Itch to Stitch Clemente Top

Sometimes a pattern and fabric appear at the same time and demand to be combined together. That's just what happened a couple of weeks ago when Itch to Stitch launched the Clemente top, and a couple of days later Hey Sew Sister released a particularly lovely yarn-dyed cotton gingham that seemed perfect for the pattern.

The Clemente top is a relaxed fit top for woven fabrics. It features front and back yokes with soft gathers, a bias bound neckline, button and loop closure at the centre back neck, and the choice of short, three-quarter or long sleeves with elasticated hems.

The pattern has A, B, C, D and DD cup sizes, and covers bust measurements from 30⅛" to 63" and hips from 33⅛" to 62".

The pattern instructions have a good level of detail and are very easy to follow, with clear diagrams illustrating the steps too. I've made a few Itch to Stitch patterns and they always have great instructions.

Clemente is a fairly simple pattern and comes together relatively quickly, but the yoke offers a bit of interest – particularly if you use a gingham/plaid or striped fabric and play with the pattern placement on the yoke. 

As you can see, I cut my yoke on the bias. The pattern recommends using stay tape around the neck and yoke seam if you do this to prevent the yoke stretching. I followed that recommendation and it seems to have worked nicely.

I made a size 10 and used the B cup pattern piece as recommended for my measurements, and I think the fit is good. It's relaxed as intended, but not overly loose or baggy. 

The only adjustment I made was to lengthen the pattern by an inch (standard for me). When I tried on my toile, which I hadn't hemmed, it felt like just the right length so I added the extra inch so I'd be able to hem the top and keep the length that I wanted.

The only other very slight change I made was to use ½" elastic in the sleeve hems instead of the ⅜" called for in the pattern, which was just because that was what I had in my stash.

As I mentioned above, the fabric that I used for my Clemente is a yarn-dyed cotton gingham from Hey Sew Sister. It's a lovely quality fabric, and was a pleasure to sew. I think this fabric is perfect for a Clemente – it has just enough structure and stability to make the sewing process a breeze, but it's also light enough to suit the relaxed shape. 

I took the time to match the back yoke pieces, and I'm glad I did that – it's always satisfying when pattern matching works out!

I'm pleased that the Clemente and this lovely gingham appeared together and "forced" me to combine them. It was an enjoyable project to sew, and my finished top feels lovely to wear. I quite fancy making a Clemente with an embroidered yoke, so I may well be using this pattern again.