Add the ribbon...

After procrastinating (don't we all???) about whether to add ribbon to the last top I made, I bit the bullet and went ahead to add it. It actually now looks great...

This photo is taken indoors, just on dusk so not true to colour thanks to the flash. But, the ribbon is actually the same colour as in the stripe, so in 'real-life' blends in nicely. To attach it I used a twin needle and it was just the perfect size of the ribbon. At the top of the front I added 3 very small buttons, and 1 at the top on the back. They are actually a denim-blue colouring, but have photographed black!!!

Next on my agenda for sewing are some skirts. With all the tops and shirts I have been making I feel a little 'under-dressed' on the lower parts.So starting Friday night off with Burda 8407. 

An old pattern that I have never managed to get around to. So time to prowl around PR to see what others thought about it...

Striped Sorbetto (melting)...

Another Sorbetto! Some fellow bloggers love these tops, others are well and truly sick to death of them.  Me, I am in the mood for some quick little tops, that whip up in a matter of hours. 2 pattern pieces plus whatever else you personally wish to add and that is it. No zippers, invisible or otherwise, no buttons, buttonholes or interfacing. No extra trips back to the shops to pick up forgotten accessories. Just you, 2 pattern pieces (which are free) and a small amount of fabric. Sometimes you just need the basics...

This top is made from a striped shirting fabric, in chambray, white and cream. Very cool to touch and versatile with a few of my current skirts. To the basic Sorbetto pattern (which I love at the moment) I added a pleated section down the front, cut across the grain of the fabric. But I think the pleating detail is lost amongst the stripe of the fabric. This wider pleated detail extends down below the hemline, similar to a top Shams made a few weeks back.

Then from under this front strip I added another pleated strip up and over the right shoulder, which extends partway down the back.

To match in  the front I added a small placket at the top of the back, from which another pleated strip comes from that extends over the left shoulder to hang down the front.

So that is it in a nutshell, another easy top for the week. My only delima on this top is whether or not to use a thin strip of ribbon over the top of the stitching which holds the pleated details on!!!! It actually looks worse in the photos (yes, I did go and check). If not ribbon then maybe a few buttons...

Off for a dip in the pool, before a late Sunday BBQ ...


So, did I make any changes the next day to this top???? Look here...

Security to Section Three...

'Security to Section Three'... the voice loomed over the loudspeaker at David Jones, just as I was sneaking a quick picci on my phone.

I had just seen a shirt with great collar detail, priced at $149 (and that was reduced!!!) and had to copy it. Surely the rest of the loudspeaker message would say...'Crazy Lady in Women's Wear'...

So here is the guilty photo - not a great shot as I was a tad on the worried side of being whisked off by security ...

A neat pleated attachment had been added to the collar, cute detail that I could 'copy' on my next shirt. 

Enter SAM#2 -

Again, I have turned to Butterick 5365, but as I have nailed the fit on this I can now concentrate on jazzing it up with a few details.

Firstly, the collar. After gaining the photo I at least had to use it. So I pleated a folded shaped length of fabric and attached it to the main collar piece before constructing the actual collar. It is attached by the buttons and a few hidden stitches, with the band section being loose. Being white on white it isn't as obvious, but I think this would be a great feature in a contrasting fabric.

Second detail to jazz up this shirt was  to add a pleat detail across the top yoke section of the back. And I thought the pleat theme would join the front of the shirt to the back.  

And the last jazzy bit I added was the single pleat vent down the back. Simply by cutting the  back piece  and adding on 8cm to allow for the pleat, and placing on the fold, it created an open pleat down the back. 

So, fess up, who else is guilty of picking up details in the shops and recreating their own designs??? Please, someone, surely I am not the only 'feature thief' amongst us...

Ice Cream Season...

Well it is right in the middle of ice cream weather here ...

 

... and when I think of ice cream, I think of Sorbetto, and then naturally the sewing brain kicks in and translates it all to a Sorbetto top ...

Around the blogs there has been numerous versions of this little top since its arrival on the 'free' market back in May last year. Finally I have printed the pattern and given it a try. So many variations on this top - from buttons, to pleats, to folds, tucks and lace.

My first version is fairly basic, just a few buttons added down the front. But my second version I went to town on. It is now dubbed the 'Wonky Sorbetto', asymmetrical in design with a double frilly piece added to the front and taken to mid-way along the back neckline. Also, the front pleat is opened out and left loose. 

The frill pieces and the front pleat have had the hems rolled, and then caught up under the binding around the neck edge. 

And the back is plain, just with the frill finishing into the middle of the neckline...

This is a brilliant fitting little top, and I will be making several more based on the pattern. Such an easy little to to 'quirk-up' and make your own. 

Just like ice cream, if you have eaten home-made ice cream you will never go back to store brought, and similarly, once you have made a Sorbetto top you won't go back to RTW purchases...

Something is following me...

One of the latest 'trends' is the high-low look with a shirt tail hemline. It is constructed with a longer length back and a shorten front and often has a asymmetrical hemline, sexy and elegant, to trail around after you.

In a dress style it does seem to (somewhat) work. But this is just a modern version of the classic 18th century  cutaway coat which started originally as a riding coat. It quickly became one of the most sophisticated items of clothing for men. Just think of Mr. Darcy and you will see what I mean...

 Well,   Butterick has tried to emulate this trend in a tunic...

Like a lot of other sewing/bloggers around I feel in love with the look of this one. It appears to have a modern twist to the top, a few creative plays with pleats and gives the look of a long, lean body (without the exercise).

My finished version...

...and the back...

My fabric has a self fringe woven into it, so I decided to make up the plain View A so that I didn't detract from the fabric...

Whilst I will be wearing this top a lot,  for a simple straight forward top it certainly needed tweaking.

The main let down on this pattern is the front facing. Butterick has it designed as two single layers of fabric with no interfacing. They recommend fabric such as chiffon, georgette, lightweight linen as being best to make this out of, but imagine trying to pop 5 buttonholes in thin chiffon??? No, I couldn't either. So instead, I used the main fabric on the outside of the placket (the one that actually covers the buttons) and used a doubled layer of matching cotton for the inner piece.

This then gave my buttonholes something solid to work into. Same as the buttons.

So following this colouring, I also used this fabric for the armhole facing...

 A very quick top to put together - 2 front pieces, 2 back pieces and the facings. Ideally this top is only suited to wear with pants, jeans or leggings - it just doesn't work with a skirt. Though, maybe a short tight skirt might work...

It is a very summery top, cool and modern. Just watch those facings and you will have a great trendy little top to wear for summer. Will definitely be trying another version, with pleats...

Here are the only other sewers who have tried this pattern...

1. Myra from Simple Inspirations

2. Ann

3. Diana from Sew Passionista

Wonder who else will pick this one up and give it a go...

14 in One Blow!!!

14 buttonholes and buttons on one shirt - not one of my smarter ideas that one!!! How I fitted 14 buttons down the front of a shirt is beyond me, but apparently it can be done...after completing all 14 I felt I needed to embroider "14 in One Blow" like the old Brother's Grimm tale. So just like in the tale, I sat in my sewing room one evening, stitching away busily, whistling and singing gaily...or if the truth be known, I sat cursing and kicking myself for attempting 14 buttonholes in slippery fabric, followed by sewing on 14 little tiny shiny slippery button...

Back to reality...My second take on Butterick 5365 and this one worked brilliantly. Love it...I whipped up View A, but with View B's pleats. The front facing was omitted and an interfaced placket put in, and I used double the amount of buttons - 2 for each closing. On this shirt I lengthened the sleeves as well (personal preference). 

And as an added bonus....it does up!!!! Now, what more could I want???

Here are a few of the details...

All seams are French seams -

Collar worn open...and you can see the buttons, sewn in two's all the way down the front...also the pleats can be seen

I lengthened the sleeve to sit just about 3cm above my elbow...

Here you can see the pleat detail coming out from under the collar area...

Can be worn under my black jacket...

...under my coral jacket...

...or under my sage jacket...

This is a great basic shirt pattern that can be jazzed up easily, with a bit of imagination. 

Next version is going to be in white with a bit of a twist to the placket and sleeves. And a zipper, might use a zipper instead of buttons...

A Quickie!!!

Just a quick top to keep me on track for my TAM (Top-A-Month). 
McCalls 8405, so old it isn't even worthy of being classified as OOP. I've had this since 1996...

But I also have Butterick 4683 which is extremely similar...

Anyway, quick top means a quick review...

...and the back...

...and a close-up of the motley fabric...

This is such a comfortable top, with the Princess Seams and button up back for a change. Very easy to wear by itself or with a jacket over the top...
Not much else to say on this one.

Breath in!!!

So I jumped straight into my SAM challenge on the first day of the New Year. Not to waste any time, I chose a pattern I already had - Butterick 5365 by Connie Crawford.

Challenge on this will be the two-piece banded collar...time to Google how others have tackled this area of a shirt. I won't go into any details as the wheel has already been invented on this many times.

My fabric choice is a khaki burnout which is very sheer in the burnout areas. To this end I am planning on wearing a little cami under the shirt. First major decision is whether to interface the collar and front in black, or white. The black brings out the pattern and the white blends....OK, so a no-brainer...black it is.Then instead of interfacing I am going to use a very fine voile. The pattern is designed for fluid, drapey fabric and the voile should (fingers crossed) move with the fabric.

My major change is to change the front to a placket with a fold-out to the front, with the voile sandwiched inbetween. Somewhere to showcase the buttons, and also to provide support to the buttonholes. Planning on doing double buttons, very small, down the front.

Time to go and whip this little number up...

Oh, dear!!! What have I done??? Somewhere along the line my calculations on the front placket have been lost and my dear little shirt is just that...a dear LITTLE shirt...it bearly fits me across the booby area!!! Never have had this problem in my life - big boobs - maybe this shirt isn't such a mistake after all!!!

But no, on reflection it isn't my calculations as after construction my version of the placket using measurements to the nth degree, the whole front and back still fitted exactly into the collar area. So in reality, the shirt is just running small for me. I'll just have to move it from my SAM file (Shirt A Month) to my O-SAM file (Open-Shirt A Month). 

Not to be deterred, as I will still be wearing this shirt (just not as planned) I am going to make this up again. It is a great shirt pattern to work with, very easy and great style. I will definitely refine the fit on this and be making up a few more (yes, not just one but a few...)

Details...

Sleeve

Pleats

Back - One major point to note on this shirt, I added 6cm to the length of this shirt at the 'lengthen here' mark on the pattern - wouldn't want it any shorter than it turned out!!!

Will let you know how the next 'improved' version goes...