So, once upon a time I picked up a lovely remnant of fine-grade sunshine-yellow linen from a sale at Potters Textile … and then at some point decided I wanted to make a yellow skirt. I plucked this, my only piece of yellow fabric, from Le Stash; and selected Burda 2/2015;109, which I’ve been admiring and coveting for some time. I traced it out, noted very happily that the pieces fitted perfectly on my piece of yellow linen with practically nothing to spare whatsoever, cut it out and made it up without much further thought.
And lo, it was horrible. I can’t even begin to describe just how frumptastic it looked. I didn’t even take a picture of myself wearing it, it was that bad, though I did have the presence of mind to force it upon poor Jane to model before taking the scissors to it again.
It actually looks quite nice on Jane here, but trust me, it didn’t look nearly so nice on ME.
I don’t blame the pattern, which I still think will be quite nice with the right fabric, of a stiffness and body that can hold its own with a pleat. In a lightweight linen? NUP.
Anyway, obviously I cannot bear to waste a lovely piece of fabric, and particularly one of such a sunny disposition. And this time I listened to what it was whispering to me in its tiny, squeaky, linen-y little voice (yes, Virginia, fabrics DO have a voice) and realised that this delightfully lightweight loveliness wanted to be a delightfully lightweight, breezy little TOP. Of course I granted its wish. Who am I to deny a fabric its destiny?
Fortunately it wasn’t too difficult… the skirt had long long ties to go around the waist, and it was easy to open out the waistband and let out each of the pleats just a little, to allow what was previously the waistband to be an underarm band instead, and re-jig the old side seams. I harvested what was remaining of the waist ties to be shoulder straps for my new top, unpicked the two big pockets, and re-cut one to be a triangular insert to go in the previous skirt opening to fill in that gap, and re-cut the other to be a big kangaroo pocket to go on the front of the new top. By the way, the old side seams are now at the centre front and back of the top, and the previous centre front and centre back, which is where the big skirt pleats were before, are now situated at the underarm seams. Finally I stitched a buttonhole and a button from my stash to the newly extended underarm band so it can close, since the ties are gone.
Et voila! a bright and sunshine-y little top. I love it in this guise so much! it’s hard to remember how sad and tragic it was as a skirt. I took it to Bali, when we went there for L and L’s wedding – ah such a wonderful time we had! I’ll have to write something about that here soon 🙂
note; Craig does not take pictures of me as a rule! but I basically forced him to each day we were away. I’m like, but it’s me-made May!! Reaffirming long held suspicions that the depths of the feminine nature will forever remain a mystery best left unsolved #instagramhusband
Now we’re back home and winter is creeping slowly into Perth and I’m reluctantly putting it away with the other little summer lovelies… but am happy to think it’ll be waiting in the wings, an cheerful little thing for when summer rolls around again. 🙂
Details:
Blue trousers; the Sasha trousers ,by Closet Case patterns, blue stretch denim, details here
Red cardigan; the Miette, in Debbie Bliss donegal irish tweed, details here
Clogs; designed and made by me, details here
Bali pics:
Skirt; variation on Vogue 1247, in a map print
Hat; Vogue 8844, made from old ivory corduroy jeans, details here
White sandals, designed and made by me, details here
Nice save! It is a good thing you listened to your fabric whispering! It makes a lovely top.
What a lovely salvage job!
Such a cute top! I do love your refashions, they are always so inventive.
Love the top , color choice, fabric and save , awesome.
Great save! it looks so summery. Jo x
Well, the skirt looks beautiful and crisp on the dress form, but I trust you – and that gorgeous yellow was definitely worth saving!
I love a good refashioning – you’re right, it was too lovely to let it languish. And yes, please, I’d like to hear about Bali. As a very basic seamstress, my efforts are mostly cool, easy clothes with Bali in mind, so I’m really interested on what worked for you.
Lovely top! I love that your fabric talks to you
I’m not just saying this because I adore yellow, linen, and yellow linen: the yellow top really is a winner. Refashions can take longer than starting from fabric, but worth it this time. I especially enjoy seeing how you redeployed the pleats and pocket.
Looking at the ensemble took me down another entertaining Carolyn rabbit hole: the Sasha pants, then the spice colored silk top, etc. They reminded me to make two requests for future posts, if you’re ever grasping for subject matter:
1) Pattern storage. Have you ever done a piece on how you re-fold, store and catalog your heavily used inventory of patterns? That Rebecca Taylor for Vogue skirt you’ve probably traced to shreds. The Burda shirt pattern. Any staples that get a lot of wear.
2) Pattern tracing tips: what are your favorite tracing wheel, best tracing paper brand, etc? In fact, favorite go-to notions of any kind, from tools to sewing machine attachments, threads, needles, interfacing types. I’d love to read about them.
3) I love silk but get hives sewing with it. Ugh. I’m determined to improve my technique, because silk linings and blouses are too good to live without. The idea came to me as I noticed your clever way of dealing with the keyhole neckline on the golden brown top – “land bridge”, bingo!- It made me think you have good methods for laying out, cutting, and sewing silk. I’m all ears (eyes?), if your hard won wisdom is something you’d like to share with the universe.
Happy autumn. Thanks for the new post.
It looks great as a top, glad you managed to save it. x
So glad you got a chance to wear your sunny yellow top on your recent trip! It’s super cute and love the way you shaped the shoulder straps and pocket. The yellow skirt looked amazing, but completely understand when something doesn’t seem right for that individual person to wear. And now you’ve got a little slice of summertime waiting in the closet for you. 🙂
Great save and how lucky that you’ve been able to keep wearing it long after summer is officially over?!
Absolutely adorable, and all the more delightful, because it was an innovative save!
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