White tops, and particularly if lace or broderie anglaise or any wildly impractical snowy stitch-festival are part of the equation, have always been a weakness of mine. Not just during summer but any season. One of my earliest pins as a freshly minted Pinterest-er was this Isabel Marant top. It was immediate love at first sight. The perfect summer top; feminine and chic, cool and blowsy, romantically pretty and casually easy-breezy. I wanted one, and began plotting…
At first I thought to re-create the style using plain white cotton and finding some sort of broderie border to attach to the lower edges. Then during my long weekend away in Melbourne with Mum and Cassie I chanced upon this fabric in Tessuti; white cotton voile with beautifully intricate broderie anglaise borders already in situ. One selvedge had very wide embroidered borders, and the opposite had a narrower border in the same design. Utter perfection! I used the deeper edge for the body of the blouse and the narrower edge for the sleeves.
The pattern I used is top X, from the Stylish Dress Book by Yoshiko Tsukiori. A big oversized loose T-shirt/peasant blouse thing, slightly gathered into a narrow neckband with a faced front split.
A plain and simple top with very little shaping, designed to showcase to best effect a gorgeously bordered fabric. I only very slightly altered the side edges of my pattern pieces so the motifs and the scalloped edge would match up seamlessly.
So; a nice easy project but I still had to steel myself to take the scissors to my fabric. That awful first snip! Of course, ruining beautiful fabrics is terrible and the fear of that can spiral you into major second-guessing, but maybe it’s worse to hold back forever and never allow yourself take the chance on making something beautiful with it. Give yourself permission to try… that is why you bought it, remember?
I have to repeat that to myself, like a mantra, every time I’m faced with special fabric that I totally and utterly adore. And I’m so relieved that I didn’t ruin this lovely fabric!
Details:
Top; top X from the Stylish Dress Book by Yoshiko Tsukiori, broderie anglaise cotton voile
Skirt; Vogue 7303, lime print cotton
Sandals; Misano
Your top showcases the fabric beautifully – it will be perfect for summer in Perth. I love the way the colours in the photos echo the colours in your clothes – you've got a great eye.
So gorgeous, perfect marriage of pattern and fabric! I love the gathers at the neckline, they add a nice matching texture around the collar.
Summer looks so beautiful there.
Wow Carolyn. This is the perfect pattern to showcase your gorgeous fabric. Your whole outfit,( including the dog) coordinates so beautifully with the background in your photos. You really have a special talent.
I also love white and broderie anglaise and this piece is just perfection. Your top definitely showcases this gorgeous fabric!!
Very beautiful fabric and the perfect pattern choice too. I know what you mean about cutting into special fabrics, however this was definitely worth the risk… it came together brilliantly.
thank you so much Dilliander 🙂
This is so beautiful! I love both the top and the skirt.
Gorgeous top!
Well done Carolyn! The fabric speaks for itself with very little "sewing interference".
It is beautiful. You have done a lovely job.
Perfect use of fabric! It looks beautiful.
It has to be so much more pleasurable wearing that beautiful fabric than just looking at it in your fabric stash. Enjoy it its a beautiful top. I too love white especially in the summer, one of my favourite colours, its so crisp and fresh.
Looks so summery. Perfect.
thanks Vicki 🙂
Gorgeous fabric. Your new top will definitely be cool in hot weather (all those holes, sorry could resist). I looked at the IM top and could see why you loved it. So floaty and feminine. I LOVE that kind of item, but they definitely don't love me.
Just perfect with the little skirt. Green is my favourite colour – your green outfit is so summery compared to the one I posted this week in my thick tights and noro jumper!
Jo x
Haha, thick tights and a noro jumper would have killed me! it was 44C here in Perth, phew!! :S
That fabric is beautiful and you pick a perfect pattern to showcase the embroidery. It is a perfect summer top! And it looks great styled with the skirt.
I don't have words to describe how much I like that top! The Isabel Marant top is beautiful, but yours is way more beautiful!!! The pattern you used is perfect for the fabric…which is…seriously…the most beautiful fabric I have ever seen!!! I over used "beautiful"…well it is!!! I absolutely love it!!!
thank you so much Judi! 🙂
Love Love LOVE this top! That fabric is so gorgeous and the top does a lovely job of setting it off. I think you've inspired several more people with this idea now! 🙂
Gorgeous, this couldn't possibly be a better use for that fabric! I'm so glad it ended up in your hands 🙂
thank you so much Kelly 🙂
Such wonderful fabric looks fabulous with that simple design. Another winner.
I know what you mean about taking the first cut into beautiful fabric!
Your choice of fabric and pattern go so well together in this top.
it is not at all messed! the shape of the garment makes perfect fabrics value. I love everything you made !
Just stunning in every way.
This is really beautiful, Carolyn! I love the boxy shape combined with the ultra feminine fabric. Very pretty fabric.
You sure did find the absolutely right fabric for this top. (What are those white birds behind you and Sienna?)
thank you Patricia 🙂 Those birds are white cockatoos, there are huge flocks of them around here right now.
Wow – that fabric is just perfect! What a great match of fabric and pattern!
Very cute top! You have chosen the right fabric for this top 🙂
Perfect! Beautful & great use of the broderie angaise fabric.
I don't worry about cutting into beautiful fabric – I make lots of mistakes, but garments can often be rescued & there's always another quilt…x
What lovely fabric, and a perfect pattern choice to show it off.
Always late for comment…I subscribe all the above… The fabric is just gorgeous!
Oooh, so floaty and lovely, I really like this! I have a pattern very similar to this top, and now think I'm going to, uhhh, borrow, your idea with using that fabric! It is just perfect for it.
Such a wonderful fabric!!! Love your top and the pics and the warm weather! Ha,ha,ha 🙂
You choose the best fabric for the most "difficult" patterns. I'm loving this so much, although when I first saw the pattern in the book, it didn't really appeal. I wish I had your creative mind 🙂
Oh no you didn't, I'm very envious right now^^ This top is one of my favourite designs from the Stylish book but I fear it would look like a sack on me, but yours is so amazing it makes me want to give it a try. Also you always find the best fabrics, don't you!
Such a beautiful fabric! And the style of your blouse compliments it perfectly. 🙂