A Colorblocked Izzy Top in Knit

I recently shared my first version of the free Izzy Top pattern from climbing the willow. I changed things up this time by using a knit instead of a woven, and taking advantage of the design for a little color blocking.

When the idea of a coral and grey colorblocked tunic popped in my mind, I had to do something about it ASAP. I knew the Izzy was the perfect pattern candidate, with that curved empire waist and slightly modern feel. The coral fabric is actually leftover from this top for me and Rosa's Owlie dress and leggings. Four projects from 1 yard of fabric isn't too shabby. Fortuitously, the "Owlie" leggings work for this top, too.

The grey knit came from a Danskin tee I'd purchased at Walmart for myself -- I didn't try it on at the store, and it turned out to be cut so horribly off grain that the side seams were impossibly askew. I tried wearing it several times, but it was rather irritating. Oh well. It looks better as a tunic!

My first Izzy was a 2T, but I made this in the 18 mths size. I knew the knit would afford a bit of stretch, and I really wanted something that fit Rosa perfectly right now. I did make a few changes to the pattern, to make allowances for the kind of fabric (knit) and how much of it I had (very little). For instance, the skirt pieces are considerably narrower than the original pattern, due to the fact that all I had to work with was a woman's size small shirt. Because of that, I opted for a single box pleat in front and back, rather than the gathering. It looks right for this top, and there's still plenty of room for Rosa.

All I had to do to reduce the size of the skirt was make a couple of folds in
my pattern piece. Easy peasy!

My other significant change was to omit the bodice lining and cut the bodice back on the fold. I hemmed the sleeves and bound the neckline. Only then did I realize that the neckline was too small to go over Rosa's head! Oops! It turned out to be a blessing in disguise, since the keyhole I added is now one of my favorite features. Granted, the finishing would have been a bit tidier if I'd planned the keyhole (no way was I going to unstitch that neckline!), but I'm not being graded.

A bit of extra knit found its way into a little flower accent, which I stitched to a hair clip. Now that Rosa's hair is long enough for bows and such, I'm having a field day!

And here's a shot of the little lady herself, so you can get an idea of the fit. And yes, this was the best picture I got -- she doesn't like staying still!

The more knit projects I try, the more I love sewing with knit. What once would have seemed a total nightmare now seems quite manageable -- the hardest part is remembering to change to a stretch needle, or winding an extra bobbin for my double needle!