted me to the Glenelly top other than the square neckline was the fact that it has raglan sleeves, because I think raglan sleeves lend themselves particularly well to colour-blocking and therefore are good for using up leftovers. 

The fabrics that I used for this top are both remnants from past projects - the striped floral that I used for the front is from a Gable top that I made earlier this year and originally came from Threadquarters, while the navy contrast is from a large piece that I bought in a charity shop and has gradually been used for various projects. Thankfully they're the perfect match for each other and work really well for this top. It also means that I can contribute this project to the #RecyclingRemnants challenge that Elle @elleandthestitches is currently hosting on Instagram (if you have remnants you want to use up - check it out! It's running until 11 September).

As I mentioned above, there are quite a good range of sizes in this pattern. I used the regular bust option and blended from a 10 at the bust out to a 12 at the hips. They are the sizes recommended for my current body measurements and they worked out nicely. My top is nicely fitted without being too tight at all.

I'm really pleased with how my Glenelly top turned out - it's obviously super comfy but it feels a little bit more fancy than a standard t-shirt thanks to the lovely square neckline. I'd happily recommend this pattern if you're looking for a slightly different knit top or dress pattern with great instructions. I can definitely see myself making more!