OK, so I’ve made a top. Simple, fairly plain, unexciting even? but I’m totally happy with it anyway. Hard to see in the photo above, but the front and back neckbands have little golden swirls, twirling and tumbling sinuously around it. Screen-printed by me!
The neckbands are of pale grey silk/linen from Fabulous Fabrics, and the remainder of the top is made using a pale sand-coloured cotton-linen from Spotlight, the leftovers from after I cut out the pieces for my giant polka-dot dress.
I used the pattern for top 136B from Burdastyle magazine 07/12. Sam gave this mag to me for Christmas last year, but this is the very first thing I’ve made from it (oops!) No matter, I reckon Burdastyle patterns never really go outta style 🙂 When planning my top I knew exactly what I wanted; a pull-over loose top with a big wide neckband for screen-printing, and either a wrap-front or something to define the waist. I searched through, only like every single one of my patterns, the lines of this one leapt out as pretty close to the vision I had in my head.
Technical blah-dy blah: I have to confess that while stylistically the design was perfect, technically it was far from a perfect fabric/pattern match: the pattern was designed to be tight for stretch knits and came graded for Plus sizes 44-52 only; and I wanted “loose” in a woven and I generally go with a 38. But I reckoned it could work; those factors have the opposite effect to each other so it’s like they cancel each other out right? It was worth a try, anyway. I’ve never let fabric inappropriateness get in the way of my creative vision! and was pretty sure it would be OK.
I traced a size 44 and just cut my pieces with quite big seams allowances, plus a touch extra at three areas just in case: the underarm points on the front and back, around the widest part of the sleeves, and with extra width at the hips; essentially, the places where you might expect extra ease would be required. Basted the pieces together and tried it on, ensuring the raglan seams matched the notches on the neckband pieces as a set-in-stone point of reference and just made a few little adjustments in and out and here and there to some seams. I reckon it turned out OK!
The waist ties are meant to be attached inside the centre neckband seam, from the top to the bottom of the seam, which means that not only would it have covered up part of my print, but when you wrap it around your waist it would have dragged the V-neck right down, thus rendering it a very cleavage-tastic top indeed. How it is, is quite cleavage-y enough for me already, thanks! Burdastyle’s coy description is “Impossible to ignore!” Ahem, so I sewed mine on further down, only just covering the very lowest tip of the neckband.
The neckline is a flatteringly wide portrait neckline, which means that my bra straps are showing. But I’m cool with that, since I just happen to have a bra with straps that just about perfectly colour-match this top. Now is that good wardrobe planning, or what?! I reckon they just look like little camisole straps.
Details:
Top; Burdastyle magazine 07/2012, 136B modified, with neckband screen-printed by me here
Skirt; Vogue 1247 modified, ivory curtaining fabric, details here and my review of this pattern here
Sandals; c/o Misano
It's beautiful, Carolyn!
I'm really enjoying your fabric printing and how you incorporate that fabric into your sewing. It's a beautiful top and I can see it getting a lot of wear of the next few months.
wow! amAAAAAzing top! i love it with your skirt! great screen printed pattern and the neckline is really really gorgeous!
A beautiful top, Carolyn! I'm glad you included that last closeup because otherwise I couldn't see your gorgeous screen printing. By the way, I can't remember any brown taffeta fabric. But my memory isn't what it used to be!
I wondered what you were going to do with that beautiful border, but wow! it's gorgeous. I would never make the connection between the original pattern and what you have made. Yours is so much nicer. The whole outfit is lovely and those shoes really make it pop!
Very pretty top – the border is quite beautiful! And your new sandals look lovely!
This top is so beautiful! The border looks perfekt on it.
have a nice weekend
Christine
This top is so pretty! I keep seeing posts pop up on Burda patterns. I think it is time to invest in this magazine. They really put out some nice, unique styled clothing. This outfit is fabulous and I love the sandals. They are my next favorite shoe after boots!
Thats a lovely outfit. interesting the sizing difference for woven fabric.I actually bought a burda magazine yesterday, it must be 20 years since I last used them. My eyes arent as good as then, hope I can manage to trace them off.
I love the shape of this top, and your fabric printing is gorgeous! As we move in to autumn/winter in the UK I'm looking forward to seeing more summer posts from the Southern hemisphere – just to remind us of the sun!
Another lovely creation – wonderful screen printing!
It looks amazing!
Beautiful!!!
I don't think you should let the pattern restrict your choice of fabric – given some thought you can make the fabric work with the pattern. No?
Love the top, especially the neckband 🙂
Perfect top for the golden swirl stencilled fabric and those sandals are gorgeous.
Your screen-printed fabric is fabulous – so are those sandals! Love your pup…
So cool! I love the touch of gold that the screen printing lends! And the sandy/natural linen color just screams 'summer' to me!
I love the garments you've been making using the screen printing techniques. They are gorgeous!
So pretty! Your top (and you sandals!) are making me long for summer already. Love the little bit of gold.
I want those shoes! and enjoying reading about your screen printing, you are tempting me to try it.
Ooh pretty! What a lovely use of that elegant border print!
I wouldn't have seen that top in that pattern, but I have noticed the Burda plus section often has some really great designs in it – I am put off giving them a go because of insufficient grading knowledge. Your top turned out beautifully – the neckline is lovely. It must be so satisfying using your own print in your sewing!
Oh, dear Caroly! This top is so beautiful! Love the touch screen you added, so interesting.
Absolutely Stunning!
Beautiful!!! Chic!
I love the gold screen printing. Perfect spring top.
That is a lovely top. I love the gold treatment. Beautiful.
I love everything about your beachy look. And I am constantly amazed by your printed patterns. Can't wait to see your next one.
There's always lots of depth to your makes. Stylish look that lifts a beachy lifestyle.
Beautiful top and love the screen printing detail.
Pretty top! I like the neckline detail. And I love your shoes too, they are so cute:)
Gorgeous!! I've been waiting to see what you were going to do with those beautiful screen-printed pieces. It's a lovely outfit. Cute sandals too!
So cool Carolyn!!!!! Love the gold details!
Oooh, I love how you used your screenprinted border! Maybe I'm just not that creative, but the thought of using it at the collar instead of the hem is somewhat mind-blowing to me, lol.
Fantastic screen print border. Very creative!
Oooooh, you screen printed that? It came out so nicely, very professional looking. The top is very pretty too, seems very practical with the wide neckband.
Beautiful top!
I was wondering when your gold screen print would show up in a garment. It's a beautiful creation.
Carolyn, I've been searching my inbox for your email address, but in vain! I wanted to tell you that I *did* remember the brown taffeta! When it arrived, I was stumped as to how to use it – taffeta is not in my wheel house of fabrics that I usually use. I put it in my stash and then it slipped my mind! I am so sorry I haven't found the right project for it, yet! (My stash is far bigger than it should be!)
It turned out beautiful, especially with the lovely and subtle screen printing. It's hard to believe it's from the same pattern in the magazine (quite an improvement, I'd say!)
This is beautiful, Carolyn! I have long admired that particular top, although I've never sewn it up, either. And I followed your logic regarding the sizing perfectly – it's about what I would figure, and it worked! I love your top. It's gorgeous.
You have such elegance, the top is beautifully understated. I'm really enjoying seeing all your screen printing 🙂