Friday, June 6, 2014

A bonus summer top.

The other day I was cleaning the house.  I'd been sewing my Emery dress over the weekend, so the dining room was a mess - bits of thread and fabric all over the place.  So I decided to sneak in one more little project before giving the place a good clean.  Here's a weird fact about me:  after I clean, I don't like to sew for several days, because I don't want to mess it up again!

Anyhoo . . . after proclaiming my dislike for bias-bound edges in the post before last, what did I make?  A top with bias-bound edges, of course!  I'm an enigma . . .


You might recognize the components of this top.  The outer eyelet fabric is the last 3/4 yard left from last summer's Hazel dress, and the bias tape is left over from my Robson coat.  I was inspired to make this top from some RTW ones I'd seen, but I really liked the idea of a bright, contrasting binding.  It mostly doesn't show, but every once in a while it peeks out.  I love hidden details like that.  I also love turquoise and orange together.

I'd been meaning to make this top for a while, and had planned to line it to the edge.  It's the same pattern as my New Year's Eve top, which I lined to the edge.  But then I realized that if I did it that way, the seam allowances would show through the large eyelets - yuck.  So I ended up underlining the top instead.  I basted the underlining (white voile) to each piece, then serged the edges at the shoulders and side seams.   I didn't serge the armholes or neckline because I didn't want the extra bulk there when I added the binding.


This pattern was drafted to be cut on the fold, both front and back.  But because of my underlining, I figured it would be easier to cut the back as two separate pieces, and then just open out the center back seam to create the keyhole opening at the back neck.


Yesterday morning I took some pictures, bright and early.  I really love this top with these old white jeans.  I also love the fact that I can still fit into these jeans, although they're at least 10 years old, LOL!


I really love the fit of this top - it's as if it were made for me!  Hahaha!

And you see that I styled it with some orange sandals, to pick up on the orange and turquoise theme.


And then I couldn't help myself - I had to get out my old, bright orange coat and put it on too:


I really like that ensemble!

I'm totally digging this top, and wouldn't mind making a few more in various colors.  This diet thing isn't going so well . . .

31 comments:

  1. oh this is cute! love the eyelet. it's really useful to have patterns like this on hand for that leftover yardage!

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    1. It really is! And knowing how little this top takes, I might be inclined to buy some high-quality eyelet for the next one.

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  2. I love these colours together too. Great outfit.

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    1. Thanks, Sam! It's always kind of amazing to me how many colors look good with turquoise!

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  3. Wonderful! This is the perfect top to use up leftovers, so I see no diet problem here... I love the orange sandals with the top - even if the bias never shows you know you're perfectly coordinated!

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    1. Thanks, Kelly! The diet problem isn't here . . . it's with the fact that I want to buy more fabric to make more of these!

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  4. It's adorable! I love the colour combo and it's a nice fit, G.

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  5. Excellent fit and adorable color! Your summer wardrobe is enviable!

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    1. Thank you, Carmela! Summer clothes are my favorite - I have way too many!

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  6. Great top! I love the colors for summer :)

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  7. Lovely little make, and so glad you did a full fashion parade for us! (Ps if I can still fit in my current jeans in 10 years I'll be a happy lady!)

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    1. Thanks, Sarah! I did do a fashion parade - I photographed another outfit for tomorrow's post too!

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  8. Tres cute! I love that color combo too, and secret surprise details.

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  9. Terrific color on you. The eyelets are fabulous.

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    1. Thanks, Stef! I was glad to be able to use up the last bit of this fabric, because I really like it!

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  10. Such a practical and instantly chic top. Speaking of diet, we need to do a mid year round up... or just give up altogether...

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    1. Thanks! I'm going to email you about the diet . . .

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  11. I love little tops like this! I don't think you can have enough. They are such quick and fun little projects, too. Cute!

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  12. This is so, so cute! I love the turquoise and orange combo, too!

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    1. Thanks! Now I'm wishing I'd bought some of the great eyelet fabrics I saw in NYC!!

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  13. What a fun basic to add to your wardrobe! I like how you lined the eyelet with a contrasting lining. I am trying to stay away from eyelet fabric, in fact I am trying to stay away from fabric shops until I sew up the fabric I bought in the last couple of months :)

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    1. Thank you! Actually, I would have liked to line it in a matching fabric, but couldn't find anything that wasn't polyester (which makes me too hot). So white it was!

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  14. Great top and outfit! Btw, I think we deserve close-ups of your shoes as well as your own-make clothes. You always seem to have the perfect pair!
    -- stashdragon

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    1. Thanks, Gretchen! I sometimes do take photos of the shoes but I don't always have the time!

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