FINALLY… Spring has sprung. YAY !!! VERY happy about winter being past. It’s still a little cool in the air on certain days though, so I am still wearing long sleeve stuff and lightweight wool jackets.
In honor of me wanting to challenge myself and not just LOOK at clothes in magazines and duplicate them “verbatim” anymore, I decided to make something fresh for myself and do what I call a little “fashion design math” SO…
THIS:
PLUS THIS:
EQUALS=
Simple, NOT “reinventing the wheel” type of top. White textured silk from B&J fabrics, NYC. Very comfortable to wear. Should’ve had it sewn in time to wear to church on Easter Sunday, but LIFE got to be LIFE and I didn’t get it done. NO WORRIES. I will dress it up with slacks or even “dress it down” with my hair in a bun, pressed jeans and Dansko clogs for causal Sundays. We’ll see. Sewing makes it SO NICE to do what I want with my own wardrobe.
This “bell” sleeve variation or “tulip” sleeve variation as some would call it, is kind of a different style for me, but with the spring weather this season I decided I wanted to push the envelop of what style I would wear. I think I like doing this fashion math thing. I might try mixing stuff that seems crazy to mix ( like 1940’s with 1960’s ..) and see what I come up with. I at least hope not to get bored in the sewing room.
Is my version of fashion math going to create earth shattering “never before seen styles”? Nope! I am sure I got folks lookin’ at this top and saying ” I got a ( Vogue, Burda, pattern “X” fill in the blank company…) pattern for that ! ” Mazeltov !! Then we’ll both look good and have fun wearing this top’s style and celebrate that we know how to sew. I enjoyed draping the pattern for the top and trying out a new recipe I got for drafting the basic sleeve pattern ( –recipe soon coming your way Cindy !). I took the basic recipe and modified it to include the bell/tulip at the bottom.
First spring top done. Now on to more! 
Tailorchick and the Sewing Machine 
That’s beautiful – well done
Its very beautiful Sharon. I didn’t know it was a self drafted top.
Yeah- Trinilove. I did the draping on this one. I am not a big fan of the Commercial pattern. I use them, but I hate how much extra ease they tend to include with them that I then have to “climb over” while working with them. I appreciate them for being problematic at times that they end up helping me sharpen my pattern making and fitting skills- whether I am fitting myself or another. I realize and respect, though, that a commercial pattern is all that some ( most ) home sewing people have and cannot drape their own patterns. Although I sometimes question what I see on other folks blogs about what they are calling “good fit ” I respect what sewing folks are doing and the results they are getting when working with what they have. With a commercial pattern ( and I guess I could say with ANY pattern for that matter…) getting a “good fit” in the garment constitutes how your fingers have maneuvered the fabric and the cut out pattern shapes around in order to fall on your body shape in a favorable and flattering way. That takes a little work and practice in order to develop your fingers to have a skill of fitting. The final garment fit has conquered the battle of you “fitting out” all the extra ease sent to you in the envelope that was included with the initial commercial pattern you bought. I think the pattern companies do ALL home sewing people a dis-justice by making patterns that try to fit EVERYBODY but end up fitting nobody. As I mentioned, The only “saving grace” of those patterns for me is that I get sharpened fitting skills in spite of their flaws. SB
Ooh can’t wait for the sleeve recipe! You should post pics how you style it casual and fancy. It looks great (as always!)
Will do. You may end up being my “shutter bug”. See ya soon!
There’s no reason to apologize for making classic, simple styles. Knowledgeable sewers understand that the challenge (and not everything has to be a challenge) lies in the fitting and the handling of a more difficult fabric like silk, especially in white.
One thing, though: I thought that this was a tulip sleeve:
Thank you so much! And yes I agree with you about the handling of the silk. With this top ( and the whimsical fashion math I was trying to achieve…)I have tried to do my best.
YEP- you’re right!! The picture you have linked me to shows me what I had learned was called a PETAL sleeve. Pretty much because it looks like floral petals overlapping on the cap and bicep area of the arm, and looks particularly like that of a tulip inverted and hanging from the armscye. On various occasions ( depending upon just WHO is doing the naming…) I have seen the sleeve in the top that I have created referred to as a “bell” sleeve variation or “fluted floral like sleeve” variation ( referencing it to either to the young tulip bud or the Poppy flower blossom.) or ” low tulip cuff” variation”. Some even calling it a “flounce sleeve” variation. Knowledgeable sewers have taught me that the more I learn and become skilled in the sewing arts, the less my sewing knowledge has to become “written in stone” because I have a secure core knowledge base of the foundation basics of the art. Creativity and creative expression in sewing then has room and a “jumping off” point from there. I probably would take the time and care and argue the bountiful semantics of a sleeve name when teaching a student. At the moment I am relaxing and enjoying staring at the results of my fashion math. Thanks again for your encouragement and complement. Happy Sewing !!
Another lovely garment Sharon! It’s great to see great fitting garments out there!! And yes, like Cindy, I am waiting for the recipe :-).