My first attempt at creating a capsule wardrobe-Part Seven “Navy Navigation”

For the last two of my ten coordinating wardrobe pieces, I chose solid navy blue knit fabrics to make both a top and tunic-length “cardi”.

“Patty’s Princess Top” is a relatively new pattern in the Silhouette Pattern line. I’d already made a muslin and was relatively confident the process would be “smooth sailing” getting this piece finished in time for the contest deadline.

I love this pattern’s princess seams and the slight bell-shaped sleeve cuffs at the 3/4 length.

Well, yes and no. The lightweight, navy blue rayon knit I choose for this top had a nice drape but proved a lot more stretchy than I anticipated. Fabric scraps from the border print knit used for the first top I made for this collection were added to create a contrasting flat piping detail on both the front and back princess seams. I also cut out the v-neck collar from the border print and reduced the width from one inch to 3/8”. Good thing I decided to hand-baste the princess seams in place for a final fit-check prior to stitching in the flat piping. The rayon knit turned out to be a lot stretchier than the cotton knit I made my muslin out of; so much so that I ended up taking in the seams an extra 5/8” before achieving a flattering fit.

Given the super-stretchy nature of this knit, hand-basting the flat piping to the center front and back pieces prior to sewing the princess seams proved a worthwhile extra step.

Again, similar to the revelations from my previous posts, the border print infinity scarf really changes the overall look of this basic piece.

Though a bit brighter in color, the mid-weight Ponte knit I chose for Silhouette Patterns “Hugo’s Favorite Cardigan” ties in well with the other nine pieces in this collection.

Love how the shawl collar also functions as a princess seam this affording better fitting options.

It a recent webcast, the pattern maker, Peggy Sagers, suggested adding front angled pockets set into the front side panels so I decided to add these to my version as well.

Paired with Silhouette Patterns “Giorgio’s Top” (tucked in), “My Basic Jeans Skirt” and border print infinity scarf.

For an extra bit of pizazz, I created contrasting bindings for the interior front seams (quasi “Hong Kong Finish” style) utilizing, you guessed it, more scraps from the border print knit!

In conclusion, creating my first capsule wardrobe has been a remarkably satisfying challenge. I’ve lost count of all the various wardrobe combinations creating this ten piece wardrobe has afforded. Each piece is comfortable and esthetically pleasing and I look forward to wearing all in years to come.

A sampling of some of all the possible wardrobe combinations in this collection:

One Reply to “My first attempt at creating a capsule wardrobe-Part Seven “Navy Navigation””

Carey says:

August 21, 2021 at 10:43 pm

That’s a wonderful little princess top (and yes again OMG with the scarf!), and the navy cardigan “was, is, and always will be” a great thing.
So whew! What an amazing accomplishment in only 8 weeks! Congratulations!

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