I have made a new …. er, thing. A top? Yup, I think I have made a new top. Maybe it’s more of an experiment than a top really. One of the drafting exercises exploring how the placement of apertures governs the drape of the circular pattern piece… from p12 of Pattern Magic 3 by Tomoko Nakamichi; Full Moon. The companion piece in the same vein is the Crescent Moon top, posted here.
I made it using some more of the fabric stash given to me by my friend C from her late mother’s stash. Two different black fleeces; slightly different shades of black and slightly different degrees of fluffiness, and I joined smaller pieces together in unobtrusive places to get pieces big enough to make the top. One of the pieces I used wrong side out since it closely mimicked the right side of the other fabric.
Here is the thing… it may not get worn a whole bunch. I have prepared myself for no one reading my blog to like it. It has suffered some knock-backs already: no one in my family likes it. Actually, everyone loathes it 😀 I put this on the first time a few mornings ago and wandered out into the kitchen… and my mother, staying with us, asked incredulously if I planned to wear this out. I replied in a small voice, yes… and well, to cut to the chase I have been forbidden to wear this while I am out with my mother! Yikes! I can’t believe I’m middle aged and am still wearing stuff that my mother doesn’t approve… I’m still a fashion rebel, yeah!!
But my feeling is that it is not that bad. As a top: the pouffiness presents a dressing challenge, true; it is a sihouette that is not particularly figure flattering, which in our body-conscious world translates to not very fashionable, and so is rarely seen. Except in circles who are really interested in sartorial innovation. But I think that over-blousiness on a top half can be successfully counteracted by wearing a long and slim-line lower half.
The diagonal drape-lines achieved by skewing the waistband and the neckline is interesting and quite attractive, and I can imagine this concept being incorporated beautifully into a skirt design.
Oh, and btw my skirt is kinda new, to me anyway. My mother made it for herself but it has shrunk in the wash, so I have inherited it. I had to take the waistband off and take it in at the side seams to fit me, but I think I can allow myself to wear it since it is handmade by Mum. The pattern she used is Vogue 8561; the fabric, a stretchy lightweight denim from KnitWit. Coincidentally, also used inside out! Cute, yes? I really like the one lone little asymmetrical, disproportionate shield-of-arms pocket. That is a very nice detail.
Thank you Mum!
Details:
Top; the Full Moon top, drafted from p12 of Pattern Magic 3 byTomoko Nakamichi, various lightweight black fleeces
Tshirt (under); self-drafted, white cotton jersey
Skirt (made by Mum, altered to fit by me); Vogue 8561, blue stretch denim
Shoes; Perrini, had for yonks and yonks
