I would love to call this post Spring Top Number 1, but I think for safety's sake I should curb my enthusiasm, just in case this turns out to be the only one. As I said in my last post, I have several more top ideas in my head but let's see how far I get with them, eh?
Anyroadup, here is my first (ever) spring top. Well, I mean I've made tops before but never for such a prestigious reason or for potential prizes! Oooh, prizes...
It's the top half of a bias dress pattern (bugger, now I have to go and find the pattern... found it...) from
McCalls (pattern no.4108) and is made from unbleached Bomull cotton from Ikea (I do buy fabrics from other shops too, believe me!!).
The original idea was to make a muslin using the Bomull and then once I knew everything fitted (although with a bias top and no darts it would be pretty difficult to go wrong), use something fancier or dye the muslin (I had a dark blue in mind). But I decided I liked the finished article as it was so this top has become a Spring Top entry of it's own.
But enough babble, here are the specifics:
1. I cut the pattern exactly as it is, to 8" below the waist mark. This has turned out to be the perfect length for my hips.
2. I made a size 18 but once I'd tried it on, discovered that it was big enough to get on without needing the zip at the back, so instead, I added some ties so that it can be pulled in a little. If I make it again, I think I would consider making it a size smaller and keeping the zip.
3. I top-stitched the neck and arm holes, and hand sewed the hem. All raw edges were zigzaged (because there is nothing more annoying than fraying seams).
4. I think the main reason why I made this top was to be able to do some kind of corsage-type embellishment to the front. I pretty much went for the easiest type of fabric flower (just a gathered tube of material), but in the process of making these, I have found some other flower-making methods so I might use these for subsequent tops (I'll do a post of what I found in the flower-making-department shortly).
4. I sewed the flowers on by hand and then used mother-of-pearl buttons as the centres, like so...
5. Where there seemed like a chance that the flower would hang forward, away from the body of the top, I invisibly stitched the petals to the top (because otherwise I was just back stitching the centre of the flower to the top).
6. If I had dyed the top, I think I would have dyed the flowers in different shades of the same colour, and possibly have tried to go for a dip-dyed effect with the top itself (ie. darker at the bottom than the top).
I did try to take some photos with me actually in the top but the combination of me, tripod, mirror and clouds conspired against me. This was the least worst of the lot - I'll show it to you, but I think the Flickr pool should have something a bit more polished, so I will have to ask Mr G to oblige at the weekend.
And yes, I am wearing shorts in this photo, but believe me, it was purely for something to go with the top; it was flippin' freezing today.
How's your Spring Top coming along?
Added Sunday 18-04-10:
Foof! Finally managed to get a reasonable photo of this top for the Flickr pool yesterday (thanks, Mr G!) but forgot to take one of the back ties. So to cover all angles, I just took this...
The sun is going down and the ties are a bit mangled (couldn't for the life of me ties a decent bow), but you'll get the idea, I hope.
Anyroadup, here is my first (ever) spring top. Well, I mean I've made tops before but never for such a prestigious reason or for potential prizes! Oooh, prizes...
It's the top half of a bias dress pattern (bugger, now I have to go and find the pattern... found it...) from
McCalls (pattern no.4108) and is made from unbleached Bomull cotton from Ikea (I do buy fabrics from other shops too, believe me!!).
The original idea was to make a muslin using the Bomull and then once I knew everything fitted (although with a bias top and no darts it would be pretty difficult to go wrong), use something fancier or dye the muslin (I had a dark blue in mind). But I decided I liked the finished article as it was so this top has become a Spring Top entry of it's own.
But enough babble, here are the specifics:
1. I cut the pattern exactly as it is, to 8" below the waist mark. This has turned out to be the perfect length for my hips.
2. I made a size 18 but once I'd tried it on, discovered that it was big enough to get on without needing the zip at the back, so instead, I added some ties so that it can be pulled in a little. If I make it again, I think I would consider making it a size smaller and keeping the zip.
3. I top-stitched the neck and arm holes, and hand sewed the hem. All raw edges were zigzaged (because there is nothing more annoying than fraying seams).
4. I think the main reason why I made this top was to be able to do some kind of corsage-type embellishment to the front. I pretty much went for the easiest type of fabric flower (just a gathered tube of material), but in the process of making these, I have found some other flower-making methods so I might use these for subsequent tops (I'll do a post of what I found in the flower-making-department shortly).
4. I sewed the flowers on by hand and then used mother-of-pearl buttons as the centres, like so...
5. Where there seemed like a chance that the flower would hang forward, away from the body of the top, I invisibly stitched the petals to the top (because otherwise I was just back stitching the centre of the flower to the top).
6. If I had dyed the top, I think I would have dyed the flowers in different shades of the same colour, and possibly have tried to go for a dip-dyed effect with the top itself (ie. darker at the bottom than the top).
I did try to take some photos with me actually in the top but the combination of me, tripod, mirror and clouds conspired against me. This was the least worst of the lot - I'll show it to you, but I think the Flickr pool should have something a bit more polished, so I will have to ask Mr G to oblige at the weekend.
And yes, I am wearing shorts in this photo, but believe me, it was purely for something to go with the top; it was flippin' freezing today.
How's your Spring Top coming along?
Added Sunday 18-04-10:
Foof! Finally managed to get a reasonable photo of this top for the Flickr pool yesterday (thanks, Mr G!) but forgot to take one of the back ties. So to cover all angles, I just took this...
The sun is going down and the ties are a bit mangled (couldn't for the life of me ties a decent bow), but you'll get the idea, I hope.