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You’re the Tops! : SWAP 2020

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Before and after shots of the great clean up!  Eeek!

A marathon pressing, prepping and cutting session later, and I have 7 tops cut out ready to sew, mostly for my SWAP collection.

The Avid Seamstress ‘Drop Sleeve Top’ in ivory cotton [with maybe some linen, I can’t recall] twill, very soft, very drapey, reminiscent of a nice old tablecloth in its texture.  I love wearing the leafy viscose version of this I made in the summer, it’s a lovely simple make.

Vogue 2813 Donna Karan shirt.  I’ve used a black cotton poplin for the body, and the Alexander Henry Japanese tattoo print for the sleeves and under collar.  This should be interesting.  It’s a lovely pattern, with hidden buttons and fold back cuffs.  I decided against the FBA after looking at finished measurements on the pattern pieces, and just graded out at the waist to allow room for my fat belly.

McCall’s 6436 ’70s shirt’.  Two of these, one in white lawn, and one in black stretch poplin.  I’ll use the Folkwear Western shirts’ tower placket on all the shirts, it’s unbeatable.  These will have embellished sleeves, I have several ideas but have not fully committed as yet.  Take a look at the end of this post for some possible ways I could go…

Vogue 8939 wardrobe pattern, the polo neck top.  Three of these, one in plain black cotton/lycra from My Fabrics, one in a cream rib cotton/lycra, also My Fabrics, with Franken-patterned sleeves using a vintage Butterick 5871 bishop sleeve.  I will make a deep cuff.  The third is in the same black cotton/lycra, with sleeves cut from a ‘slashed’ punky bit of knit fabric I got years ago from the Rag Market.  The cotton/lycra fabrics are very soft, drapey and fine, with excellent recovery.  I’ve used it before for vest tops for the missus, and they last forever!  I forgot I’d bought METRES of the black, there’s still loads left.

So that’s the seven ready to go,  The drop-sleeve top may not be in the SWAP collection, but it will be a welcome addition to my wardrobe in any case.  There’s enough of the soft linen-y fabric to make another shirt though, so more cutting yet to come.

And here’s some of my inspiration for fun to come…

rose_ruffle_tshirt.jpgLorenzo Riva - DetailsRelated image

 

PS My fabulous Hugo Boss linen and my paper organdie from the Cloth House have arrived, and I’m itching to get to grips with some fabric manipulation techniques using the organdie….what shall I try first?  I dug out this beautiful bit of ‘jet’ beading I was given too, maybe that should be used instead of languishing in a drawer?

PPS Just cut out the black linen skirt and a greeny/teal jersey dress woohoo!

I already have this in black merino, and thought I would never wear it…but it’s found its day recently, so why not?
view B this time

11 thoughts on “You’re the Tops! : SWAP 2020”

  2. I have been sitting on the Folkwear western shirt pattern (as well as a stack of other western shirt styles) and I would like to thank you for prodding me to go open that up and read the directions. Because there are no sewing fails when I’m just reading the directions/instructions/not cutting out and sewing stuff together wrong. The tattoo sleeve would be swell; I have yet to commit to an actual tattoo (after decades of thinking it over).

    I did drop an application at an outdoor gear mending shop that is hiring (and not totally crap wages either). No one there is wearing anything not RTW, and sewing experience is not required. Or expected. We’ll see.

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    2. Wow, that’s freaky about the repair shop. Are you supposed to iron patches on?!? You’re going to blow their mind 😉

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  5. Wow! It looks like a tornado went through that room, but a very productive tornado spitting out entire plays worth of costumes. Good for you getting that sorted out! More work than actual sewing..
    And I admire all this cutting ahead too, it takes real stamina to get a project of this magnitude to a good end. Should I volunteer for my girlfriend’s plays so I can learn to expand my sewing scale? Maybe not, the thought of more deadlines is making me shudder 😏.
    But you might want to revisit the lack of fba.. I find that a simple pivot and slide gives me more room all the way down the front. It’s much easier than a formal one, and covers any needed belly adjustment at the same time so it’s all good. Like you I am not a symmetrical person, with extra coverage needed in front, relying on the total circumference is not as effective.

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