Sunday, February 2, 2014

Showing My Stripes

OK, let's get the ball rolling with some photos (sorry that the dress-form is too wide for the shoulders, but it'll give you some idea while I sit here with greaseball hair):

StyleArc Demi-Drape Top - Altered from the first version I made yesterday per this post...Though I realize it looks like the hem is rolling, it's not. I just didn't organize it over the fabric cover of my dress form.

I didn't have the luxury of pattern-matching (mercifully) cuz I was working with an odd shaped remanant of this fabric. The stripes match visually across the arms and back, though, which is a happy accident.
I have so much to say, it's gonna take a while. So get yourself a snack.

For starters, I used up 3 yards of fabric in this two-phased process, which is awesome, cuz yesterday I bought 6 more. What!? I told you I'm on a binge. How can you be on a binge if you don't binge?

Which brings us to Side Bar One:

Here are swatches of what I bought yesterday, all from Gorgeous Fabrics:

Heather grey light-weight sweatshirt fabric, with flat backing
 This is for when I get the urge to make some chic sweatpants or the Victory Patterns Lola dress.

Then I got this:


Cheetah Print Rayon Jersey (a designer fabric, I think)
...because everyone has bamboozled me with Jungle January and now I feel I need animal print in my wardrobe too. I want to make this with it:

StyleArc Issy Top

Um, can you believe this is StylArc's free Feb. pattern of the month. And, I did join the StyleArc club, fyi. Got a free pattern (made replacing the Janet Jacket less miserable that way), will get a gift, special deals and 10% off each pattern. Let's see if this lives up to the hype.

Anyway, I think this top will be very chic in that fabric.

I also got more of that Soft and Lightweight Italian Jersey that I bought in two shades to make the original Demi-Drape top (unphotoed so far, made yesterday).



I really love this fabric and I'm getting more before it's no longer available.

OK, back to the Demi-Drape Top...

I made these alterations:


I added 1 inch at hips, tapering to nothing at waist. And I shallowed up the cowl to give extra fabric for draping over the boobs.

It fits perfectly. (I don't know if I've ever said that about anything I've made before.) So here's an instance where putting in the time has paid off.

Now, having said this, would it have been prudent not to make the shell in wide stripes, given that the thing is very fitted from waist to hip?? I mean, let's say you're trying to hide your perimenopausal stomach. Don't use wide stripes, is my advice. Mind you, I'm going to wear it happily, despite this.

Weirdly, that seagrass rayon I used for the underlay, manages to be 8 colours at once: it's kind of brown, kind of yellow, kind of grey, kind of green, a bit taupe... Somehow, though it's not in the colour palette of the cool blue and grey shell fabric, it works. Who can say why?

So there you go. I'm sure I'm going to wear the pants off this thing. Whatcha think??

33 comments:

  1. Beautiful! And I bet it looks even better on you. I'm so glad you nailed that pattern!

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  2. Gorgeous top -- I bet it looks sublime on you! Another TNT?

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    1. Another TNT indeed! (But how many of these can you wear before everyone says it's the only kind of top you wear?)

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  3. That top looks great -- and the stripes appear to match not just for back and arms, but also for arms/shoulders into the drape of the front -- brilliant!

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    1. You know, you're right about the stripe matching?! That's a total fluke. And thank you for noticing!

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  4. Love this - you must be delighted. After all the energy spent on your Janet Jacket, it must be lovely to have a success with this top. I really like how the stripes fall diagonally from the shoulders.

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  5. The top is indeed gorgeous and I think the stripes will be more figure flattering than you think! Great fabric haul!!!

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    1. Well, I hope you are correct C! I'll get used to it, I imagine :-)

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  6. I love this top... maybe enough to finally spend the $$$ on a stylearc pattern...

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    1. I suggest you do it. I'm not uniformly happy with the drafting and the instructions are all but non-existent (not helpful if you need instructions, ok if you don't), but the patterns are very RTW-esque au courant. More so than with any other complany, I think.

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  7. It's really lovely. You needed a great win to cleanse your sewing palette and this was definitely it! Would love to see it on you tho!

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    1. I really did benefit from this positive experience. I will model it - it's quite attractive :-)

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  8. Lurve it! Hurrah for success, I say.

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    1. Evie: This would look fantastic on you. Make it!

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    2. Temptress...I have a friend on holiday in Australia at the moment, so only in country postal charges to pay. May have to order a couple of patterns ;-)

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  9. i love how the stripes fall on the drape! and i don't think the stripes across the hip area would be a problem at all (coming from someone with plenty of hip...). fabulous top!

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    1. Isn't it pretty - I had nothing to do with that. It was just an accident. Or maybe that's what stripes naturally do? I'm ok with the hips. It's the stomach that I'm not nuts about.

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  10. I recognize this fabric! Anyway, turned out great and I'm thrilled that you're happy with the fit! Nothing like a little knit-centric project to help you get over the trauma of the Janet Jacket! Looking forward to seeing this one in person!

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  11. Beautiful top! I bet it looks even better on you than on the dress form. And you new fabrics - ooh aah!

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  12. Oh, I didn't realize you were using stripes. This looks so good! I used to own a top like that that I loved, but it did not have the seafoam portion so you just had to wear a t-shirt under and that was a total pain. Thanks for posting photos alongside your summary of alterations. Oh, and about that jersey you just got, I want to touch it all. What's the point of living vicariously through your binge otherwise?

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    1. I know - I have a RTW cowl like this without the underlay. And it's not as useful as this. And feel free to come over and touch all the jersey!

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  13. This looks great! I'm surprised because I don't really like the line drawings. This looks so much better made up.

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  14. I didn't love the tech drawings either. But it's a great top nonetheless.

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