Each year, I enjoy a review of my #Sewing Top Five Misses almost as much as my best top five. I always learn so much from my mistakes. So without further ado, here they are!
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- Vogue top – Okay, when I made this, I felt pretty clever because I constructed this top from odds and ends in my fabric stash. Ha! It’s such a mashup of colors and textures, I feel oddly distracted when I wear it. What was I thinking? New Motto – – keep it simple. To the donation pile!
2. Aernite pants. I really loved these when I made them, but the color of the linen turned out to be problematic. It didn’t really work with anything in my wardrobe and it made me feel blah too. Lesson learned….I will avoid peachy beiges and tans in the future.
3. The Darling Ranges dress by Megan Nielsen is a new favorite (I made three (3) versions!), but this version did not work for me. Again, the issue is the color of the stripes in the linen. It’s too peachy for me. Also, I think the dress is too long(?) so I feel rather frumpy in it. So many problems here. Ugh. The embroidered linen is so gorgeous though…too lovely to part with. I’m going try to modify the dress (shorten it to a top?) or reuse the fabric in some way.
4. Simplicity Vintage top: What? you say. But this one is Blue! How can it be a miss?
This top is a clear miss because it’s so annoying to wear. I kid you not. Because it’s basically a wrap top with only a front and back panel, it depends on the tie to hold in the sides. That means when the tie loosens as you wear it, you enter the danger zone. If you don’t run off to a private place to re-tie, you will soon be showing all sorts of things best left covered. Bummer as I made three of these. Thumbs down on this one….to the pile!
5. Long Kimono top; I should love this one…the fabric, the kimono style…but I’ve never worn it. I cannot seem to find an appropriate venue/occasion. There’s something so awkward about it…maybe the length? A head scratcher for sure because I do love, LOVE this fabric so much and the style gets a big thumbs up from me. Maybe I’ll shorten it next summer or recut it as something else. Hmmmm. I’ve got some thinking to do on this one.
Lessons learned – –
- Fabric in tan or beige-y tones is a no-no for me. (sigh).
- Avoid patterns where the design includes an element that might potentially be awkward or where you might be naked if it comes ‘undone’, LOL!
- Even though I love the look of a long cardigan or kimono, long isn’t always that easy to wear.
- Fabric that isn’t in my color palate is best left behind.
- Simple fabric, simple designs…they always work!
Well, that pretty much sums up the good and the not so good of 2018. I have no complaints. All in all, it was a very good year. That being said, I’d like 2019 to look a bit different. I’m hoping for some new creative adventures to sweeten my sewing experience and am thinking a lot about how to make that happen.
A fresh year, a fresh start. How was your 2018?
Happy sewing and thanks for stopping by!
Hi all – I love a good challenge and so I couldn’t resist the #Tops that Pop challenge, created by the talented Faye of 
All in all, I do think this pattern is a keeper. I may make the dress version at some point, and may take out the shoulder pleats. But there are so many patterns and so little time, so who knows if I’ll make it back to this one again.
Hi All! Indie Pattern month is winding down over at 
Hi All – -During, the holiday season, a sewing project has to meet certain critieria to make it onto my lengthy to-do list. It must be 1. easy and quick with little chance for frustration. 2. Gorgeous fabric must be involved. 3. It must provide a healthy dose of instant gratification. This festive kimono definitely earned high marks on all fronts.
I love this drapey and shimmery velvet. To make the fabric texture more noticeable, I decided to use black velvet for the contrasting sleeve bands and ruffle.
Have you sewn with velvet? Did it have a tendency to roll? What did you use to stablize it?
