Tag Archives: Top

Cut-out things

09/03/2013 8:30 am \ 23 Comments \

I made this little lace jacket/cardi/top thing many years ago, probably ten years ago! way before I started my blog, but even though it has appeared here a coupla times I’ve just realised it’s never been shown, as it were.  So here it is, up close and personal.
The design is my own, perhaps copied from something I saw in a magazine, I think.  It only took up a very small piece, about 50cm of embroidered cut-out linen from Fabulous Fabrics.  The sleeves are just little caps, extensions of the armholes.  All the raw edges are simply encased in self-made bias binding of white cotton, and at the waist is a drawstring in an inner casing, both also made from bias cut white cotton strips.  The neckline closes with a button and a little ribbon loop.  I used a tiny length of pale lavender satin ribbon for the loop because I didn’t have any white at the time, and it’s always bugged me that it’s not white.  Not so much that I’ve ever changed it, though!! so I guess it’s not that much of an annoyance to me, reeeally.  You can’t even see the ribbon when it’s buttoned up anyway  🙂
It’s still going strong, probably because it doesn’t get worn a whole bunch!  but I’ll never toss it out.  It’s nice to have as a hot weather “cardi”, for when I want to look smart.  And I’ve discovered it goes really nicely with these cut-out ballet flats… (woot)

Details:
Top; my own design, embroidered cut-out linen
Dress; Burda 8071, of pale blue silk, details here
Shoes; c/o Misano

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the paper doll project, and a thermal

25/02/2013 9:20 am \ 29 Comments \
20th – 25th February
(I’ve pledged to wear only clothes handmade by me this year and to sketch my daily outfits in my Fashionary.  I’m calling this the paper doll project)

from left:

Hello!
It’s been an up and down week, weather wise.  We had tickets to Ballet at the Quarry for Friday night which we look forward to so much every year! because it is outdoors under the stars, very casual sitting on the grass, and you always take a picnic to enjoy before it starts.  The performances tend to the contemporary; raw and athletic, and set against the backdrop of gum trees and stars it is always a mesmerising evening.  And just before starting time the heavens opened, we had a sudden, crazy rainstorm; and the performance had to be postponed!  (gobsmacked)  We simply could not believe it!!!   Of course rain, is always very very welcome here … since Perth has been as dry as a bone for about four months.  But it had to be right then?
Looking on the bright side, the garden had a good drink and we still have the ballet to look forward to now.  I’ll be making another picnic.  🙂
I’ve made a top.  This will be a thermal.  Ha! anyone in Perth reading this will be laughing hysterically that anyone here is even thinking about thermals right now!!  but while the temperatures make it feel like we’ll never be cold again, of course we will!  If I am going to get through winter in only my own handmade clothing I am going to need at least a few long underthingies.  Plus the fabric was already sitting out after I had cut out the lining for Cassie’s dress so (shrug)
This is a prototype.  There will be one or two more before winter arrives.   The lower hemline when pulled right down sits over my bottom  🙂 I know, oolala, tres uber sex-ay, non?  Non! but these things are a necessary part of any seasonally well-stocked wardrobe!
The fabric is a thin, clingy, soft, and slightly fluffy jersey knit, the last of the leftovers from this drape drape dress, and the lining from Cassie’s Pisces dress.  I used my self-drafted Tshirt pattern.  btw, just a reminder, this pattern started out as Burdastyle 06/2011, pattern 120, but has been fiddled and diddled with it so much there is literally not a single cutting or stitching line remaining that is original.  Which is why I’ve taken the liberty of giving it self-drafted status.
Anyway, it is now a perfectly custom fitted-to-me Tshirt pattern.
The neckline, sleeve and lower hems are all finished with self-fabric bands, attached as per this tutorial.
In general blog housekeeping, I have made the decision to disable Anonymous commenting.  I feel a bit sad about this, since I do get lots of kind comments from real and genuine people who seem to prefer the anonymous option.  But I’m sorry; the spam was driving me crazy! and I just had to.  Saturday night was the last straw, in just 24 hrs so many new spam comments got through the filter that it wasn’t funny.  I had to go through my published comments, and individually “spammed” about 60 NEW comments… I wish I was exaggerating or kidding, but I am not.  It was crazy.  And that is not even counting the comments that had been caught by the spam filter… then I went into the spam box and there were ALSO over 650 new spam comments there.  And I had cleaned it all out only 24 hrs previously!  I usually flick briefly through, to check that no “real” comments have been erroneously marked as spam, and occasionally I get a laugh out of some of the whackier spam comments.  Sadly spammers are getting boringly repetitive and unimaginative in their spam nowadays, and I’m over it.  So, I’m really sorry to my lovely genuine Anonymous’s.  Like every other blogger I love genuine comments and feedback, so maybe you could create a google or an open ID, or something?  🙂
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Shell-pink pleats, please!

05/02/2013 12:01 am \ 63 Comments \

I have made a little top for Cassie to wear to work.  Or wherever she pleases, of course  🙂
This is Vogue 1142, which I made in yellow silk for myself last month.  Cassie admired it so I offered to make one for her.  She enthusiastically accepted.  A daughter loving the clothes I make?? gets me fired up with the zest to sew unselfishly straightaway.
I didn’t have anything suitable in my stash so I visited Fabulous Fabrics and bought a piece of lovely shell-pink viscose crepe.  I think the soft delicate colour is a beautiful compliment to her pale peaches-and-cream complexion.  Plus: viscose = wash-and-wear of course, so another ideal addition to her professional working wardrobe!
As in for my first version; I edge-stitched each pleat in place.  The 100% viscose crepe is quite crisp and stiff compared to the thin silk I used previously; and it presses and pleats like a dream.  I think those sharp regular pleats look absolutely wonderful in this more crisp fabric.  I’ve taken lots of photos of those pleats and that artfully and prettily crinkled neckline because whilst I do love the slight floppiness of my own top I really really love how crisp, sharp and sculptural the pleats look in this fabric.  It looks quite formal and business appropriate.

A little tip for working with this pattern: this time, as soon as I had edge-stitched the outer sets of pleats on each of the front and back I immediately pinned the pleats in place and stay-stitched along the shoulder stitching line.  This makes it much easier to handle the big pieces, and having that stay-stitching makes sewing the shoulders together a bit easier too.

Also; this must be like the easiest pattern in the world to grade for size.  Seriously!

Oh, you might be wondering if Cassie has barely had a single thing to wear since she got her job and I’ve contributed only one measly skirt to her working wardrobe?? well of course she has not gone without all this time!  She does have one very nice pencil skirt that she has made for herself (un-blogged), and I have made a little woollen pencil skirt for her previously.  Both suitable for the office and she has been rotating between the three skirts.  And since I pledged to wear only my own handmade clothes this year, there is a nice little selection of shop-bought cardigans and random Metalicus items that she has joyfully transferred to her own wardrobe.  At least my RTW clothes are not going to waste  🙂

Details:
Top; Vogue 1142, shell-pink viscose, my review of this pattern here
Skirt; Vogue 8363, black wool mix, details here and my review of this pattern here

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Drape-ity drape

19/01/2013 11:00 pm \ 53 Comments \
I have made a new top and a new skirt!  and am combining the two new garments in one post; since they kinda go together so well and all, and actually the skirt is so… well, bland and basic that frankly it doesn’t deserve its own post. My top is a modified version of the loose drape top, pattern no. 1 from drape drape, by Hisako Sato.  I used a soft slightly crinkly white cotton jersey, bought from the Fabric Store in Melbourne during my most recent trip.  Regarding the design; I really loved those lovely soft drapes of that front and back neckline, however, like JenC noted in a comment, this top made up as per the pattern is a … er, raaaather revealing garment.  As in, very very revealing.  The photographs in the book have been carefully selected, but it’s plain to see that the model is a hair’s breadth away from being topless.  And more, the top would be falling off one’s shoulders, only like, all the time. 
But I thought it would be pretty easy to alter the pattern to be less revealing while still maintaining the essence of those beautifully soft falls of fabric at the neckline.  I took out a good 20cm in width from the horizontal line of the front drape, and close to 30cm from the back drape, re-drawing in the armhole and side seams to be the same as the original, tapering out to the same hemline, and keeping those neckline edges cut straight on the cross so as to keep the self-facing as part of the same pattern piece, on a fold.  Terrific design feature btw, for those frightened of finishing knits this is an excellent easy way out!
Reducing the width has given me a top with the same flavour that attracted me to the original, but with coverage… yes, I may have some nice lingerie now, but I don’t want to be modelling it out in public for everyone on the street!
The side seams are flat felled, and I hand slipstitched the facings and armhole bindings in place for a smooth clean look on the outside.  I also added lingerie straps to the shoulder seams inside to prevent the top slipping off my shoulders, since in spite of taking out a whole lotta drape it is still that kind of design!
And I’m very happy with the result.  Such a cool and elegant design.  I can see this being lengthened very successfully, to make a simply gorgeous little cocktail sheath; how lovely would that look? 
The skirt.  Less exciting.  But ironically, its the bland and boring stuff that often turns into the amazingly useful and versatile stuff too, though; don’t you think?  The skirt is self-drafted, and identical in every way to this charcoal skirt from a few years ago, that has been utterly indispensible for layering and mixing and matching in my handmade wardrobe.  Indispensible, I tell you!  I used a piece of mystery fabric, part of the bundle given to me by my friend C from her late mother’s stash, and it is also the leftovers from this little Pattern Magic jacket.  Thus qualifying it for an itty bitty stash-busting garment!  Actually the top was also made using an itty bitty piece of fabric, less than 1m, but since I bought that fabric only three months ago I don’t know if it truly qualifies as “stash”  What do you think?  How long should fabric be in the stash before one can safely attribute it Stash Status??  One month?  Six months?  More than a year?
But the skirt is a definite stash-buster… goodness only knows how old that fabric is.  This grey side is the reverse side to that I used for the “wearing a square” jacket, a smooth, blue-grey colour, with a double-knit look to its texture.

Details:
Top; modified version of the loose drape top, pattern no.1 from drape drape by Hisako Sato, white cotton
Skirt; my own design, blue grey double-knitty type of stuff.
Sandals; c/o Misano

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Yellow pleats. please!

10/01/2013 11:00 pm \ 49 Comments \

 

Yes, my title is swiped
shamelessly from Issey Miyake’s famous 1993 collection, but I reckon that is OK
since this is an Issey Miyake
design  😉

And you’ve probably noticed that it is yellow.  A yellow top.  Very yellow.  Quaite
quaite yellow.  As yellow as.
I’ve just been feeling very yellow-philic lately.  Don’t bother to look that word up, I
just made it up just then.
“Philic”, meaning “attracted to” of course.
Oh, you’re welcome.
Don’t ever say this blog is not ed-you-cational!
I’ve been hunting for yellow fabric for ages…. and it just
doesn’t ever seem to be “in”.  And
I don’t mean pastel primrose yellow, which is inexplicably always represented but which is too dreadful on me: I wanted intense!  Saffron
yellow!  Fierce yellow!  Bold yellow!
Finally I spotted this satisfyingly ferocious, yellow silk
in the Fabric Store, in Melbourne, during our trip away last September, and
snapped it up!  Then came the decision
of what to make it in… a decision swiftly and easily made when I laid eyes upon this Issey
Miyake pattern, Vogue 1142.  My
yellow silk is that very flimsy and flighty stuff, the sort that slithers
across the table with the slightest breathe, so I knew it would be a good
choice; not too bulky when tripled up with this pleat-tastic design.
Oh, another
made-up word.  Honestly….
I wrote a pattern review, below, but there is a kinda major issue with
making up this pattern that I thought it worth mentioning separately… the
pattern instruction just says “fold pleats in place, and press” and then those pleats are not even mentioned again, like bob’s your
uncle and that is all that is needed.
Hello? The sharpness and evenness of those perfectly spaced
pleats is only, like absolutely integral
to the visual success of the design imo.
Wouldn’t those merely pressed-down pleats simply wash out with the very
first wash??? Or, even just fall out on their own, with wear?   And then your top will just be a
formless flowy thing; which admittedly could still probably look quite pretty, but
will not be the tiniest bit sculptural and would have lost all the character of the
original.  I really like the sharp sculptural
lines of the one on the cover.
Accordingly I took the precaution of edge-stitching each and
every pleat down immediately after pressing.  This step was fiddly, and accounted for the bulk of my time
to make the top; but I think it is essential to keep those pleats nice and
crisp for forever: so therefore it is worth it.  In fact I just hopped over to Pattern review to check out
the other reviews and noticed that no one else mentioned how they
tackled the permanency or lack thereof, of their pleating; and I am curious as
to how their pleats fared in the wash??

 

Some deet shots; there is a heck of a lot of topstitching in this top;

edge-stitching on the outer folds of each pleat and the inner edges too,

the side seams are flat-felled in wide seam allowances

there is strategic stitching, artfully placed on the outside
of the pleats, to fuse them together

and also bar-tacks at the vulnerable side-seam/armhole
point as well as the upper edge of the side seam split, to add strength to spots that are subject to strain during wear.

Details:
Top; Vogue 1142, yellow silk
Shorts; Burda 7723, white linen, details and my review of this pattern here
Sandals; Misano

 

Pattern
Description:
Loose-fitting
pull-over top has pleats and stitched hems. Wrong side of fabric shows.
Pattern
Sizing:
American
sizes 6-14; I cut the size 10
Did
it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you had finished
sewing it?
Yes.
Were
the instructions easy to follow?
Ohh,
the instructions are very easy to follow…
In my opinion a lot of extra top-stitching is essential in order to prepare
this garment to stand up to normal washing and wearing.
What
did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
I
absolutely love the design concept; the way a
couple of almost-rectangles can be tweaked here and there before being… well
to put it frankly; pretty much slapped roughly together, and magically become transformed
into a rather romantic, artistic and very unusual blouse.
Fabric
Used:
Very
thin and slippery silk
Pattern
alterations or any design changes you made:
After
pressing each pleat in place, I edge-stitched each and every fold of each pleat,
to make it a permanent fold.
Yup.  Each, and.  Every.  Fold.  To not do this would be to lose all those pleats with the very first
wash.  And since I spent about five
minutes carefully measuring each fold
before pressing; losing them was not an option I wanted to consider!
In
fact I cannot understand why the permanency of the pleats is not considered and
addressed in the instructions…
Would
you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
Yes, I
probably will want another one of this summery and airy little top sometime.  I recommend this top pattern to the meticulous seamster who craves romance and drama in her wardrobe, but still likes to be comfy.
Conclusion:
It is super comfortable
and very forgiving to wear, and nicely easy breezy for summer.  On top of that, it is a delightfully unusual, undeniably cool and
very funky garment.  I feel rather
artistique in this top   🙂

 

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As blue as; Cassie’s Christmas dress

28/12/2012 11:00 pm \ 35 Comments \

Last up: Cassie! and I made a dress for Cassie for Christmas this year; this is the loose drape tank-top from drape drape by Hisako Sato.  I used a thin cotton jersey, printed in an interesting fractured pixels design of ocean blue upon powder blue.  I bought the fabric from the Fabric Store in Melbourne during our trip there in September.
I think the tank-top is designed to just be a summer cover-up, the only explanation for its skimpiness and bra-revealing nature; so I also made a matching little tank top; that is, the regular kind of tank top! to go under it, just in case Cassie decided she wanted to wear it anywhere other than the beach.  I based the shape of the tank top on a well-fitting Tshirt that she owns already.

For the drape drape tank-top; I edged the neckline and both of those big big armholes with a cross-cut strip of the jersey, attached right-side to wrong side on the inside, and then flipped out to the right side of the dress and stitched down on the outside; so the raw edge rolls up on itself and over the stitching.  I can go into more details of this finish with a pictorial tute, if anyone is interested… ?  Looks quite nice and kinda cute, and is appropriate for a casual little summery thing, I think.
The regular tank-top neckline and armhole edges are just finished by turning under a narrow hem twice and top-stitching on the inside face.

The lower edge of both pieces are finished with a hem, turned under twice and top-stitched.

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Blood Orange top; 6 different ways

19/12/2012 11:00 pm \ 22 Comments \
Hey y’all peeps.
I’ve been
having a play around with my blood orange Vogue 1247 top… trying out different ways to wear it.
So… I might have said this before, once, or twice, or twenty times  😉  but I absolutely love brainstorming in my wardrobe
trying out different outfits like this.  It never fails to inspire me with
new and different ways to wear my clothes.  I frequently get tired with everything in my wardrobe and crave to break free of the
little “outfit ruts” I get into; and experimenting with unusual and different combinations really keeps my
pieces interesting to me and helps my wardrobe to achieve the fullest variety
of which it is capable.
Having said that; I have to admit that the first two looks are the two ways I wear this top and its older twin the clementine top, just about all the time.  But, I’m setting my sights on breaking free from that  😀

 

Below left; unadorned and no frills, it is the perfect thing to wear with shorts on a really hot hot summer’s day at the beach or around the house.  Cool and airy enough for the hottest of hot days.  Colourwise, I also adore the unexpectedness of this sombre claret against the shocking pink too.  Below right; pop on a sludgy little skirt, cute ballet flats and throw on a couple of entwined skinny scarves, and the top looks quite smart enough to sally forth on some errand requiring a bit more style.
boshirt1
Below left; on very hot summer days you might want to wear a dress with spaghetti straps, but need to protect your shoulders from the sun.  Cardigans are too hot and cloying to even contemplate, but a light boxy top like this is comfortable and cool and fits the bill quite well.  And looks sort of boho-chic too…  Below right; I know we all in the sewing blogging world have been conditioned into thinking that this top must be worn hanging out! and I have sure been guilty of this too… well not necessarily!  I actually love how it looks when tucked into a high waisted skirt as well.  Looks pretty cute like this, yes?  I was also serendipitously thrilled to discover that the top is just about a perfect colour match for my high heeled caramel wedges too  🙂
boshirt2
This top is just made of cotton, and therefore it’s not really suitable for really cold or winter-y days.. but it can still be worn as part of a cooler weather ensemble and not look silly imo…
Below left; sometimes, y’know you just want a bit of that colour, added into your outfit??  worn like this, I like how it looks peeping out as just a layer of colour layered over a long skirt and under a shorter jacket, and co-ordinating with a matching scarf and boots.  Below right; being quite loose, it can also be comfortably worn over an insulative Tshirt, with jeans and a skinny scarf.  I’ve always liked this slightly grunge-y double-top look, with shorter sleeves worn over longer.
boshirt3
Actually I really love both these last two looks.   I just wish I’d thought of them during our winter just gone!  Aah, well, there’s always next year  🙂
Which look am I wearing today?  well being quite a fairly hot day and having errands I am sporting the green ballet flats, the sludgy little skirt and twisted blue and black scarves.  I love dark sludgy colours made just slightly edgy with just an unexpected splash of bright colour.  Kinda reminds me of Tron.
(And incidentally I’ve done something new with this 6-way post… I’ve linked to the construction posts of all the other garments appearing in the outfits here.  Please let me know if this is helpful or interesting, and whether you think it is worth my continuing with this… thanks  🙂  )
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Pomegranate

23/11/2012 11:00 pm \ 32 Comments \

Don’t worry if you don’t “get” the title of this post; that’s an in-house joke…  😉
I have made another birthday shirt, this one for Mum.
The pattern is Vogue 1247.  Yup.  This is the seventh butterfly to emerge from this particular pattern and wing gracefully away from my sewing machine.  Yowzer.  This could be a record, even for Miss Repetitive (ie. me)….
Man.  I need to traverse fresh paddocks.
But in the meantime, Mum had mentioned she really like this top, so …  🙂
Mum tried on the two versions of this top I had made for myself and decided she liked the fit so I just made the same size and lengthened it by about 2.5cm at her request.
The fabric is is Rowan’s shot cotton in Granite, with a pink warp and a periwinkle blue weft.

All the seams are French seams, and I did the lower hem differently this time… the way it is explained in the pattern is just slightly on the unnecessarily-difficult side in my opinion, when it needn’t be.  Instead of the stay-stiching and the trimming, I just folded a narrow hem under twice, pressed, pinned and stitched.  So much more simple, and yes, it was a heck of a lot easier to turn under too!
Mum made her own white trousers, and her scarf is Metalicus.

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