Fourth Time's The Charm?

Given that I've made this top three times already, you'd think that I would have learned all that there is to know about making the Renfrew Top. 

But you'd be wrong because I learned at least two new things this fourth (!) time around.

1.   Fabric choice does make a difference (everybody say it with me now - "duh!").  The first time that I made this top for myself I sewed it out of sweatshirt fabric which had very little stretch to it and the size 6 that I cut out happened to be the perfect size for a nice fitted shirt.  This time, though, I cut out the same size shirt but I made the top out of an interlock fabric with a fair amount of stretch. 

Same size, different fabric, and a whole different fit.

Because of the added stretch in this fabric the fit is much looser this time around.  So much so that when I first put it on I wasn't sure that I liked this version of the shirt.  After wearing it a couple of times though I have to say that it's growing on me and while the different fit was a complete surprise, perhaps it'll end up being a pleasant surprise in the end. 

2.  Knit tops made out of striped fabric should only be made by people who are detail oriented and possess infinite patience.  Unfortunately, I am not one of those people. 

In sewing the top together I realized that I probably should have been much more precise when laying out the fabric and the pattern to ensure that the fabric was straight and that the stripes were laid out correctly.  I was able to do some finagling to get the neckline and the side stripes to match up perfectly but the cuffs and the bottom band are definitely off.  My hope is that people will be so distracted by the ridiculously bright colors on this shirt that they won't notice that some of my stripes are wonky.  We'll see if this slight of hand works.

P.S.  So cold outside!