Bird Watching

My new cotton skirt needed a matching top.  Alas, it was not to be. 

Simplicity 1426 uses more fabric that I expected . . . especially when alterations are made.

Because of the length of my skirt, there was very little leftover yardage after I finished my skirt.  In an attempt to save fabric, I even used plain broadcloth as a waistband facing, but there was just not enough, darn it!  I made a trip back to JoAnns, but the print had disappeared, and there was no time to wait around for another bolt to show up.

But I did find another Susan Winget print that I love.  Because it was from the same designer, the color palettes were very similar.

The obvious change I made to this design was extending the midriff pieces to the waistline.  I made a muslin which included plenty of extra length, trimmed it down, and  went from there.

The only bra cups I had were not suitable for this design, so I sacrificed an old bra whose straps and bands were hopelessly stretched out and sandwiched it between the fabric and lining.

And, of course, I cannot miss an opportunity to make more bound buttonholes.

Since this is cotton, I went the lazy route and used fabric pens to mark most of the steps.

That is not my usual choice, but with a looming deadline, a girl has to do what a girl has to do!

I find this so much easier than using a machine.

The straps of this top are buttoned in place, as well.  I made the mistake of using my machine buttonhole attachment which gave me quite a bit of trouble, including a broken needle whose tip got stuck inside the machine.  The result was that I took off the needle plate and discovered very little fuzz inside.  I guess cleaning the area with that little brush every time I pull out the bobbin is sufficient!

And I can’t tell you how many people stopped me on the streets of New York to tell me how much they loved my “dress.”  So I guess the contrasting prints were not too bizarre, after all!