Jersey for summer is perfect, and Fanny from the brand Instinct Couture understands that well! 

It offers us a great asymmetrical top and pleated dress pattern: the Vakita pattern. 

I gave in and sewed myself a top from a 3m coupon of GOTS certified jersey with a lovely floral print... and also a dress! I chose to make them using two techniques and it works perfectly!

I share my jersey sewing experience on the blog. Let's go! 

The pattern

Vakita is therefore a summer pattern to sew in knit fabric, offering style and comfort.

Its asymmetrical cut is designed to remain compatible with wearing a bra, thanks to its added strap. The charm of Vakita also lies in its pleating on the shoulder. The upper bust is lined down to below the chest to ensure beautiful finishes.

This pattern offers you a wide range of styles:
- crop top,
- top,
- fitted dress
- skater dress.

Information for sewing this pattern
Vakita is available from size 32 to 52, corresponding to a bust measurement of 76 to 120cm. The pattern is available in printed and PDF formats on our site. Seam allowances are included and are 1cm. 

The pattern fits well; if you are slightly above the measurements for a size, I suggest taking the next size up rather than sizing down, to avoid a very tight fit. 

In the seamstress's basket
Vakita must be sewn in a knit fabric with at least 40% elasticity. You can choose cotton jersey or ribbed or textured knits. The cotton jerseys offered in the shop allow you to make it easily while following the size chart. 

Fabrics with body, like Milano or interlock, are also suitable for sewing Vakita. For a more fluid and flowing effect, you can also choose a viscose jersey. 

To sew Vakita, you will need:

- knit fabrics for the different versions: 
The crop top: From 32 to 42: 70 cm of fabric (at 140 cm width) and from 44 to 52: 100 cm of fabric (at 140 cm width)
The top: From 32 to 42: 80 cm of fabric (at 140 cm width) and from 44 to 52: 120 cm of fabric (at 140 cm width)
The fitted dress From 32 to 42: 100 cm of fabric (at 140 cm width) and from 44 to 52: 150 cm of fabric (at 140 cm width)
For the skater version, add 60 cm of fabric (at 140 cm width). 

The haberdashery needed to sew the top or the dress:
- 3m of lastin
- matching thread
- matching cones if you use an overlocker. 

My version and my supplies
I chose to sew the top and skater dress version in size 36. 

For the top, I selected a 3m coupon from our selection of joly coupons, it’s a GOTS certified jersey with a floral pattern just like I like. 

For the skater dress, I chose a viscose jersey from my personal stash (actually it was a remnant from a Joly coupons of 3m that we no longer have in stock, I fell for it and somehow a piece ended up in my stash 🤔)

I chose not to use lastin but a special straight grain support for jersey to reinforce the seams of the straps, armhole, and neckline. 

Difficulty level and technical points
The difficulty level of the Vakita top/dress is 2 out of 5 according to the ranking established by Fanny, the brand’s creator. I find that Vakita fits well with the intermediate level. 

Resourceful beginners can give it a try and advanced sewers will enjoy assembling a very nice pleat detail and a jersey-lined top. 

By sewing Vakita, you will learn to:
🧷 Sewing knit fabric
🧷 Sewing elastic (on the sewing machine and serger) or applying fusible interfacing for jersey
🧷 Sewing pleats and making a hem
🧷 Sewing a lining

My sewing experience
Since I like to test patterns in real-life situations like you have at home, I decided to sew one piece on the serger and the other on the sewing machine. Note that the pleats on the straps must absolutely be sewn on the sewing machine. So I sewed the top on the serger and the dress on the sewing machine.

Apart from the fact that it takes a bit longer to sew on a regular sewing machine, both versions sew very well with either method. So no worries if you don’t have a serger yet, the sewing machine works perfectly fine, just don’t forget to use a jersey needle. 

I chose to do the hems with the coverstitch machine to make the most of it. If you don’t have a coverstitch machine, you’ll need to use a twin needle for jersey/stretch fabric. 

I have to say I love my two new sewing projects. I really like the originality of the neckline cut and the pleated straps. It’s very different from the patterns you usually find in stores.

I'm really happy that Fanny drafted the pattern so that it works well with wearing a bra. 

I really like my t-shirt which will be perfect to pair with shorts or jeans. 

And then, the twirling dress... mama mia I love it! I'll definitely pack it in my suitcase for the next sunny vacation! 

So, what do you think of this pattern?

Don't hesitate to check out the designs by Fanny and her brand Instinct Couture because there are real gems to discover. 

Get your needles ready!