Sewing with bamboo Jersey

Sewing Bamboo Jersey Tops

I love sewing. In particular, I love sewing big, bold, bright, beautiful (often puff sleeved) dresses. Now, usually when looking at fabric, I tend to instantly imagine what it would look like sewn up in a dress pattern. I have the most enjoyment when I’m sewing dresses and ‘fun’ outfits, but I also think I am not really giving anything else a chance. In the back of my head, I find sewing basics like tank tops and t shirts boring… but that is actually not the case. I had SUCH a fun time making these tops

When KP Fabrics asked me if I wanted to sew up some of their fabrics, I decided to not choose a big crazy bright print, but to make something that I definitely need in my wardrobe and will wear again and again… tank tops, or vest tops as they are known here in the UK. Because readers, sadly, 9 times out of 10 at the moment I am grabbing a vest and jeans and not a big puff sleeved dress! My life right now is very on-the-go and busy and I’m finding the jeans and a top combo is the most practical.

So, I decided to make as many classic tops as I could out of 2 metres of fabric. I chose 1 metre of this bamboo jersey fabric in camel and 1 metre in old green. When the fabric arrived, I could not believe how soft they were! I have never bought bamboo jersey before but I definitely will be going forwards as it is so buttery smooth and looks very expensive.

The vest tops patterns I chose are both from Paradise Patterns, the first one is the Blomma Tank (it used to be called the Pua Tank) and I have had this pattern for a while but only made it once before. The second pattern is the brand new release from Paradise, the Sommar Camisole, it is so bloody amazing.

I made the camel Sommar Camisole in the long version with the size small bralette inside. Yes, you heard that right, the pattern has a built in bralette inside with an elasticated bottom. It feels super supportive so I don’t need to wear a bra and also is very flattering on the cleavage, if I say so myself! The green Sommar Camisole is the cropped variation which I prefer as I like wearing high waisted trousers or skirts with a perfectly cropped top at the waist.

For the Blomma Tank, I had a bit more difficulty, I don’t know why but I struggled to get the arm and neck bindings to sit flat.You can see that the binding has pulled on the fabric and doesn’t look as neat as I’d like, but I never claim to be a perfect sewist and am still learning! I also have been sewing quite late at night, so it could have just been an over tired brain. I decided to sew it all on my sewing machine with a ballpoint needle and a zig zag stitch. What I love about the Paradise Patterns is that they give you so much help with how long and wide each zig zag stitch should be, for example, they explain to use a narrow zig zag stitch when sewing the side seams together and then to use a wider zig zag stitch when finishing the seams. Sometimes it is nice to have your hand held a little bit, especially if you are new to sewing with stretch fabrics.

I decided to use the remainder of the green fabric to make a t-shirt, as I definitely need more block colour t-shirts in my wardrobe. I used the Tabitha T Shirt pattern from Tilly and the Buttons and it worked perfectly. The fabric is so perfect for this t-shirt, it has a lovely drape to it so it doesn’t look boxy and pairs wonderfully with my jeans.

Now, more about the fabric, I found it super easy to sew with, it had a really nice stretch to it and curved around my body perfectly. As I said earlier, it looks and feels expensive and is super soft against my skin. I definitely want to buy more colours and make more basics that feel simple yet chic. My next idea is to make the Sommar Camisole but elongate it to an ankle length dress, the perfect simple throw on dress when it’s super hot out! Maybe in a bright pink…!