a little while back i got to test out Rae’s brand new adult lady sewing pattern, the Ruby Dress & Top! it’s a flattering yet simple design that takes pretty much all of the tougher parts of adult sewing out of the equation (no darts, no zippers or buttons or closures of any kind…that stuff). it’s also a quick one to sew up. you can sew this pattern!
and you should.
because even though my face is a bit like 😐 in the photo above, i think this top is great…and the tweaks Rae made with the feedback from testing made it even better in the final version. that girl really takes her time to get the fit just right, something i really appreciate with her patterns.
it’s a SUPER fun (and maybe even a little overwhelming?) pattern to pick fabrics for. you can really go a million different directions with it. i used a semi-sheer lightweight rayon/poly type blend from the back of an Old Navy shirt I bought for the other side (eyelet). it moves around a lot which made the skinny bias binding way harder to apply, but the drape is nice.
the bottom fabric, which i ADORE, is from Skylights by Rosewood Organics. i got it at Bolt (I think?). such a cool watercolor design. i made this summery top when it was still 90 degrees out and it’s definitely fall here now, which just means i’ve got a whole new color palette to choose from when i make Ruby 2!
i usually sew a medium in Rae’s patterns but here I made a size large, because do you know what else the Ruby Top is great for…?
…hiding an early baby bump!
yep yep, 18 weeks along with baby number 3 over here, and so excited! i know at least one observant blog friend guessed it based on my posting slowdown this summer, but seriously guys, little #3 really kicked my butt in the first trimester. so tired and most food just made me feel sick. i’m glad to have some energy back now so i can sew in the evenings if i want, or in the daytime for that matter (i was pretty much napping when my kids did – good for the baby but frustrating for me, since i ACTUALLY ENJOY DOING THINGS)!
i’m due in late February and we can’t wait to find out gender in a couple weeks, though Em is CONVINCED it’s a girl and has even told us what we should name “her.” in the meantime, she nicknamed the baby “Avocado” based on the size i told her the baby was at the time, and loves to give her little “sister” kisses, bring me blankets and Mommy Elephant to snuggle with when i’m tired, hold the doppler machine and listen to the heartbeat at the midwife…she’s a loving little mama and it’s the cutest. it’s really fun to have her understand what’s going on.
O seems happy about it sometimes, and sometimes indifferent. because he’s 2. 😉
and there ya go – my secret is out! i’d never announced a pregnancy to blogland before…hope i did okay. 😉
> > > :: < < <
thanks for the great announcement project, Ruby Top! check out Rae’s highlight reel of my fellow pattern testers here, video tutorials on how to line the yoke here, and Rae’s supercool arrow dress that started it all here.
skirt as top 
Congratulations! Sooo excited for you all. BABIES!!!!!!! I LOVE them! The shirt is really cute. I love the fabric:)
Yay thank you! That fabric is pretty irresistible, eh?
I’m smiling from ear to ear over here. So glad the secret is out!!!!!! I am dying to find out what it is. Can’t wait!
I can’t wait either! The more Em says “she” the harder it’ll be to get used to “he” if that’s indeed the case, ya know??
What wonderful news! Congratulations! You look amazing and I love the top.
Thanks so much!
oooh, how exciting! Three *is* the magic number, you know!
so i hear…! 😉
official congrats! Love the top too. AND the bump poses. My guess is girl too…..
thank you ma’am! i feel like you may be psychic about these things for some reason, so we’ll see!
Congratulations! And what a cute baby bump you have!!!
Thank you! It’s cute now but if tradition holds, it’s gonna get BIG. 😀
CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!! Wonderful news! Glad you’re feeling better now…that first trimester took me down with my last one too. Perfect baby bump top! Yay!
Oof I’m not sure if it’s the first two running around or if it’s your body responding differently, but man it was rough. I’d never had nausea like that on top of the exhaustion. Blegh! But thank you! It’s all good stuff regardless. 🙂
Congrats! I did notice you had been scarce around here
I tried not to be, but I just couldn’t help it sometimes. I’d mean to post and fall asleep! Ha.
Perhaps I’m completely dense (which, granted, I am at times) but I was super-surprised! Which made the announcement that ,much more fun to read! Congratulations, Kristin!! I’m so happy for your growing family! And I’m so happy that you’re starting to get your energy back…that first trimester is killer!
Hehehe I’m glad I surprised someone! Thanks so much, Carolyn!!
Woot!! I was wondering why you made the top so baggy… Didn’t seem like your usual style. Congrats on baby #3! I hate that first trimester fatigue… Really cuts out sewing time. Super cute baby bump!
I do prefer a more fitted top, for sure – but this top was definitely convenient for bump hiding, since those third babies like to peep out a little earlier than you want to announce things, ya know? Thanks!
Congratulations!! Very exciting news!:) The top looks great…love the watercolor print you used on the bottom.
Thanks so much Cindy!
Happy baby #3!!!
Thanks Rachel!
Congratulations, girl!! What exciting news- your avocado is precious. Best wishes to you, and cute top by the way!
Aw thanks! I love that she so quickly adopted that as the nickname – cracks me up.
Ha, I have totally been thinking that too about you 😉 BIG congrats and your announcement was perfect…and so it the top.
Thanks so much Mie! Yeah a sewing blogger goes quiet for a while and it’s generally a safe guess, eh?
I’ve only been reading your blog for a couple of months, so didn’t realize you had slowed down in your posting. But I just wanted to say I really enjoy your blog and I thought that was a super way to announce a pregnancy!
Oh thanks so much, Heidi! Welcome aboard. 🙂
Yay! Congratulations!!! Such amazing news and what a cute way to announce it. 🙂
Thank you Celina! I’d planned this post for a while. 😉
Congratulations Kristin!! Cat’s out of the bag!!! Now I can’t wait for the next reveal when you find out the sex! You are looking adorable and that truly is the perfect reveal top. All around YAY!!!!
Thanks so much girl! Oh yeah I’m excited for my gender reveal sewing plans.
Lovely news! Ha, I was also thinking….I like the Ruby top but it looks a little big…..duh!
Hehehe. Yeah my measurements lead me to a bigger size this time, even though I probably could’ve still gotten away with the smaller one for a while. 😉
congrats Kristin! that is a perfect pregnancy top! so excited for your family!
Thanks Trinh!! Too bad our weather took a nosedive here recently.
Oh my! Congrats Kristin! I made my “big announcement” a couple of weeks ago as well!
Ohhhh how exciting! Our new little ones will be so close in age! Congratulations to you and your new little chibi!!
Congrats!!! I was starting to wonder… 😉 So very very exciting!! Love the top too!
Thanks Jane!!
Yay! So glad you let the baby out of the bag. 😉 You are the most adorable pregnant lady. I can’t wait to find out what your little avocado is either. So fun! You guys make the cutest kids. What a lucky little kid to get to join your family.
Aw thanks, Delia. I can’t wait to add to my little pile of kids! Three will be some fun chaos.
Congratulations!!! That’s wonderful news! Ya gotta love Rae’s patterns, no?! Your top is amazing and I want that fabric!!!
Thanks, Venus! I know, it was a funny thing to pattern test and be like “ummmmm do you still want me with this new little bit of news that will be changing my body shape quite a bit?” Haha.
Yay! Congrats!
Thanks Laura!
Hooray!!! Baby, baby, baby!!! Three little pumpkins to sew for now! Can’t wait for the 7th!!! 🙂
Yep yep yep! Can’t come fast enough!
Congrats! That’s so exciting! And the top is cute, too!
Thank you, Jill!
i can’t tell you how excited i was to see this this morning. the ‘teaser’ photo on feedly was your pregnant belly, so i knew the news was coming and couldn’t read the details about the top – i had to go straight to the announcement! 🙂 then went back to read all about the top as well! 🙂
congratulations! i am so, so happy for you. i read a study that said women tend to get more sick with girls. i was, by far, my sickest and most tired with indigo. i was sick and exhausted for 20 weeks. time has never gone slower in-my-life. it’s so funny how time is. those days just progressed at a snail’s pace. but indigo was also my easiest baby by a long shot. people tell me that’s how it works (hard pregnancy = easy baby). iris was my easiest pregnancy. i did some acupuncture and the acupuncturist told me, based on “5000 years of Chinese wisdom” (his words) that if i thought happy, positive thoughts my entire pregnancy, I would have a happy peaceful baby. so i did. i even journaled 1000 things i was thankful for. i was perpetually zen. and she was, by far, my grumpiest, most colicky, more discontent baby ever. i told him, “think of what a grump she’d be if i hadn’t done all of that positive thinking!’ ha!
hehe aw thanks! i’ve heard that too about the sickness. i have said this pregnancy resembles Em’s more than O’s, so I’m probably having a…boy. that’s how it works, right? the opposite of what you expect? and O was an easy pregnancy, easy labor, AND easy baby, so i got kinda spoiled there. 😉
that’s fun about the costume on pinterest too! she was in heaven wearing that thing.
ps i was on pinterest getting some ‘printables’ for tarikua this morning and saw em’s elephant costume. i can’t tell you how big i was smiling when i saw it. so insanely cute!
Congratulations:):)
thanks!!
Congratulations!! You look totally radiant in that top and with that sweet bump! x
aw thank you so much! i like radiant. 🙂
Congratulations!! What wonderful news! So glad you are feeling better. The baby bump pics are so cute!! Oh and your Ruby top is cute too 🙂
Teehee thanks. Glad to be feeling better too.
You look so beautiful in your new top!! Congratulations!! I’m so happy for you!
WOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! Congratulations honey! So excited for you!
Aw thanks, Jess!
Congratulations! I just had #3 6 weeks ago and my oldest (whose is 6) loved knowing what “fruit” the baby was each week.
I know what you mean about the third pregnancy being hard- mine kicked my butt! I hope yours gets easier from here.
Oh congratulations to you!! Em will be nearly 6 when the new one is born. It’s so fun to share the excitement with her!
Congratulations! Just had #3 myself and so far easier than transitioning to 2! Good luck!
Oh I like that news. Congratulations to you and thanks!
Hooray! Congratulations! Glad you’re feeling better now! ♡♡♡
Thank YOU!!!
Congratulations!!
Thanks!!
GAH!!!! Yaaaay! *big ass kermit arms*
(love the top too btw) 🙂
Hehe you silly girl. Thank youuuuu!!!!!
Congrats!!!! Babies are wonderful, but they do run the show, even before they’re born! Wonderful news!
Thanks Brittany! Oh man they sure do.
Congratulations in the new addition to your family. You look fantastic and the top is very cute.
Thank you so much. 🙂
Congrats! And what a great looking top – love that watercolor fabric.
The colors of it are really vibrant in person, too…I love it. Thanks, Melissa!
Yaaaay, baby! Congratulations! What lovely news. Pretty top too!
Thanks!!
So sneaky. 🙂 Congratulations! 3 is good. You know, from the 5 weeks of experience I can base this on.
Hehe I’m the sneakiest. 😉 Glad to hear you’re liking 3 – it seems like a great number of munchkins to me. A nice little collection.
So happy and excited for you all!! I was really sick with #3, worse than the previous two, but I wonder if it’s also a function of having more to do and worry about with two other kids running around. Or maybe your body does it all on its own, is more sensitive because it has been pregnant before, who knows? But I am very glad you are feeling a lot better and very happy for your family 🙂
yeah i wonder too – it’s definitely been more noticeable. oy! thanks ledys!
Congratulations!!!! Best wishes for you.
thanks so much!
squeeeeeeee! Congratulations!
hehehe gotta love a squeeee! thanks!
Yay, whoohoo the news is out!! I’m so excited for you guys and can’t wait to meet the new little boy or girl. Congratulations, friend!! (Oh, and you did a great job announcing the news). 😉
thanks girl! it’ll be so fun – Em and O looked very different at birth (she had tons of black hair, he had less light brown hair, a pound difference in weight…lots of stuff) so i’m curious what #3 will look like as well as gender! ohhhh the possibilities.
Congratulations! So funny, I was just looking at the photos and thinking “That top is really cute, but it makes her look a bit pregnant”… and then tada! Lovely news.
Hahaha yep. Funny. It is a bit floaty, eh? 😉
Wonderful news–congratulations!! Wishing you all the best with your pregnancy. Sometimes you just need a fun and happy new shirt to make you feel the same inside, but you look like you are radiating from within! So beautiful!
that’s so sweet, thank you! 🙂
congrats, lady! you and the top are both adorable 🙂
Such exciting news, congrats to you!! I love this top, and you look adorable as always 🙂 I waffle a bit about having another, but I am pretty sure we are done…I feel like I am to old to go through another pregnancy, hehe. Glad you are feeling better, that first trimester can be rough!
Yah for you guys! Congrats! Lookin’ and feelin’ good 😉
you look adorable! Glad you are feeling better and can sew a little. Can’t wait to see whether “avocado” is a boy or girl!
Wow. That sure is a great top for covering a bump. I almost fell off my chair with the first side on photo!
CONGRATULATIONS!
Congrats on the new edition! 🙂
Also, lovely top!
Gah I love this announcement! I am SOO excited for you guys!!! SMILING big!!
Oh wowwww, congrats. On the top and the baby. Love the watercolor print. You’re the cutest!
Congratulations! You look amazing, I’m very excited to see a little baby sewing around here 🙂
yay! so excited for the announcement!!! and the top is great too of course. You’re amazing!
Awwww….seriously you are just so gosh darn cute preggers! adorable! you look fab girl! hugs and congrats again!
Yay! Congratulations!! And what a fun announcement . . . yes, I would say you did “ok”!:) Glad that you’re starting to feel better and have more energy – may it continue for many months to come yet!