Hello sew-friends! Today I’m sharing another garment from my Make Nine list - the Hadley Top by Grainline Studio. I’m always on the lookout for nice tops that I can pair with jeans or trousers for a quick and easy outfit. I especially love sleeveless styles because they’re easy to wear under a cardigan. I really love the swingy design of this top, it’s a little fancier than the Willow Tank by Grainline (which I’ve made twice!) and it was a pleasure to sew.
I made view B which is sleeveless with a deep V-neck and swingy hem. I made a size 10 and did a 1” FBA which is my standard size and adjustment for Grainline patterns. I also lowered the bust dart 1.5” but I think that might have been a little too much. I decided to move the dart based on holding up the paper pattern to my body and after I did it in fabric the dart felt a little low. For reference, I’m 5’11”, my bust is 38.5 inches and my upper bust is 35.5”. If you haven’t done a Full Bust Adjustment before, I have a video about it here. This blog post from Curvy Sewing Collective is also a great FBA reference.
I really love the design and construction features of this tank. There is a seam at the center front and center back. The arms, neck and hem are all finished using facing which provide structure and a really clean finish. By the way, I have a post right here about how to sew a hem facing. If you haven’t sewn a Grainline pattern before, I highly recommend checking them out. They have a lot of classic wearable designs and the instructions are excellent.
I used a gray chambray linen that was gifted to me by The Fabric Store. It’s a totally yummy fabric and a joy to sew with. I used this same fabric twice before, once for McCalls M7788 and more recently for a sample of my Lela Skirt pattern. I love the linens from The Fabric Store and I so wish that they still had a shop in LA. After those first two projects, I only had a little bit of fabric remaining and it was just enough to make this top. I did have to use some scrap fabric for the facings but those are not usually visible so it’s no big deal.
This version of the top is kind of a wearable muslin. If/when I make it again, I think I’ll raise the neckline a little bit, raise the dart and maybe consider a square shoulder adjustment. I usually don’t do a square shoulder adjustment on sleeveless tops but I think it’s worth considering. That said, I love this top. It pairs especially well with fitted bottoms, like skinny jeans. I tried wearing it with wide leg pants and it was just too much volume for me.
