2010 - 12 Months 12 sewing challenges

So I'm kicking myself that I didn't stumble upon this 2010 12 months, 12 sewing challenges earlier! It's such a great idea, now I also have many more blogs to read and Flickr pics of everyones creations to view Yippee! and I can't wait to get started. If you are reading this, you should join it too!
I missed the January challenge :( - which was to sew something for yourself, but the February challenge comes in perfect timing! I can make something from knit fabric for myself thus making up to myself for missing the January challenge - nothing like finding a way to combine :) In September I purchased some  light blue knit fabric to make a top for myself to match a  pair of (grey with a blue pinstrip) pants that I actually finished in October - then along came Christmas and the top got forgotten!

I confess...I don't sew much with stretch knits, to be honest they scare me a little...I find them difficult to control. But it is by definition, a challenge...time to face that fear and...accept that Challenge!

Sometime last year in another random (Random as in, "dear darling husband I need to go to Spotlight" (husband eyes me suspiciously saying).."for what?"..."Just some stuff"..."what kind of stuff?".."oh you know...stuff" See...Totally Random! - The visit to Spotlight unexpectedly allowed me to come home with some Khaliah Ali patterns and other plus size patterns for $1 each...can't get better than that! This is one of the ones I picked up:

I work as a casual teacher in various schools.  My clothes need to be long enough to keep covered when I bend and while reaching for the top of the white board to write. And being plus sized, they also need to cover my wobbly arms (personal hate). One of the other Khaliah Ali patterns I picked up has Flowy, long batwing sleeves. These are nice for going out, but adds extra bulk and are impractical for school unless I want my sleeves to act as a giant white board eraser or catch on every locker and kids backpack along the corridors. No sleeves at all is too casual for working in a school, and I like to have my upper arms covered anyway. I think View E on this pattern is the one I will use, but I will lengthen it a little further over my hips and shorten the sleeves to elbow or 3/4 length perhaps. I really like the design of the large cuff on the sleeve, so even when I shorten the arms, I will leave that feature on.

So February this is my mission, to make a nice practical work-casual top in a knit fabric that has decent sleeves and covers the essentials.

Hopefully it will also look nice :)