Me Made: Andi Top by Swim Style Patterns

I am feeling so groovy in my new Andi Top by Swim Style Patterns! Sharon and Justine, the mother-daughter duo behind the brand sent me their latest pattern to try out so, I thought I’d share a little bit about my experience sewing it up.

This was my first time sewing up a Swim Style pattern and I found the process really straightforward. I chose to make view B, the Andi Top because I felt it would be more wearable with bottoms in my wardrobe. It actually happened to perfectly match an old pair of me-made pants I had. It was meant to be! The Andi Top is cropped, with long puffy sleeves and a centre front drawstring detail that you can bunch up as much or as little as you’d like. I had never sewn this type of detail before and I think the result is very cool. The only adjustment I made to my Andi Top was to cut the back pattern piece and facing out on the fold so it wouldn’t have a centre back seam. I didn't want to break up the beautiful print on the fabric I was using.

In total it took me about 4 hours to complete the top, including taping the printed pattern pieces together. Before sewing, I watched their Youtube video tutorial that takes you step by step through the construction process. I loved watching how someone else made up the top and definitely felt like I learned something new. It’s great to see pattern companies creating content that makes their products even more valuable to makers.

The fabric I used was gifted to me by The Vintage Sewing Bunny, a little fabric store in the UK. The print is called Beach Baby and was designed by Olivia Millar. Its a beautifully soft cotton lawn that feels and sews up very similarly to Liberty Tana Lawn. I think thus print couldnt be a more perfect match for this pattern. It really goes with the retro vibes and was lovely to work with. I can't wait to style this up when the weather warms up!