Today the sky is white white white, and the wind is swirling and billowing about in the trees every which way. So naturally I feel compelled to wear a white lacy top and to try to curl my hair. Seems a bit random? well I can see the connection anyhow. Just seemed fitting. Wuthering Heights, again? Although me curling my hair is asking for trouble. I could hardly brush it after. Serves me right for dreaming up yet another way of procrastinating on all the work I need to do… As it turned out the sun popped out from behind a cloud just long enough for me to get a sunny picture…
The top I’m wearing today is an oldie. It was made from quilting cotton with crocheted lace strips inserted in the front and back. I used this pattern New Look 6483, with a few variations obviously. In my usual fashion, once a basic pattern has proved itself in terms of fit I then feel compelled to improvise with each use. I was trying to copy a top seen in a Vogue magazine, for which I’ve just hunted unsuccessfully and I can’t remember the designer I’m afraid. My version has been a very useful top; reasonably pretty, loose enough for warm weather and very comfortable for casual days.
This New Look pattern is an excellent basic pattern with no frills. It is a simple matter to add interest with a few minor variations. In this case I squared the neckline, altered the sleeves by puffing them up, inserted horizontal and vertical crochet strips on front and back, added a few pin-tucks, made a front bottom panel longer and gathered it to fit, added border crochet strips… Well quite a few variations, but I was just playing with it at the time and the end result seems to be a keeper in my wardrobe as it has resisted every seasonal purge. Admittedly white/off-white lace is rarely tossed out by me as I’m strangely drawn to it. The whole aura of nostalgia and romance as represented in late Victorian era photographs and illustrations has such timeless appeal, no?
Other details:
Jeans, Development
