The Melilot shirt was my favourite shirt patterns a few years ago as blogged about here.

Before I wrote the blogpost, I hadn’t realised how badly the shirts were sitting at the back. This is due to my swayback – the difference in proportions between my waist and my bum. When I made this top again recently the first thing that I did was size up two sizes to allow more ease. I still wanted to wear a well-fitting top but increase ease means it is more comfortable to wear and has no fit issues! I also made a swayback adjustment to the back pattern piece.

I have always found the hem of this on my proportions (short waist, longer legs) wrong. A curved hem is much tricker to sew than a straight hem so I decided to straighten the hem. I have left it at a length which can be worn loose over pants or looks great tucked into skirts or pants.

This top is made in a Lady Mc Elroy ladies print fabric in a cotton lawn. For fine fabrics like this one I use a brand new microtex needle. As the fabric is densely woven it needs a fresh needle to avoid damage to the fabric. This fabric does need to be ironed after each wash which is a bit of a pain! But it’s worth it for such a good print. Paul loved the fabric as well so I purchased enough to make him a shirt as well.

Building a versatile wardrobe where items can easily translate between seasons and occasions is one of my goals. This top is an excellent basic which can be dressed up or down.

I’m looking forward to making more shirts in the future using this pattern.

Happy sewing!