Off The Shoulder Shirt by Seamingly Smitten

Hey there, Teronia here! Today, I’m going to review the Women's Off the Shoulder Top by Seamingly Smitten. The pattern features lantern sleeves and an optional high/low hem and comes in petite, regular and tall length. I chose to complete a straight hem in a petite size.

I believe that this is easily a beginner pattern. Even if you haven’t worked with knits before you can easily sew this pattern. Jenny provides tips to help you tackle the ins and out of sewing with stretchy knits. I, personally, am not the best with knits, but I learned a few things while sewing this up. I chose a super light-weight knit. The fabric is kind of slinky, but stretches in a way that made me scared to iron it too much.  This fabric was actually destined to become lingerie, or so I thought, but since I recently got married I was gifted quite a few pieces and decided I could use a sexy date night top.

When you print the pages there is no overlap. This feature is a plus for me because I really hate trimming pages (by hand).The layout is simple and easy to follow.  Piecing them together  and cutting is very straight forward. Just make sure pay attention and cut the sleeve mirrored as instructed, oops! Once your pattern is taped and you have your pieces cut out the actual sewing takes almost no time at all. I’m generally slow when it comes to sewing, but I could probably cut and sew several of these in an afternoon. I did notice that, again, not paying attention, you could easily sew your sleeves on upside down and end up having to pick them off (eye-roll). Besides that the instructions were clear and to the point. This shirt is literally done in 20 steps INCLUDING taping and cutting.

I love clothing that is feminine and stylish while leaving much to the imagination. The shirt sits off your shoulders and you can adjust how snug it is by tightening the elastic before closing the casing. I’m a huge fan of off the shoulder, but I hate that most tops roll upward when you lift your arms. You probably couldn’t toss a baby in the air without it rolling up a little, but the top stays in place with regular gestures (I talk with my hands...a lot). I was worried that a solid colored top in black would be too boring, but I think that having your shoulders out gives it a bit of allure.

The loose style was also, great for hiding my roll-y bits and pairs really well with a fitted bottom. I thought my new jeans were the perfect match. Had they not been broken I would have gone with my super cute black wedges, but I was happy to dress it down with some strappy sandals. I think you could even pull off a great look with some looser legged gauchos/culottes and pumps.

I am curious as to how one made of sweater knit would come out. I’m guessing as long as it had some drape to it and wasn’t too heavy it could work. Since there isn’t really an Autumn in Florida, but I love sweaters I think I may try my luck. I hope that this review has been helpful! If you haven’t already you can pick up a copy of the pattern here. If you have questions, need help or just want some inspiration check out the Seaming Smitten Pattern group on Facebook.  Happy Sewing!