I am completely obsessed with wrap tops, dresses, and jumpsuits at the moment so I was really looking forward to trying the new Hayley Ballet top pattern.

The pattern can be made in woven or jersey fabrics and I chose to use a viscose jersey from Doughty’s. It’s this red spotty Lady McElroy jersey and it’s so soft and drapey. As it is a viscose jersey it is a little more shifty than a cotton, but the results are worth the extra time it takes to sew. It’s really comfortable to wear.

The top is a very simple construction and came together quickly. I sized down 1 size from my usual Simple Sew size to account for the jersey fabric, as I didn’t want it to be baggy. I find jersey tops work better with a little negative ease.

The trickiest part of the sew was the tie straps. I have a loop turner that made it a little easier, but because the fabric stretches so much it seemed to take forever to pull them through the right way. Next time I make this I’ll try interfacing the straps with a lightweight stretch interfacing to see if that helps. The ties are also REALLY long, I can tie them around me twice and still tie a bow!

Overall I’m really happy with this make. I love the fabric, it is so fun and seems to go with everything. I’ve been wearing this top for work a lot as it looks great with a black skirt and is really comfy to wear all day. It is pretty low cut so I usually wear a little cami underneath for modesty. 

I recently saw a similar blouse on Boden for £70, which is a woven cotton one so won’t be as comfy to wear as this one. I love it when I accidentally match the Boden catalogue! 

Jenny xx