Last night I finished this wrap top from Autumn / Winter wear for women using Anna Maria Horner Little Folks voile fabric. I'm really pleased with the way it turned out and am wearing it now (although with others layers because it is freezing today).
My hesitation about the bias binding on the arms was misplaced as it hangs just fine when its on. I ended up doing french seams all over, so the raw edges are safely encased. It certainly made it more complicated though, and I got in a complete muddle when joining the wrap top to the main part of the top. I sewed it on the wrong way round first after taking great care to match them up properly and pinning them. Then when I did get it right, I sewed too far away from the gather which ruined the affect and turned it into a number of messy pleats rather than a gentle gather. Finally I got it right and I'm glad I did enclose the raw edges as they frayed quite easily.
It has highlighted a problem with my style of sewing though. I really love sewing, but between the chaos and disorder of everyday life I only have small pockets of time in which to do it. Sometimes I'll do it while the kids are around and behaving themselves in which case I'll be distracted, often I will do it when they have gone to bed and the light it bad and I'm tired. Usually though it's in a rush, the result it that I can see mistakes I have made which affects the quality of the end result. The next thing I make I will take my time with and not be in such a desperate rush to get it finished and worn. Well, that's the idea anyway! Ahead of me I have 2 ideas, one a present for a friend, and another will be something for Spring for my daughter from this book, maybe a pretty top using more of this lovely Anna Maria Horner fabric.
I know what you mean with the time allowances - I manage to sew about an hour in the evening and an hour while my son naps (while trying to get the housework etc done)
ReplyDeleteLove the top, it turned out really well.
Do the sizes in this book fit taller and larger ladies? As in someone like me who is 5" 10 and is an Australian 12 - 14 size? The patterns you have made are really cute but most Japanese books are not designed for someone my size. Can you help?
ReplyDeleteThe first dress I made from this book was in a large as I presumed that they would come up small, but it ended up being too big, so I made a medium, which fitted perfectly (I am a UK size 12). There are patterns for L and LL so I think L would fit a UK 12 - 14. If I remember, I try and add on a few inches extra to the bottoms of skirts and tops to that I can make them longer if I want.
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