Cheap and Bright

BWOF 8/07, #107

While I don't follow the trends with the die-hearted devotion of many fashionistas, I like to make sure I'm dressed fairly fashionably and at least know the trends even if they don't work for me. One trend I've seen for this fall/winter is the pairing of a bright with black. My wardrobe tends to black, red, white, grey for the winter, so why not make a bright top to give it a pop of color?

Enter BWOF 8/07, #107. This is the perfect top to make in a bright trendy color - it doesn't take a lot of time or fabric to make, and if the trend goes the way of the dodo next year, I'm not out much time or money. I found some royal blue cotton blend knit on clearance, which is perfect. It's a bit different from what I'd normally pick (red!), but will work beautifully with blacks and dark greys.

Besides being a cute top, I really like the pattern due to the way it is drafted. (I could say that about all the BWOF I've made, though.) Check out the pattern pieces below. On the left is the lower back piece and on the right is the front facing. Both of these pieces could have been drafted just as easily as a piece to be cut on a fold. Burda doesn't do this, but instead provides a front facing that covers the whole bust and has shaping via a center front curve. The back is similar; it gets shaping on the lower back by the curve center back. With both of these pieces there are of course, more seams. More seams are not a bad thing! They provide more personal fitting opportunities.

Below you can see that large front facing in place. I will probably tack the edge of it to the center front seam to help it stay in place. I suppose you could also stitch plush lingerie elastic to the bottom of it and make it into a shelf bra. Those sorts of things don't work for me, but they might for you. (You can also see what a bright blue this is!)

I've followed the directions except for two things. First, I've attached the sleeves before stitching the side seams, much like the shirt dress. Second, I've hemmed the sleeves before stitching that long sleeve/side seam. After a bit of basting and pinning, I decided that doing the hems first would look better than trying to hem over the gathers. Tomorrow, I'll show you how I did the gathers on the sleeve and bust seams. Let's just say that gathers and knits don't always play nicely together!

Q/As: Shorty wanted to know about the high heels I wear to school. Well, on the average, I tend to go with a 2 1/2" to 3" heel and prefer a heel with substance rather than a stiletto. I'm short, so that extra bit of height helps, even when my classes are seated. I do rotate what type of shoes I wear to school; some days I wear flats and others the heels. I do find that the platform/4"+ heels are not easy to wear to school, but I have other shoes in those colors, so I either wear the lower version or wear them on a day when I'll be sitting at my desk more instead of lecturing.

Isabelle wanted to know if I made the outfit I was wearing in the microscope repair picture. Yes, I did make it. It is the sheath dress from V8319 that I made during the holidays last year. I didn't wear the giant houndstooth jacket to school, but I wore a red brocade sash that I made along with black slim fitting cardigan, black tights and heels.

I have more Q/A's to answer - I'm sort of backlogged, but I'll get to them!

Parting Shot: Mail call! I got the velvet for Midnight Garden today - 5 yards worth! It really is lovely, and more drapey than I thought, but I'll just underline if necessary. Thinking back, I did underline the red velvet in American Beauty.