Tova Tendencies

Can one sew too many Tovas? 

That's a rhetorical question, by the way. Or it'd better be, because I've done it. I've made another one. It's almost embarrassing how many of these I've made (four of them, plus one that I "hacked" beyond recognition).

Anyway, back to this Tova. My dear mum gave me some "fabric funds" for my birthday -- though I think it was not this past August, but the August before! I bought some delicious brown linen at JoAnn's that I'd been admiring for ages, and decided to make a Tova. But then, life. Honestly, I think I was a little nervous to cut into it!

So there it was, hanging in the closet, waiting for me to pull it out during my current obsession with stash busting. I'll be honest, I'm always a little terrified when I make a Tova. There is so much detail up front (well, part of that is my fault for adding a placket!) that I'm terrified I'll mess up. I took my time, tried to be precise, and hoped for the best. To my delight, it went together beautifully! I always struggle with the bottom of the placket, and this one turned out much better. I did all of the tricky bits, including buttonholes, before I sewed the front and back together. Then I sewed the shoulders, finished up the collar, and finally sewed up the sides. North and South kept me company for this project -- and several of my other recent projects, too. I forgot what a long book it is!

I do love this design, which requires very little fabric (a yard and a half of 60" wide fabric will do the trick for my sleeveless version). I forget that I've changed things about it, like omitting the sleeves and altering the front opening. I especially like the modified placket; it solves the issue of the "gape" that Tovas tend to have, which requires either an undershirt or a safety pin to solve. A placket and a few buttons does the job nicely (though it is a pain to put in), and in this case I had some coconut shell buttons that were up for the task.

This should be a great transitional piece through the seasons -- easily paired with cardigans and long leggings in the winter, and worn sleeveless with lighter leggings in the summer.

So thank you, Mum, for the perfect birthday gift! *wink*