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Box Top Love: The All Well Box Top

Did you know we do sewing classes? You might not, since I’ve been horrible and slacking on the blog side of things (thank goodness for amazing contributors that share great content with us though ❤️), but it’s something that I’ve found a real passion for! There’s no better sense of community then to be able to share something you love doing with others, especially in person. As much as I love doing it online, it’s also nice and refreshing for it to happen in person! And last week we held our first Intro to Apparel sewing class.

During this class, we cover all the good sewing basics, like fabric choice, sizing a pattern and so on. But I’m not here today to delve into those details. What I’m sharing today is what we MAKE in this class, more specifically, what I made last week.

A great way, I find, to get into apparel sewing is a box top. There’s so many great options out there. But we’ve opted to use is the All Well Box Top sewing pattern, which goes up to 157cm/62″ max hip size. I like to sew an example up while we’re teaching the class, that way students can see the step before (especially more complicated ones) being sewn up in front of them before they do it on their own piece. I’m definitely a visual learner and that was one of the things that stuck with me when I took a few apparel sewing classes.

So I sewed up an example (pre class) to be able to talk about the pattern and share details and such, but I made sure to bring some fabric to be able to sew one up during the class as well. Fabric choice can make a huge difference in your pattern, and lend it to several looks and turn something you think looks basic and useful only one way into something that can have a completely different look and become a staple piece used for wholly different looks. I didn’t snap a picture of the tee I brought it, but it was definitely more structured and boxy looking, and as much as it looked great, wasn’t a wow on my body.

For this top, I used our Mustangs on Black print, which is a wonderful rayon print that is slightly textured with a cross hatch like pattern. It’s got such a great flow and drape to it, perfect for hanging off the body. It’s a lightweight fabric, and feels really breathable. I’ve actually worn this top a few times over the past week, it’s probably become one of my favourites.

I love me a good print, but sometimes I also like for them to be a bit more subtle. This Mustangs print is just perfect for that (in my books). At first glance, it looks like a lot of lines and swirls and may not seem like horses right away, but when you step back and look at it you definitely notice them which I really love!

So about sewing the All Well Box Tee… It’s a great beginner pattern! It’s perfect for covering your sewing basics, and pushing a little bit with the neck binding (which is definitely my preferred neck finishing option for this top). The neck binding also lends really well to insertion a sewing label, something like this I Love You, I Know would be a really perfect way to finish this (and contrast a bit with the black fabric).

I sewed this top up in a size 3, the equivalent of a large. With the flow and drape of this fabric, the 3 was perfect for me. I have a 41″ bust size. But when I sewed it up in my more structured lawn fabric, I realized I would have preferred to size down to the 2 (or medium). I think that’s just a preference thing with the amount of ease and the choice of fabric. But that’s the beauty of learning to sew, you realize what suits your body and what fabrics/silhouettes work best for you.

I love this top paired with my favourite pair of ripped boyfriend jeans and a half tuck. I also think it’s a really versatile piece thanks to the fabric choice. I can wear it to one of my kids baseball games just as much as I can wear it out on a date night with my partner, depending on shoes/accessories.

I definitely need to keep adding some box top in my closet now! This vibe is my jam.

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