Me Made May has been so revealing! My pledge this year was to wear the me-mades that were taking up valuable closet space, but weren’t getting much use. That lead to some ‘aha’ moments. 1. I prefer tops made of rayon, jersey knit, cotton lawn or linen (I hate stiff cottons!). 2. I love wearing skirts, pants but dresses…? Not so much (but I love to sew them!) 3. I do not enjoy wearing sleeveless tops or dresses not matter how hot it is. Yes, I have a few, but I never wear them! I’ve always had a thing about my arms, that less is more, LOL.
That last conclusion led to one of this post’s projects. I pulled all of my sleeveless tops from my closet, determined to add sleeves. Easier said than done. As you all know, that remedy relies on a stash of remnants that includes pieces of fabric from past projects. I used to have buckets of remnants, but that was before my commitment to ‘tidy up’. I was convinced those remnants weren’t giving me joy, so I discarded/donated most of them a month ago! What I wouldn’t give to have them back again!!
The good news…I was able to locate enough fabric to add sleeves to this first version of my new favorite pattern, Butterick 6592. Yes, the sleeves are tiny, but I do love this top now.
I used Butterick 6592 for the three tops in this post, and it has alot to offer.
The bodice can be made with or without a peplum, and there are three sleeve options, which makes the pattern a good value if you ask me. It’s a simple pattern to complete. The bodice is shaped by darts and the neck opening is finished with a zipper. Fit on this one is easy. I cut my usual size according to my measurements and it fits like a dream without tricky modifications.
This is view A, and for this version, I used a vintage linen table cloth that I picked up at a estate sale. The trick here was to place the cut out details in the right place on the bodice and sleeves. I used the scalloped edges of the table cloth as the finish for the sleeves. this is the second top I’ve made from a tablecloth, and it was so fun to sew!
The loose fit makes this top really comfortable and cool. Yes, it wrinkles easily, but that’s linen for you! I know this will be one of my favorite tops this summer.
This last version of B6592 is made from a remnant of silk I found last summer in the bin at the Mill End store here in Portland. It doesn’t photograph that well, but the blue is really lovely, with contrast bits of gray and off-white.
This is view B, the peplum bodice with a modified sleeve (no ruffle). Silk is so fabulous to wear – – I don’t know why I don’t treat myself to its luxury more often. I like this peplum because it isn’t too flouncy. For this version, I shortened the waist by 5/8 of an inch because the peplum is supposed to hit above the waist.
It’s always so fun to see how a single pattern can be used to create different looks. Any pattern that provides so many fun options, gets a big thumbs up from me! Besides that, it only takes a couple of hours to complete — Make it this weekend! I searched Instagram and Pattern Review for other versions of this pattern, but didn’t find much. I’m not sure why it isn’t popular, as I can see more versions of this in my future.
Happy sewing and thanks for stopping by!
Do you ever get obsessed with a trend? I’ve been known to go overboard with a new look, and in my case, statement sleeves are my new ‘thing’. This Spring, it seems they are everywhere, and I am clearly jumping on the band wagon! Sure, I like the look (flow-y, care free, maybe even a bit boho), but I also like the challenge of a new sleeve shape. Each pattern is a new adventure in sleeve construction with new techniques to learn.
The pattern when together nicely. The v-neck, the front pleat, the bell sleeves were all explained well and fairly easy to execute. The challenge was in the fit (that is an understatement). I cut the smallest size, but the v-neck was still pretty large. I mean, we are talking cleavage exposure here folks, and that was just not where I wanted to go with this top (LOL). So, I did a bit of modifying. There is a back seam as you can see from the line art.
So, my strategy was to take that seam in by about an inch. I also eliminated the neckline opening in the back and just sewed the seam closed. That seemed to do the trick. The neck opening is large enough that the top just slips over my head!
Hi All! It’s almost time to ring in the new year, so I thought I’d take the opportunity to review my top five makes of 2016.
To make my shirt into a dress, I just added seven inches to the length. Because the dress is very unstructured, I will wear it with a belt made from leftover pleather. I also added sleeve tabs so that I can roll up the sleeves when the weather is warm.
To make the top look less tailored and more relaxed, I eliminated the collar and cuffs, and added lace sleeves and trim. To add the lace to the bottom of the shirt, I cropped it at the waist, then added a swath of left over lace to the bottom, hemmed with a machine stitch.
