Crazy print top with faces on it!

I'm still on a sewing kick to get some tops made for my holiday. Here's another version of Burda 7079 that I recently made but this time it's in an absolutely crazy print. I made view A, the top but with the following modifications:

• cut the back on the fold
• didn't do the front neckline slit
• modified the front neck facing
• scooped out the front neck, from zero at the shoulder to 2cm at the front centre
• added the sleeves from the dress
• added 2" length

I bought a metre of this 150cm wide viscose fabric from Mandors in Glasgow. I didn't know what I was going to make with it but I knew I'd have enough for a top or maybe a pencil skirt.

I used up almost every scrap of the fabric. I added slits at the side seams, just because I like this detail. I used facings for the neck and simply turned up 1.5", overlocked the edge and machine stitched the hem. Believe me, you can hardly see the stitching in this print. I over locked all the raw edges as this fabric absolutely loves to fray and is quite frankly of an Olympic gold medal standard at it. The fabric feels like a linen so I didn't want to do french seams as they would be too bulky. Maybe it was mis-labeled and is linen, not viscose, who knows?

How to describe the print? In the shop I thought it looked like stylised tree trunks in a forest. Then when I got home I thought it was more like fish squashed against a window. Have a close look and tell me I'm wrong! Yesterday I saw the occasional face...

I cut the sleeves as long as the fabric would allow. I was going to wear it to work this morning (always a good sign) but then didn't. You know how it is. I was swithering about the length of the sleeves and I now think I'm going to shorten them to a more conventional 'short-sleeve' length. It feels a bit frumpy like this?

Maybe the elbow length sleeves with crazy print are just too much. What would you do? You have until the weekend to let me know what you think...

Mellow yellow....and being brave by trying a new colour

We had a little overnight trip to Glasgow a few weekends ago where I visited my favourite fabric shop of all time - Mandors. I managed to find lots of fabric and left the shop much poorer and with bags I could hardly carry back to the hotel. I remembered spying space in C's travel bag when he was packing...One of the fabrics was this lovely striped viscose, 'cheap as chips' and in the choice of either yellow or electric blue colourways. While I love electric blue I thought I'd challenge myself to take the yellow and go way out of my comfort zone. These stripes do NOT photograph well!

I only bought a metre but the fabric is 150cm wide so I knew I'd get something out of it. Ah, yes...there are also lovely, 'artistic' irregular stripes to match. Can't make it too easy for myself!

I used Burda 7079 that I've used before here and here but looks like it's out of print now. Basically, the pattern is for a top (or dress) with front slit at the neck, the back is cut in two pieces with a button loop closure at the neck. There are sleeves if you want them. I ignored the front neckline slit and scooped out the front neckline by about 1 cm. I cut the back on the fold too and didn't have any opening. As long as I scoop out the front, I can get this over my head. I used the front and back facings in the pattern, slightly modified, and used light, iron-on grey coloured interfacing. Why do very few sewists specify the interfacing they use? It's really useful to know and I'll try to remember to keep doing this!

I kept the modifications I made previously - adding 2" to the body length and dropping the dart an inch. I cut the dress bodice length plus two inches I added, but then cut off an inch or so, but that's the way I like to work. If something is too short, I won't wear it. I think that comes from years of trying things on in shops and getting annoyed at the lack of length. I'm 5' 9" tall. The sleeve hems are finished with purchased black satin bias tape.

There are very short, grown-on sleeves covering the shoulders. There are also short sleeves you can add but I couldn't get the stripes to match so didn't bother as I thought it would drive me mad. The bust darts give a good shape to the top and help it hang well in such a drapey fabric. I decided to have a hi-low hem as I always wear tops out, not tucked in. I've got such long legs my proportions look weird if I tuck my tops in.

Not knowing if I'd actually like the finished article, I feel I just flung this top together, threw it at the sewing machine and overlocker and was very pleased that I really like it! Partly that's because I tried a new-to-me colour but mostly because I've got a new top for my holiday. Yay!

A very satisfying sew

Have you ever spent hours figuring out how to get the best out of a small piece of fabric, moving the pattern pieces slightly and then staring at the results for ages? Well, this is how this top was for me. I couldn't resist the pattern on the fabric when those lovely ladies in the John Lewis fabric department in Edinburgh opened the plastic wrapping of the £5 remnant just so I could feel the fabric and see what the heck that pattern was! I remembered to take a photo of the fabric before any cutting out-

It's a lovely, fine, satin-y fabric with lots of lovely drape to it but look at that pattern! The challenge is to get the pattern placement right.

Ah, yes, and it's a remnant. I haven't told you that there was just a metre of it, 150cm wide mind you so that was great.

The fabric is lying square and flat in the photo, there are no straight lines in this either. So now you realise the challenge! I used a really simple pattern for a cap sleeved top, View A Burda 7079.

I found it difficult getting the pattern placement right and the front and back are great but I did have to sacrifice the pattern not matching by about 1-1.5" but hey ho, you win some, you lose some! I'm still really pleased with how the top turned out and I've already worn it and washed it.

Here are photos of the front and back views not that there's much difference between them, really but at least you can see the pattern placement!

Just in case you're wondering, the photo on the left is the front view.

What I have decided to do in the future is to cut the back on the fold as it's easy to get in and out of the top without the bother of having a back opening. I hate sewing button sloops and don't make a good job of them. This is no exception! I just love this top and I can see me wearing it lots. Anyone got a good deal recently or been really pleased with how something has turned out? On another subject, I finished my first Vintage Pattern Pledge yesterday so keep in touch, I'll be blogging about that really soon!