Batik Summer Top

Totally out of season, the winter is trying to persuade us it is still here, even though I am hoping it is its last attempt. Anyhow, I whipped up a quick project perfectly fitting into my crazy days currently.

Also, I managed to use up the whole amount of this batik silk bought last year in Indonesia and used as lining for this winter dress.

I am currently on a stash-busting challenge. Last year I realized I bought more than a reasonable amount of fabric within just 3 month (and no, I cannot say that being on vacation on the other side of the world is a good excuse for buying 30 meters of fabric). I oblige myself to note how much I consume currently and promised not to buy any more fabric until I reach an equilibrium.

Ok, an exception on buying lining might be authorized but currently, I am truly trying not to buy anything at all. And I still have 27 meters to go…

In addition, since I often manage to squeeze a simple dress from a meter of fabric, or even more if I omit sleeves, I constantly have small rests, just right for tops. I keep telling myself that I will sew a top from this of that piece, which almost never happens.

So this time, the top got sewn immediately, even though it might wait a long before being worn.

The pattern is a Simplicity 51-02/2014 which I already made two years ago and which was my big favourite on last vacation. So I just need to get it in few more colour variations.

I do not think there is much to say about the top: French seams, shirring and little bit of touchy hand-sewing, the fabric is very very light and moving constantly when sewing with it.

Last thing to say, it was like 5°C when my photograph convinced me that outside pictures would be better. I was pretty freezing there :o)

Inspiration: fabric

Pattern: Simplicity 51-02/2014

Pattern changes: none

Technique: French seams

Fabric: black silk batick

Time to Complete: a week-end

Total Cost: 5 EUR

Black Period

In many senses:

January has been just a one crazy month and I still feel some impact of it now. But, I managed to sew little bit in December (not blogged) and finished things in February (not blogged either).

I am also very late on posting about one of my November makes. But I am speeding things up, took a few pictures this morning, so hopefully will be posting everything soon.

Then, all of my last makes are completely black or with majority of black. Oh well. That is probably because not having too much time for sewing, I focus on making practical things which I am sure to wear, aka dark colours. I would like to promise that it will get better soon but even the blouse I am making this week-end is black-and-beige.

So let’s review this black dress. It is the same 60’s pattern as this dress which got sooooo much wear this winter even though it is an illogical combination of wool flannel and short sleeves, but I figured it goes well with sweaters, as well as jackets and I just love it. Unfortunately, it shrank little bit in the process, because I wash my wool clothes in the machine (and yes, I did preshrank it before sewing).

It was quite obvious that I needed another one like that before the winter is over, this time with longer sleeves. Small details include invisible zip, inserted pockets and that’s pretty much it.

The pattern is nice, the waist is not very fitted, so this is a perfect dress for your bloated-belly days :o)

The fabric is black wool flannel, lined with batik silk I bought last year in Indonesia to add little bit of fun to this dress. I actually had almost 2m of this crazy fabric and figured out that a whole dress in black-yellow would never get worn. So I used a part for the lining and the rest for a small summer top (yes, yes, still to be blogged).

Inspiration: 1960s

Pattern: Burda 110-09/2015

Pattern changes: none, pattern already adjusted on my previous model

Technique: hidden pockets

Fabric: black wool flannel, batik silk for lining

Time to Complete: a month

Total Cost: 24 EUR