Ankara Top + Headband: simplicity 8918

Hi everyone! I hope you’re all doing well! It has been so hard to blog lately and I apologize for ghosting y’all! I I’m playing catch because even though I wasn’t blogging, I’ve still been sewing and sharing on social media! So today, I’m going to talk about Simplicity 8918!

I started working on this pattern during a live on my Instagram page. I thought the pattern was so cute, especially the neckline. I love the sleeve variations for this pattern too! So fast-forward to when Juliet Uzor and Lena King started #sewankarafabric ⁣as a way to share some inspiration for people looking to add some African wax prints into their wardrobe. You all know I don’t sew much with Ankara but after all the inspiration, I looked through my stash, found some fabric my mom gifted me and made this Simplicity 8918 top…again! Let’s get into more details.

the details

Pattern Used: I used Simplicity 8918 for this top and I made View D on the pattern.

Pattern Description: Simplicity Sewing Pattern S8918 Misses' Tops *description from Simplicity website. I will add that the pattern has sleeve variations and View D has a elastic casing for the hem.

Pattern Sewing Level: I didn’t see a rating on the pattern but I think a confident beginner can make this. It has facings, and elastic casings. The sleeve casing can be a little tricky but in my live, I showed how to go through those steps.

What size did you cut?: I cut the 18 for this top!

Were the instructions easy to follow? They were easy to follow but like I mentioned the sleeve casing portion is a little tricky. The illustrations are good for those steps though so just use those if you get stuck or, (and I promise I’m not spamming my live lol) but you can check that out too!

What did you like or dislike about the pattern? I LOVE the neckline! I also like that you can add a casing on the sleeve or a sleeve band. I added a casing for this top, but for my white top, I used the band. I don’t have any dislikes.

Did you make any pattern alterations: I did not make any adjustments to alterations to the pattern.

Where did you purchase the fabric(s)? This fabric was gifted from my mom, but you can find many beautiful Ankara prints on Etsy.

Did you record a sew along for this pattern? Not a step by step sew along, but I did sew most of the top live!

Would you sew it again? Yes I really love this top! I can see myself making it a couple more times including the headband. I made the band 22”x 70”. It’s just a long rectangle tied around my head. I love it though!

Would you recommend it to others? Yes I would!

I didn’t get too many pics because this was a quick OOTD (outfit of the day) post! Now I’m thinking I need to re-shoot it! LOL! Thank you so much for stopping by my blog! Until next time…

Blessings,