I’ve had a few questions about this top since I shared it on Instagram and in our newsletter, so I thought I’d write a quick blog post about it.
This is the Bento Tee by Liesl + Co, made in our new Australian-made waffle knit in Off White.
It turned out really lovely, really happy with the result. It’s one of those great everyday basics that I know I’ll wear a lot and was quick and easy to sew.
I made the short-sleeve version, but read on as I did make a few changes to get the shape I wanted.
The fabric
The waffle knit is a new sub collection of Australian-made fabrics.
The cotton is grown in Moree, New South Wales, and the waffle knit is knitted in Victoria, making it a fully Australian-made product.
It’s made with Good Earth Cotton®, with cotton that is physically verified at source and farm-level environmental data independently verified by SGS. The Good Earth Cotton programme uses FibreTrace® technology to verify the cotton fibre and its origin.
Another really cool thing is that the colours match the other fabrics in the Good Earth Cotton collection. So you can sew whole matching outfits in waffle knit, french terry, brushed sweater knits and cotton jersey, and it even coordinates with our merino wool jersey too!
So if you like putting together a wardrobe where different fabrics can work together, there are lots of possibilities.
My Bento Tee
I made the short-sleeve version and added the cuffs as drafted initially. I made it in size S, assuming it would be ok to size down since the fabric is quite stretchy and I didn't want it too oversized. It turned out to be the right decision.
I did make a few changes though. I really like tops with a waistband; I have quite a few in my wardrobe, so I decided to add one to the bottom of the tee.
I cut a strip of the matching ribbing 13 cm high, folded it in half and wrapped it around my body to work out how long the waistband piece needed to be.
Once I had that measurement, I shortened the tee by about 3 inches to account for the waistband that I was going to add, and to create a cropped top. I also brought the side seams in slightly towards the bottom hem, creating a gentle angle.
This meant the waistband was smaller than the circumference of the tee and only needed to be stretched a little to fit. My ribbing was approximately 75% of the finished circumference of the bottom of the top.
It gave me exactly the shape I was after.
Sewing the waffle knit
The waffle knit has quite a lot of stretch, so I used a differential feed setting of 2 on both my overlocker and coverstitch machine to remove any waves.
I also added a small strip of knit interfacing to the shoulder seams before sewing them. This gives the shoulder seams a little extra stability and will keep them from stretching out.
The sleeve cuffs were another little learning experience.
The cuffs are drafted to match the measurement of the arm opening. Once sewn on, I found that this gave me a slightly wavy edge, which I didn't like.
So I took it off and reduced the cuff size to around 80% of the arm opening. This meant I had to stretch the cuff slightly to sew it on, but it gave me a much better result. The cuffs now sit neatly without that wavy look.
I left them unfolded in the photo, but you can easily fold them up too.
The neckband piece height was increased from 1.5 inches to 1.75 inches; that's just a personal preference and the measurement I use for all my ribbed neckbands.
I finished the neckline, cuff seams and waistband seam with my coverstitch, and that was it.
I’ll definitely make this one again
I really love the finished top. The Bento Tee is such a simple pattern, but it gives you lots of scope to make small changes and get the shape you like.
I can see myself making this again in a striped jersey, and there are plenty of other possibilities too.
Sometimes the best sewing projects are the simple ones, quick to make, easy to wear and something you know you’ll reach for again and again.
This is definitely one of those for me.
Materials used:
- 1.5m of Waffle Knit off-white
- 25cm of matching ribbing
- A small piece of knit interfacing
- The Bento Tee sewing pattern
