The lovely and beautiful Wellington Sewing Bloggers Network have officially declared today, July 28, 2013, Let Us Sew Cake Day. This group is a wonderful and talented bunch of sewists that I have met through the blogosphere and they constantly have such great sewalongs, ideas and meet-ups.
So, in honour of this prestigious day, I have sewn Cake Patterns Cabarita Knit Top as well as eaten the better part of an entire sugar flower covered cake! Wisely, I coordinated my cake with my Cabarita Top, because to not have done so, would have been rather gauche. 
I love the collar piece as well as the v-neck back of this knit top. It really elevates a T-shirt into dressed up wear, so simply and easily. The back is also drafted to be cut on the bias and Steph recommends to keep it that way so that it hugs the curves of your back. My fabric was on the thicker side and quite crisp, so I did not interface the cabarita front collar piece, but would have if I had used a softer and flowy fabric.
The only alteration I made was to narrow both the front and back sleeve by removing 5/8″ (1.5cm) from the bottom of each sleeve. I had to then shorten the sleeve binding accordingly. This way, the sleeve hugged my arm perfectly. It’s easy to figure out a custom measurement for you, simply by measuring your bicep, around where the sleeve ends.
The only thing I would do differently next time, is to attach the sleeve binding after I had sewn the side seams. The patterns calls for you to attach it first, but I find it more difficult to line up the cuff at the seams that way and also, any seam finishing you do, may be more visible since it extends down to the bottom of your cuff.
I like how the front rolled collar and V-neck back really bring the emphasis up to your face and upper half. If you used contrasting sleeve and neck bindings and collar piece or reversed the stripes in a striped fabric, this would play it up even more. The next one I make, I’d like to try contrasting pieces.
The V-neck back is very streamlining and I really enjoy the surprise of it and the symmetry it provides my back.
One of the unique aspects of this pattern is that you ‘draft’ your own size based on your bust, waist and hip measurement. I chose to make mine with zero ease and using my exact measurements, but you can also choose to give it more ease by selecting a larger measurement for each area.
And, you’ve seen him lurking around in the background of the above pics, but it’s likely no surprise that Kitty also enjoys Cake.
I highly recommend to eat your cake and sew it too!!
I was also recently interviewed by Mel at A Curious Kiwi for Indie Pattern Month. Check out her post, here. Thanks Mel!
Gjeometry 
Beautiful top and another hilariously good photoshoot.
Thank you, my lovely! Kitty is always attributed to the hilarity of each photoshoot. However maddening it may actually be…
Wow – Love the lines and fabric in your top! Must investigate that Cabarita! Another great photoshoot from you and Mr Kitty…. who looks like he likes Cake too!
Hi, thanks Anne!! Actually, this isn’t the fabric I had chosen for this top. I had bought a modern abstract leopard print. And, received this fabric free from a sewing course I was taking, so decided to make a muslin out of it. And then, when I finished it, I loved it! So, sometimes, the fates know better. 🙂
Cute top! I really like the print you used!
It’s like Kitty was lurking and just waiting for you to move away from the cake so he could sneak a lick, hehe. So cute!
Thanks Brooke!! And, I know. When I was compiling the pics for the blogpost, I kept saying, ‘oh, there’s Kitty’, ‘and there he is again’, etc. and then……Kitty made no excuses for enjoying the eating kind of cake. Well, his name was on it!
Cute!
Z
Thank you Zhenya!
A most excellent photoshoot. Kitty is the best. Oh, and nice top, too. 🙂
Thank you Andrea! And, yes, Kitty definitely thinks he is the best.
As always, a super-fun post. Cute top!!!! You’ve changed your hair, too which looks smart and elegant. Love your kitty as always. Thanks for sharing your special day.
Thank you so much Alyss, for your compliments and your support! It’s a good Cake Day!! And, I have more than half a cake left if you’d like to fly over and take a piece!
I did get a haircut! It reminds me of Vidal Sasson in the 1970’s combined with Buck Rogers in the 25th Century. 🙂 So, I love it, but wonder if folks are ready for it to surface here in 2013. Everybody seems to be sporting some form of a bob (which I talked my hairdresser out of and got this), but I guess it is my head and hair isn’t it? 🙂 Glad you like it.
I love it! It really suits your face and compliments your eyes. The best part of hair is it grows back so you can experiment all you want, IMO, knowing you can always change it. I’m struggling with the bangs growing out phase right now. Urgh! I would love to fly over, join you eating a slice of cake, give kitty a good scratch behind the ears and talk sewing. Alas, no extra cash for a Leer jet.
Blogging, however, is a nice second!
Oh, so glad you love it! I think it depends where I roam as to the response I get. High school mall going dwellers do not seem to give it the thumbs up. Luckily, for me! 🙂 Too bad, you can’t come and eat some cake. Kitty and I have now devoured almost half of it, and I am starting to vibrate. #Sugar (I will be off to the neighbours bearing cake in a few hours….)
Lucky neighbors!
Mall dwellers, eh? You’re right…lucky for you. 🙂
Love your top and new hair!
Thank you Denise! So nice of you to say.
Love to see what you sew. The top fits you so well. Delightful pictures of you and Kitty.
Thank you so much Mary Kay! I love the fact that you can draft your own sized top for this pattern and then it will fit so well. Kitty also thanks you for your compliments.
Great top! As you said, a perfect t-shirt with a twist.
Thanks Helena, I wore it today and it is indeed as comfy as a T-shirt, but with the added ooomph.
This is so adorable!! I haven’t worked with knits much yet but I think this pattern looks like a great starting point.
Thank you Amy! The pattern was quite easy to work with. There are no pictures with the instructions, so it is not for a complete beginner, but the steps are very straightforward so if you’ve sewn before, they are easy to follow.
Oh, very cute! I’ve been debating about this pattern, but seeing your version now has me convinced. 🙂 Love it in the floral.
Thanks Kat! I had originally selected an abstract leopard print to sew this in, but used this fabric as a muslin to test out the fit, and now I love it in the floral as well!
That top is lovely – and perfect for wearing whilst eating cake. Nice to know that you shared the cake with Kitty!
Thank you so much! Yes, not sure if I ‘shared’ with Kitty or if Kitty just stopped by and ate cake regardless of what I’d say. 🙂
Cats don’t ask – cats take!
Mmmm cake! I love the top! The print is just adorable! And love your haircut too! Very chic! 🙂
Thank you very much! The hair is a lot shorter so it doesn’t get in the way of cake eating.
ooooh – I think I need to check this pattern out, I am a 100% t-shirt person – it has to stretch, it has to be comfortable, but good to find something more than a basic T from time to time… Yours looks really lovely, perfect cake eating attire, and Kitty looks very restrained in his cake eating, my dog would be much more voracious!
Thank you!! I wore it today and it is indeed as comfy as a T-shirt, no doubt. Yes, Kitty is quite aggressive when it comes to demanding food, but, once he gets it, he does display a tremendous amount of tact and delicacy.
This looks fab! What a wardrobe staple!
Thank you Amanada! Yes, it does seem to go with everything. Well, maybe not in this particular busy pattern, but one in a solid or stripe certainly would.
I love it!! It originally woo’d me because I didn’t think it was a knit- now I must get over my vague knit fears and have one myself. I see that you are so obviously the star here that even Kitty is letting you be the focus!
Thanks Anne! This pattern was very easy to sew, and the particular knit I used was on the thicker side and very crisp, so did not even roll at the edges or get pulled into the feed dogs. Try to find a knit like that and it will make sewing with them pretty effortless. Kitty was only hanging back, biding his time to swoop in and eat cake…
I like your fabric, pattern and food combo!
Thank you! They all coordinate, even the tea set!! Lol.
I love that you joined in yesterday – I wish I could have had a piece of your cake, it looks divine 🙂 Your top is such a fun colour – I like the way you have fitted it to your body. Very flattering.
Thanks Sandra! I wish you could have had a piece of my cake, as well. There is still half left, can’t believe how much icing it had!
I am a huge fan of Cake Patterns and this top. I just wrote a post about my two Cabaritas as well. Such a fun print you chose. I have done stripes and a solid, maybe now I need a print? Gillian would be so proud of me. http://wp.me/p3HVTK-8O
Thank you, and thanks for stopping by the blog! I want to make one in stripes as well, but shied away from it for the first make. Go for a print! It is super easy to match up.
Love, love, love the hair! And the top is great too, fabulous colours and such cute print! Nicely done, lady!
Thank you Jagodas! It was originally intended to be my muslin, but now I love the print as well!
what a great looking top. I love the material & it fits you so nicely.. Cake look delicious. As always pictures are fantastic & kitty is having fun as usual.
Thank you! The pics were fun to assemble in the collage maker and I used ‘effects’ this time, oooooh! But, I do believe there is something wrong with the ‘auto-picture taking’ setting on the camera as all of those pics were very grainy, but when I took them manually of Kitty and the top, in the same lighting, they were fine.
Mmmm….cake! And a cute blouse! It’s like sensory overload! 😉 Seriously, the blouse is adorable and fits you perfectly, great job! 🙂
Cake…..aaaahhhhcccccuuuucchhh (Homer Simpson sounds). Thank you for your compliments! And, yes, everything coordinates and is all in many colours and prints, there is a lot to take in!
Thanks for sharing your lovely top! I love the neckline details – will have to try Cake Patterns now.
Thanks Samina! I have not tried any other Cake patterns yet, but I do like this one! It was easy to follow and nice that you can draft your own personal size.
Everything is positively romantic and pretty. I like the collar a lot. It really looks perfectly fitted, what a good job you’ve done. Your post pictures were so cute too with the flower frames and Kitty snacking on cake and your Teacups. Loved it all including your new hair-do, smashing.
Thank you very much Boomdee! I coordinated everything, top fabric, tea set, cake, threads…..oh, I just thought of something, I should have put Kitty in a coordinating collar! (Hey, did you see my last post of Kitty and I at the beach? Something tells me you will really like those pics of Kitty 🙂 )
I love the v neck in the back of this top! I love Kitty too!!
Thanks Shannon! I like how the V-neck is on the back as usually they are on the front. Although the top is supposed to be reversible, so you could wear it the other way round. Kitty loves you too. But, he likely won’t share his cake with you….
I love cake! (I don’t love icing, and will gladly skip it.) Now I want to bake… I also love Cake patterns. When I am done with this strict fabric/pattern diet in autumn, I will be getting more. Until then, I have to live vicariously through you!
Hi Laura, I loved icing up until last night. I ate so much of it that I really don’t want to see any for quite some time….And, feel free to live vicariously through me anytime!
We are having strawberry short cake for dinner tonight! It’s perfect- no icing.
Oh, that sounds good! And now, I’m picturing a Cake Cabarita top in a strawberry fabric 🙂
Ahhhh! I wish I could’ve attended your cake party 🙂
I love that top!
also, I’ve been gone too long because you have a new hair-cut/do! I love it as well! 🙂
I wish you could have been at the cake party as well. There certainly was plenty of cake, in all its forms. Thanks for your compliments, I like the top as well but not sure if I’ll be leaving my hair this way or growing it out slightly.
I keep hearing about the Wellington sewing bloggers, it sounds like such a great group! I’m in Auckland, but if I end up in Wellington sometime I should definitely visit you guys 🙂
They are a great group but I’ve only ever met them virtually as I actually don’t live in Wellington. But, it’s still fun participating in the events online!
I’ve got the Cabarita top pattern, but not tried it yet. I love your version, it goes perfectly with your cake 🙂 He he, honestly, the colours and the fit are fantastic. I really must put one together. The fabric is really pretty. Really glad you could join in our Cake party.
Thank you so much Nikki! I tried very hard to coordinate the top, cake and tea set and even threw some coordinating thread spools in there. I like the pattern as you can draft your own custom fit size so that’s why I was able to make it fit so well. I can’t wait to see your version. And I was thrilled to be able to virtually join your Cake party. 🙂
It’s lovely! Looks like a great fit and the fabric is really pretty.
Thank You Tabatha! Drafting your own size with this pattern really helps to achieve a great fit.
Lovely photos and top! Amazing cake too! Haha, and love the picture of the cheeky kitty. It looks awesome 😀
Thanks Jo! (I bought the cake, so can’t take credit for decorating it, but CAN take credit for eating it). Kitty also enjoys Cake, although he did not sew anything.
What a cute top! I love the collar. And such a fun photo shoot, I always enjoy your pictures so much. Of course Kitty thought the cake was for him, it looks like a birthday cake so maybe he thought it was his birthday? Your new hairdo looks great, it suits you very well and makes your eyes pop.
Thanks Elise! I’m having a lot of fun with my photos using the collages and filters. And, if you look closely, the cake actually says “Kitty” on it in purple icing. So…. Glad you like the new hairdo. I like it but also am waffling back and forth on it.
Loving the pretty top and co-ordinating cake!! Very delectable.
Thank You Caroline! I do love things to coordinate. 🙂
I looove the fabric you used, very pretty and a great colour on you! 🙂 I also love the sneaky pic of Kitty having some icing, they’ll try anything those kitties! Harri’s new favourite is mashed potato! I bought the Cabarita pattern too, hopefully it’s a more straight forward fit for me than the Tiramisu – I was thinking about altering the collar so it also follow the v down the back, hmm… 🙂
Thank you Mel!! It’s definitely a happy print. And, you can’t stop Kitty, if Kitty wants cake, Kitty is going to have cake. At least he’s neat and dainty about it. I think you’ll find the Cabarita pretty straight forward, even without pictures to help. You mean make the front Cabarita Collar piece a V-Neck? That would be very cool! Or do you mean adding a second collar down the V-neck back? That would also be cool! Hmmm, maybe I’ll make a second top using one of those ideas.
The shirt is very flattering. Great job!
Thanks Kathleen! 🙂
Nice work – I love this top and may give it a go soon. Thanks for your inspiration!
Thank you so much Maris! Give the top a go, it was a nice and easy make. And, I am so flattered and delighted to have inspired you! 🙂
Your Cabarita looks great. As always- another winner for you Gj! Pretty fabric and the cake… MMMMM … looks like a fun time for you and Kitty! ~Laurie
Thank you Laurie! There is STILL cake left over if you’d like some 🙂 Even Kitty can’t finish it all. I wore the Cabarita today to Patternmaking class and was complimented on it by a fashion design student!
Your Cabarita is lovely; and Kitty is such an adorable hoot!
Thank you so much! I was happy to sew Cake and Kitty was rather excited to eat cake with the WSBN.
I’m in love with your top! I really have to try some of these cake patterns I think. I’m seriously considering the tiramasu for some striped knit fabric I have. But now I want this pattern too!
Oh, thanks so much! This is the only Cake Pattern I’ve tried, but it was really straightforward and easy to sew up. And, I like how you can get it to custom fit.
Mmmmmm cake 🙂 I love your top – the back v-neck is quite flattering, isn’t it? Nice detail! 🙂 Kisses for Kitty XO
Thank You Amanada! I like the v-neck back too, it feels nicer when worn, as well, as it doesn’t bunch up around your neck.
Beautiful! It fits you so perfectly, and that fabric is fun-fun-fun! Love it!
Thank you very much Kacie! I got this fabric free from a sewing course and this was supposed to be my muslin and I had an abstract leopard print for the ‘real thing’. But, after I sewed it up, I loved how it looked!
Love the top, pattern and colour and you look great in it. Kitty will be starting to charge appearance fees soon!
Thanks so much! Kitty always wants to be in the thick of things, so I needn’t worry that he will become jaded and refuse to ‘perform’ on the blog :).
Wow, what a beautiful top! It fits you so perfectly. The neckline is so unique and looks amazing on you. I also think the top goes perfectly with the cake and tea. I love that the cake says kitty on it, but I’m so surprised that kitty is eating it! My cats always stay away from people food unless it’s raw meat (and sometimes cooked meat).
Thank you Kristin! I like the unique neckline, as well. Such a transformation from a simple T-shirt. What else could the cake possibly say on it? Kitty would have licked the icing off the whole cake if I hadn’t stopped him. Although, like your cats, his favourite is meat.
This is gorgeous, I love the neckline! I hope Dunedin has some cool sewers for me to hang out with as Wellington!
Thank You Jennifer! I hope you find a group of fabulous sewists to share with!
I like both the cake and the top! love the V-neck back and general shape – it fits you perfectly! And what a lucky cat…
Thanks very much! The fit is easy to adjust with this pattern as you select your own personal waist and hip size. And yes, Kitty doesn’t realize how good he has it, I think.
I love this version of the Carbarita, it’s gorgeous on you and that fabric is perfect! I sewed a Tiramisu, and loved the unusual sizing and construction, but haven’t tried another Cake pattern. You’ve convinced me that the Carbarita should be next!
Seriously great photoshoot 🙂
Thank You very much Angela! The Cabarita is pretty easy to sew and definitely comfortable, I think you’ll like it! I have not tried the Tiramisu yet. Glad you like the photoshoot, I’m attempting to become more creative with my photoshoot set-ups and picture formats. But, it’s difficult not to get a good photoshoot with Kitty and cake though, isn’t it?
I’ve been on the fence about Cake patterns for me (love them on others it has to be said) but this top is making me reconsider. Very cute. So’s kitty, as always.
I’m playing catchup so loved also your swimsuit and surprisingly waterborne Kitty. He’s once clever kit, just like his human 🙂
This is the only Cake Pattern I’ve made, but can say it worked out very well. Thanks for your compliments!! And, yes, luckily waterborne Kitty is a floater. Otherwise, swimming at the beach might become rather ugly. 🙂
Your top is so lovely! and a terrific photo shoot! and cute pictures of Kitty as usual 🙂
Aw, thanks Carolyn! And, Kitty is a natural, he doesn’t even ‘try’ to be cute.
Very nice! Fun photos. Love the title of this post, too! I got this pattern, too. I’m thinking of going with a striped knit but I worry about matching stripes along the seam line.
Thanks Chuleenan! I wanted to make it with stripes but had trouble finding proper knit jersey in stripes. I don’t think it should be too difficult as you can transfer your exact stripes onto the pattern pieces first, then lay it out on your fabric, lining up the stripes you drew and cut. I like that the stripes become chevrons on the back and emphasize the collar a lot more.