First impressions can be deceiving. And one’s first impressions of the “Wearing a Triangle” design from Pattern Magic 2 might just be that it is one of the least wearable designs in the book. That was my own naive silly first impression anyway… I admit this photograph of the garment did not endear me to it one little bit; it was a disturbing reminder of the freaky monster shape the rather dishy (in those days, sigh) Alec Baldwin transformed himself into in Beetlejuice.
I had a bit of a crush on Alec Baldwin way back then, and this apparition when it appeared in the movie was like a bucket of water over my girlish daydreams…
But the more I though about the Wearing a Triangle design, the more I started to think that it did have great potential to suit my style… if a few seams were left unstitched, and in a light flow-y fabric… hmmm, so I went and found some really light flow-y fabric. Fortunately for me, Fabulous Fabrics had this sheer, ultra-flowy, navy blue muslin-y stuff on their super cheapo bargain table… I bought quite a lot. Hangs head in shame at the utter failure to stash-bust there… “but it was so cheap”, she wails unconvincingly. You might be seeing something else made out of this fabric, hehe… But this particular fabric was just the ticket. And I’m so happy with the result! This project may well turn out to be a surprise favourite from the book, so far the odds are good…
I love the long, pointy handkerchief hems, and the vaguely hoodie shape hinted at with the top point of the triangle. The drape-y, sharply A-line folds of lightweight billowy fabric are lovely and easy to wear, and I think quite flattering. The very light and loose nature of this garment makes it a perfect summer cover-up. I’m planning to wear this faux hoodie-of-sorts to the beach over shorts and over my wide-leg white linen pants on hot evenings. The lightness and looseness will keep it cool, while the long sleeves will keep me from getting sunburnt.
Details:
Top; the “Wearing a Triangle” design from Pattern Magic 2, by Tomoko Nakamichi, made of navy blue muslin
Camisole (underneath); Country Road
Shorts; Burda 7723 modified to be flat-fronted and flared, made of yellow embroidered cotton, details here
Thongs; Mountain Design
Dressmaking details (for diehards who are interested in the sewing nitty gritty)
The design was quite time-and-resource consuming to draft. This is because there are several stages… cutting the triangles of fabric and making up a sort of half-stage fabric muslin, and then cutting armholes and using that much fabric again to draft the pattern with sleeves. At this stage I was (uncharacteristically) not confident about the size so I went on to make a trial garment as well… I used up practically half an old sheet just on the drafting of the pattern stage. To my naturally very stingy frugal nature using up so much fabric, even “waste” fabric, for just one little top pattern was like torture.
The seams are sewed and overlocked to finish, the lower and neck edges overlocked and then folded in once and top-stitched. The sleeve ends were finished with a “lettuce-leaf” rolled hem on my overlocker, I really like this slightly romantic finish to a casual long sleeve.
The design calls for the lower hem to be stitched closed partway along each end of the bottom edge of the triangle; I left these parts unstitched, which to my eyes improves the design immensely. Ya, I know it doesn’t look so much like a structural “triangle” now, but I’m very OK with that. And; final analysis, using up that half an old sheet on toile-ing was totally worth it!
side view
I love your version! I think your version is better than the book. 🙂
Love it! This looked not-so-appealing to me in the book but you've translated the idea into something gloriously wearable!
Hey Carolyn you have made it a much more practical top but I am in awe of the photo of the original – that is a Li Lin Chin top if I ever saw one! (Li Lin Chin is a newsreader on the multicultural television station here)
this is fanstastic! How do you do it – everything you make is fab. I have seriouse sewing envy…. I seem to be sewing and sewing and not producing anything at the mo….
Wow! Nice work, it looks great. I've had my eye on the book for some time, I really must order it.
This is absolutely one of your most successful projects ever. The apparent simplicity of the finished garment is so flattering, and I love the "beak" in the photo. Yes, it's "off-putting" in the book, but your artistic eye saw possibilities. Wow!
Carolyn – you are such an inspiration! I *must* open up my version of Pattern Magic and get to work – I loved the 'wearing a square' top you made, and I love this one!
love it, great fabric choice.
What a great top – you've translated the pattern into a different fabric brilliantly!
And you look awesome in navy blue!
Your version is very practical and somehow you would never associate it with the original while it was on. I would have relegated this design as a non starter but you have definitely nailed this one.
You continue to astonish me! I would never have imagined such a beautiful garment derived from that pattern. Lovely.
PS excess fabric can be used for other garment trials.
This top looks perfect on you. I can't believe you wear able to translate the pattern into something so wearable. You've made it look so casually chic. What happened to your blue skies?
So flowy and elegant. I would not have imagined something so pretty and elegant from the Pattern magic photo. You are so clever.
Brilliant!
Wonderful! and i love the fabric.
Carolyn, I'm sorry if I insulted you … that comment was not for you (or other Australian's) but for your many overseas followers … of course I knew you'd know who she was!
I never would ahve guessed they were the same top! Yours looks infinitely more practical, and I love the colour. I never would have thought to make something so structured into something so breezy, you're very clever.
Who would have thought that a triangle could look so good?
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