Finally finished the summer top. You know, I mentioned I was making something else for me, and this is it.
It didn’t come about easily, and I’m still not quite sure what to think about it. If you’re not interested in the proces, just skip the next part or I’ll be boring you to pieces…
I love the lavender stripes from Kaffe Fassett (found the fabric at 50% off recently at Fabric.com
– they’re having sales all the time at the moment!). And actually the linen, the ribbon, the buttons – everything is very much my choice. I started out thinking I wanted it to be simple – just the lavender stripes and the linen and nothing else. But when the top was almost done, it just didn’t look right – nothing brought the two fabrics together, and really it just looked odd. Chopped in halves, sort of.
Anyway, I put it on a hanger on my closet, and circled around it for a few days – finally I went through my ribbons to see if anything would help combine the fabrics. This ribbon from Danish Aspegren helped, but I still wasn’t quite happy. I thought about hemming the bottom with a lavender bias tape, but I was afraid it wouldn’t bring it together but rather just frame the obvious – that there wasn’t a link between the top and the bottom. So I decided I needed to use the lavender fabric on the lower part of the top as well – somehow. Which is how I came up with the appliqué. I browsed for leaves and trees on the internet, and found this one below that I liked. Yesterday, I traced it and put it on there. Helped more I think, but I’m still not sure exactly what to think – perhaps because it didn’t turn out the way I imagined it.
Because it is made with a woven, and you have to be able to get into it, the top is a bit wide, but not as wide as I think it looks in the picture – I’ll try to get a modeled pic soon. It has darts on the back, which I actually sewed together on the wrong (=the right) side of the fabric at first, meaning the seam allowances were on the outside, LOL! Wasn’t the easiest thing I ever had to fix. The pattern is from the Danish craft magazine Ingelise (now Alt Om Håndarbejde – Symagasin) once more – same issue as the tunic, Summer 2008.
I like it – but I’m curious to learn what you think! Also – which top should I use for my entry in The Spring Top Week – this one or the summer tunic?
Finally, I’d just like to mention that Ronja’s tree is now blossoming. Small, pink, perky, lovely flowers – I love it when her tree is in bloom.
I really like the applique. I think it is a very effective way to pull the two halves together, and I think you’re right to avoid the bias binding on the hem…I hadn’t thought about it till you mentioned it but yes…I think it would have created more of a frame effect. Well done. Also, do you have any tips for purchasing fabric overseas…like is their fabric you avoid because of expensive postage, or do you just buy what you like?
Sikken fint toppen og blomsterne står til hinanden. Jeg synes som altid at alt hvad du syr er fantastisk, faktisk kan jeg ikke huske at have set noget jeg ikke kunne lide endnu. Rigtig dejlig forårsweekend til jer alle fire.
The top and the applique on it are lovely. I think that when I make for myself, I want it to look 100%, like I would if I got it from a shop,(it never is ,by the way!) I tend to be more relaxed about kids stuff, they will grow out of it before long anyway! So I understand how you feel. I’m afraid to say,as lovely as this is, the tunic is still my favourite.(sorry!)
Jeg synes begge dele er superfine. Hvor jeg dog kender det dér med at være i tvivl undervejs. Når jeg syr og skal sætte stoffer sammen er mit store problem at undgå at det bliver for “håndarbejds-lærer-agtigt”. Jeg bliver revet med og lige pludselig kan der være bånd og pyntestikninger over det hele. Jeg synes du med toppen er havnet på den rigtige side. Den har super fine detaljer og derfor er den min favorit til konkurrencen (jeg ville så gerne selv være med, men har alt for travlt lige for tiden – eksamen venter). Håber du kommer til at sy meget mere til dig selv. Jeg synes du har talent 🙂
Hej Astrid
Den er meget smukt lavet. Du er altså god til de der detaljer og så må du altså en dag fortælle mig hvordan man opsætter billederne via flicr, det ser så godt ud og du får virkelig vist de små ting så flot.
Jeg kan se din symaskine er noget bedre til knaphuller i forhold til min.
God weekend til familien. hvordan går det ellers med lillepigen?
Kh Jeannet
Astrid, I think it looks great with the extra touch of having the applique and ribbon. I like that you chose fabric covered buttons to match. I’m going to have to try that soon. Lovely combination altogether. The fabrics you chose for yourself (for both tops) look like they have a nice weight and feel to them, for summer.
(My fave is the white tunic) have a nice weekend
Carla – thanks for your sweet comment! Actually a good friend of mine commented, that maybe I should try having the lightest colour on top, and the darkest colourbelow – that it would work better that way. I think she’s right – I’ll probably do that next time I’m combining two colours for myself. When it comes to ordering fabric from abroad, I usually order no more than what will fit into a flat rate envelope which is usually around $15 shipping. With quilting quality fabric (which I order a lot of) that’ll be 5-6 yards, and of course if I want a heavier quality I’ll be able to order less yards. I usually take very much into account how badly I want it. If I want it really, really, really bad – it’ll probably be worth it anyway. 🙂 Remember to take into consideration the VAT and tax regulations where you are – they are pretty tough in Denmark.
Marina – det var sødt sagt – tak skal du have! 🙂 Og god weekend til dig også!
Millie – thanks! And don’t be sorry – I agree! And you are so right – making something for myself is much more demanding in terms of thinking about it and deciding on details, than making stuff for the girls. I think I’ll be taking a break by making something for one of them now… 😉
Anne Dorte – Åh, hvor har du ret – det er jo lige præcis det! Man skal netop ikke bruge teknikkerne bare fordi de er der – og jeg er i tvivl om, om jeg er gået “over the top” her. Men sådan er det – det er en super god læreproces! Og tusinde tak for din søde kommentar! 🙂
Jeannet – det med billederne med Flickr er slet ikke svært – jeg bruger denne her side – den indeholder en masse forskellige værktøjer, men bl.a. en mosaic maker, som er den jeg bruger. Man kan linke den til sin Flickr-account, så man har adgang til sine Flickr-billeder derfra. 😉
Og så tak skal du have – min symaskine er en Pfaff 2027, og jeg er SÅ glad for den – selv om den altså ikke har andre knaphuller end de her almindelige. Frida har det rigtig godt – i hvert fald i munden… Derudover tror vi nok, at hun har fået skoldkopper, men nu må vi lige se, hvad prikkerne bliver til over weekenden… 😉 God weekend!
Melanie – thank you! You really should try covered buttons – it’s so easy, and it really adds that little extra. Have a nice weekend! 🙂
nej, hvor er den yndig! Så pn. Er vild med den måde, du altid får detaljerne til at se ud som om de er smeltet ind i værket, i stedet for som om de er klasket ovenpå, som når jeg syr. Så imponerende. KH
Den var utrolig söt! Jeg blir så inspirert av din blogg, du gjör så mange forskjellige ting og alt er bare så herlig! Takk for at du kommenterte hos meg så jeg fant veien hit, jeg titter ofte inn men er ikke så flink til å kommentere.
Hej Astrid, hvor blev din top fin.. flot applikation.. jeg elsker applikationer.
Og i øvrigt dejlig jakke til lille pigen… jeg går selv med tanker om jakke til min mindste prut.. men men det med tiden igen.. hvordan gik det dig med toppen???
Astrid, I think it is a lovely top. The details are perfectly done and the fabrics look great together. I had to scroll back up and look at the photos again to see what you meant, invisioning it without the details.