Just when I had made peace with the realization that I wasn’t going to do any sewing for myself this summer, what did I do with a couple of relatively free days? I made myself a top. It was a spur of the moment decision when I found myself with a touch of free time, but not enough to work on bigger projects.
A piece of red fabric that I was on the fence about was sitting on top of the “possibly donate” pile. It was a really pretty shade of red, but I was not enamored of the fabric content, nor its lack of drape. I had recently unearthed a pattern for a trapeze-style top and, unbidden, an idea clicked. The pattern is a tracing of a top that I had picked up a thrift shop, not because I wanted to wear it but because I wanted to trace it off. The original was a toasty camel color with armscye stains and damage at the hemline but the general shape and the details were fabulous.
I had just enough of the red fabric to eke out the main pattern pieces for what I fully anticipated would be a muslin. I eliminated facings, hem allowance, and as many seam allowances as I could (remember, muslin). In the end, however, I loved the shape of the top and thought it was really pretty in this red fabric. I regretted some of my shortcuts and set about to salvage the top. Through some creative arranging and rearranging of scraps, I managed to cut armscye and neck facings as well as a hem facing. Because I had no seam allowance, and wanted to avoid visible stitching on the face of the garment, I fused the facing to the hem, raw edges exposed, and ran a line of stitching 1/4 inch from the edge. The stitching was in place to both anchor and fabric together and avoid potential separation, but also as an aid in aligning some trim around the edge. I found this really pretty brown and red braid languishing in my trim drawer apparently waiting for this very project. The trim hid an error made when I was still in “muslin mode” and also finished the garment quite nicely.
I cut a lot of corners and I’m not usually a fan of fusing garments, but I am happy that I made this work. I think the fused hem facing and the weight of the trim, help hold the shape of the garment nicely even though I am not convinced this garment will hold up well over time. Luckily I don’t think it will see a lot of wear as it is rather distinctive. And the addition of the trim has given me some ideas of ways this garment may evolve if (when) problems do arise.
I took the new top with me to Santa Fe last week, and wore it on our final evening at the opera, to see The Marriage of Figaro.