Two became one...

I feckin adore the fabric I used for this top...

 

My dear friend Kirsty gifted me the Liberty Asaka A fabric after I literally drooled over it at a Canberra spoolettes meet-up awhile back. She was of course making something wondrous with it :). I have never owned Liberty before, and am not likely to again anytime soon!

So the fabric has been sitting in my stash for ages now, because I loved it so much and didn't want to ruin it and really how could it ever compare to a Kirsty make?? It was also only an 80cm remnant that she had left over, not enough to do a whole heap with. So it has been sitting staring at me from the shelf. I really wanted to make the Salme Kimono top with it - something simple that would show off the fabrics design. Trouble is there was not enough by about an inch, no matter how much wiggling I did with the pattern pieces it wasn't to be! Then I had a brain wave and decided to pair it with this beautifully drapey stripey rayon that I thrifted.

 

It also was a tiny off-cut, not enough for much, but too beautifully touchy to not bring home at like 50c! So in the end they became one :)

I originally bought the Salme Kimono pattern to make a silk top for my m-in-l. I do love Salme designs, she has some beauties! 

This pattern is pretty straight forward. Front, back, facings and cuffs. I stuck with the instructions mostly. Although I under-stitched the facings instead of top-stitching an inch from the neckline, for a cleaner look. I don't trust my top-stitching yet! I matched the facings to the main fabric, so floral for the front, and stripes for the back in-case they showed through. They don't :)

I also left the cuffs unfolded, the instructions had you fold them in half. I left them because I wanted more of the stripe visible from the front.

I am really proud of this top. I know it's very simple. But you see, I accomplished things that I have struggled with in the past. Like cutting accurately so the stripes are actually straight!!

And matching the cuffs so the same amount of white and black stripe was used in the cuff. I know it's a little thing, but for me, it IS the little things that make a homemade outfit look less homemadey and more professional! I even went as far, when hemming, as using black thread on the back and white on the front!! Ha!

I still have a loooooong way to go to make anything professionally, but baby steps people, baby steps!

So I love the top, however, I am not sure it really suits me. I am sure I will wear it to death because I love the fabric and it will be lovely and cool for summer. But just not sure whether its too voluminous on me? Appreciate your critical thoughts and/or suggestions for other summer tops?!

And now onto the million and one other makes that I am itching to make...
Bye x