The Reasonably Happy Mistake Top

I finally finished the top that I was working on back here. This top turned out to be a far more complicated project than I originally intended. I created the pattern myself basing the body on this top and the shoulders and neckline on another vest top that I own. Originally it was going to be a plain grey top using the fabric left over from this project but when it came to laying out the pattern I realised that there just wasn't going to be enough fabric. I considered giving up on the whole thing for a while before I had the idea of using a strip of black lining fabric I had down the front of the top to reduce the amount of grey fabric I needed. I still didn't have enough fabric! In the end I cut my pattern into even strips and alternated the two fabrics. I've added a picture of the inside of the top at the end of this post to show the construction in more detail. It's a mistake that actually turned out quite well as with hind sight I think the top in plain grey would have been very boring. Not wanting to add a third fabric to the mix I then decided to make my own bias binding following this tutorial from Megan Nielsen. Making the tape was a lot easier than I expected but very time consuming compared to buying it. In future I think I will only bother if I really can't find a match. Being curved this top was an absolute b***h to hem.

We are finally getting some sunny weather over here in the UK (though shouldn't we all be covered with ash or something?) so my back garden became the location for my mini photoshoot.

It's called the resonably happy mistake top because although I like it and hope that I will wear it what I have actually managed to create is what looks like a maternity top. While I don't actually think that it makes me look pregnant I wouldn't blame people for thinking that I was trying to hide a baby under there. Mind you if I ever am crazy enough to reproduce this will likely come in very handy.

This picture shows the flat shape of the top and the construction using the two different fabrics. If you fancy your own maternity type top the pattern would be pretty easy to make yourself. I would trace the neckline and shoulders from a existing vest top (remember to add some extra room if the vest top is stretchy and the fabric you are using isn't) then draw straight lines coming out at an angle from the bottom of the arm holes. You could then draw a curved hem or experiment with a straight one. That's a good idea actually. I might have a go at this top with a knit fabric and a straight hemline.