Hot Patterns Weekender Sunshine Tops

There is a stash contest just starting at Pattern Review and although I won't be officially taking part I am going to try and do a bit of fabric and pattern stash reduction. This will probably make for a very eclectic collection of garments, in complete contrast to my recent disciplined mini wardrobe sewing so it will be interesting to see what comes out of this little experiment and what patterns I discover.

I have a decent collection of Hot Patterns and this is the first one I have made I'm slightly embarrassed to say. I thought I'd start with something quick and simple and this certainly was. I am surprised how much I like it, in fact I love it and I don't know why it has taken me so long to get around to making it. It feels very RTW and the scoop neck is the perfect shape and depth. The pattern comes with a few variations in lengths and sleeves and also suggests adding beading to the neckline so it begs to be made again.


But I am going to save that project for a short while and venture into new, as yet unknown territory for my next project.

Presenting the Final Mini Wardrobe

I'm happy with how the pieces do end up working together as a mini collection and not just a set of random garments which it kind of looked like in my storyboard. It was good for me to do this as part of a contest with a deadline - I have realised I have a tendency to procrastinate and would probably still be trying to come up with the perfect storyboard without the deadline. I also have renewed respect for anyone who can make a whole 10+ piece wardrobe without going crazy!

Looking at my Pattern Review bar over on the right there you can see almost everything I've made lately has been black, white or red. Time for some more colour now!

All about me me

Paula has tagged me with the latest meme (how do you say that ; me-me or to rhyme with, er...la Boheme?). Anyway I don't normally do these things, but it has been interesting reading about everyone else so it's only fair I join in!

WHAT WAS I DOING 10 YEARS AGO?
Gee I can hardly remember what I was doing yesterday, here's a rough idea. Working in London, living in sin with my now husband in the flat we still own there and thinking how I didn't want to turn 30 in a couple of years! I certainly had no clue I would be moving to the other side of the world.

WHAT ARE 5 THINGS ON MY TO-DO LIST TODAY?
Today is Sunday, my husband is on a business trip and I am going to have a pretty lazy day. Not every day is like this honest.
-grocery shopping
-update my blog with my PR mini wardrobe stuff
-do a bit of sewing on my HP sunshine top I cut yesterday
-just thought of this, been meaning to do it for a while - have a closet clearout
-do some kind of workout

Notice the things less likely to happen are already at the bottom of the list.

SNACKS I ENJOY:
Generally I prefer savoury snacks to sweet ones, chips or popcorn are good. That said I would not turn down chocolate and cannot have it in the house.

THINGS I WOULD DO IF I WERE A BILLIONAIRE:
Invest enough of it so that I didn't have to worry about income ever again (sorry the accountant in me emerging)
Quit my charity job, but donate a chunk of money instead
Purchase places to live in Hong Kong, Thailand and Australia and travel a lot
Give some to my family to make sure they are OK

Really thats about it, just accelerating what I hope to do anyway - no private jets, couture clothes etc. Easy to say that now I suppose, I will let you know if it turns out differently when the billion dollar cheque arrives.

PLACES I HAVE LIVED:
West Sussex, UK
London, UK
Hong Kong

WHAT TYPE(S) OF WORK HAVE I DONE?
Shop assistant, on Saturdays while at school
Working in the kitchen of a mexican restaurant chain while at college (if you have seen me in a kitchen you would understand this was the scariest job for me, but it taught me a lot about confidence (and making nachos!).)
Accountant/auditor in a big city firm
Accountant in oil company in London
Kind of floating around for same oil company in Hong Kong for a couple of years
Financial controller for animal charity in Hong Kong

SIX (6) “PEEPS” I WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT.
I'm usually pretty late to these parties - anyone who wants to join in go for it!

Check back later and see if I managed to cross off the "update my blog" item from todays tough schedule!

Butterick 4985 Top - The last mini wardrobe piece

In the nick of time, I've finished! Completed wardrobe pics to follow in my next post.


Here's my Pattern Review

Pattern Description:
Tops A, B, C, D have gathered upper front, lower section with princess seams, sleeve and collar variation. A: stand-up collar and tie, two-piece sleeve. B: gathered sleeve with band and collar with collar band. C, D: gathered sleeve with band and stand-up collar. D: purchased trim. I started with view B.
Pattern Sizing:
(6-8-10-12) and (14-16-18-20). I made a 12, usually I need to do an FBA in woven tops but I find that the gathered bust of this pattern provides enough room.
Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?
Mostly, although I changed the sleeves when I realised that although they looked cute on the dressform they did nothing for me at all.

Were the instructions easy to follow?
Yes very clear.
What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
I love the waist shaping on this pattern, it's very flattering.
Fabric Used:
Cotton with some stretch, although the stretch is not required for this pattern.
Pattern Alterations or any design changes you made:
I have made and reviewed this top before, it's probably the nearest pattern I have to a TNT so I was happy to make a few changes. As mentioned above I swapped the sleeves to a simple cap sleeve. I added a belt and buckle detail to tie into my mini wardrobe by simply making 2 fabric tubes and catching them in the side seams. I had problems finding the exact buckle I had pictured in my head so was forced to get creative - this one started life as a pair of earrings! I used snaps instead of buttons so as not to clash with the buckle. Finally as the fabric is slightly see through I trimmed the front facings so they were much narrower and resembled a shirt placket.
Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
Probably (need to be careful not to end up with a whole closet full of these) and yes.
Conclusion:
A flattering, simple top pattern which can be modified to create a variety of different looks.

BWOF 08/2003 105 Pants

Voila, the third piece of my Pattern Review mini wardobe contest entry.
These are not the same pants as in my original storyboard. This is because I had a (rare!) bright idea how I could link my pieces together to make more of a mini collection than a bunch of separates.

I decided to add a belt and buckle feature to the dress, pants and white shirt. My local notions market stalls didn't have quite the right thing and while I was pondering whether to take a trip further afield I noticed some silver earrings in the stall next door.  Although these were too expensive to justify taking apart they gave me the idea to search for earrings or perhaps a belt in some of the cheaper stores. H&M came up trumps!  

I decided to fasten the belts to the buckles with snaps so that I could swap out the buckles at a later stage should the perfect one appear and this also means it is possible to change them to create slightly different looks. I also changed the front waistband to have a small section in the silk dupioni that I used for the top.

An added bonus to making this change to my original storyboard was that this pants pattern is really simple! They have a yoke waistband, side zip and slightly flared legs. The much loved BWOF pants cut is there and they are quick to make especially if you don't fuss with the waistband.