Hi all! Although I vanished from the blogosphere during an unplanned two month hiatus everything is well and I have a lot of new sewing projects to document here.
Soon after my previous post mr Foxgloves and I went on holiday to the north of Portugal. We had the best of times and we managed to take some blog pictures of freshly sewn summer wear in a few beautiful spots. Coming soon. The weather in Portugal was lovely and sunny, but much to our surprise we heard it was even warmer in The Netherlands. Turned out this was the start of an unprecedented heatwave. When we returned the garden desperately needed our attention and up till today we didn't get any rain. If you've ever experienced a Dutch summer you'll know how unusual that is. After nine weeks of drought with temperatures rising to 38 Celsius this picture sums up the state of our country rather well:
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| Photocredits: De Telegraaf |
Our infra structure is designed for keeping the water out, keeping the water in is something else!
Amidst the struggle to keep the garden alive I felt the need to sew a lightweight cotton top to stay as cool as possible. I found this lovely floral and dots fabric (two prints in one, winner!) that almost feels like batiste. It has a lovely drape and I decided to pair it with this Knipmode pattern that was on my to-sew list ever since I first saw it in August 2017.
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| KM1708-24 |
Simple, but with a few nice details like the v-neck insert, a self lined back yoke and high/low hem.
Based on my high bust measurement I was in between size 46 and 48. I chose the smaller size, did my usual 1 inch FBA (which resulted in adding a side dart) and made a muslin which turned out too big at the bust. I pinned out all excess fabric and much to my surprise that equalled completely undoing the FBA and getting rid of the dart. Must have something to do with the release pleats coming from the shoulder and the loose fit in general. Okay then, taping the slashed pattern piece back together. Fine by me! The only other flat pattern adjustment I made was adding 2 cm length to both front and back. From there on it was easy sewing, even with a melted brain.
Not mentioned in the Knipmode instructions, but always a highlight: the burrito!
My fabric perhaps wasn't the best choice for showing the details. I'm tempted make this top again in a solid crepe for autumn.
The shape is definitely more boxy than I usually prefer but it is a joy to wear on hot days.
The back, showing the curved hemline.
And a close up of the back yoke and pleat.
One last picture of the blouse 'out in the wild' on a trip to Germany:
To everyone enduring a heatwave: keep it cool!
Dear Marianne,
ReplyDeleteYour blouse looks wonderful. I often had the pattern in my hand, but then I did not sew it. But your top looks so light and airy that I really need a summer blouse now.
Best regards, Zelda
It's a lovely pattern. Just make sure your fabric has enough drape to prevent the tent effect.
DeleteI'm soooo enjoying the cooler weather today. The Dutch are not made for temperatures over 25 Celsius.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely top. I don't have that issue but know I should have bought it. There are other patterns in it that are nice too.
Look forward to seeing it in a plain fabric.
I couldn't agree more on the cooler weather, and we even had some rain! The August 2017 issue is a very good one, I just think it should have been released in May or June. Interesting sleeveless and short sleeved tops easily get overlooked around that time of year when we're making plans for autumn sewing.
DeleteHi Marianne,
ReplyDeleteYour blouse is lovely. I really like the design lines. So simple and fits beautifully. Thank you for the details. Janet xo
This pattern has good bones, can't wait to make it again! X
DeleteI love your new top and anything loose fitting is perfect for the extremely hot weather we all seem to be experiencing in Europe and the US. Glad you had a wonderful holiday!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Carolyn. During regular summers my one and only sundress (Cashmerette Upton) comes out no more than four, five times. I was so not prepared for this!
DeleteLovely breezy blouse. Over here in Austria our fruit trees have given up and dropped almost all unripe fruit, the little they could manage to carry at all this summer.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry to hear that, Ronel. Our fruit trees are holding up so far, although the apples and plums are smaller than usual. I feel so sad for the farmers who lost their crops!
DeletePolka dots and florals! YUMMY!
ReplyDeleteAnd yikes...those are some high temps. You have the loveliest garden...I hope it isn't suffering too greatly!
Thanks, Sue. That fabric was calling my name! We believe the garden will bounce back in time, just not looking its best right now...
Deletelove your top, a nice variation on a floaty top (I'm always looking for tops with some details)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Beth. I agree. The details not only made it a more interesting sewing project, there is also just enough shaping to prevent the dreaded tent look.
DeleteLove your top. I've had this one on my wishlist for a while and really should give it a go.
ReplyDeleteHope you get a break in the weather and good rain. As an Aussie, we are far too familiar with dried out dams and heat waves
Thanks. It's a good one! We've just had a break in the weather and 35 mm of rain, which is a start. Our heatwave is now officially ended but it lasted 29 days!
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