Fortunately I have managed to finish the matching embroidered tank top to go with my skirt. Hurrah! for plane trips and the resulting enforced hand-sewing time! I'm so happy with the full ensemble; I like how it looks like a full dress, and that if I choose I can break it up into the separate components. The pattern is the fitted top from the Alabama Studio Sewing + Style book (Natalie Chanin), and is made from the same fabrics as the skirt; a thickish, cafe au lait cotton jersey substratum (KnitWit) with a dark olive, lightweight jersey overlay (Potters Textiles), the latter stencilled with the Anna's Garden stencil from the same book as outlined here, and top-stitched with Gutermanns topstitching thread.
I took a slight swayback wedge out of the tank pattern.... looking at the picture below I could possibly have gone further with that, oh well, next time. Otherwise it has the same width shoulder straps and the same low rise of the back neckline as the original pattern. The stitching throughout is in exactly the same style as the skirt; with all seams stitched and flat-felled by hand, and the neckline and armhole binding sewn on using herringbone stitch.
My Mum wanted to know if the jersey fabric loses its stretch though being embroidered; it does lose a little, but not all of its stretch. The fabric also shrinks ever so slightly through the process of quilting the two layers together. Not drastically, but if your muslin is skintight then I reckon this is definitely something to bear in mind.
OH BTW! a little tip I forgot to mention before... when the pattern pieces have been cut out and stencilled, stay-stitched and are awaiting embellishment; the very first thing I did was to tack a scrap of paper to each piece as above, marking the centre front or centre back of each piece, as applicable. The pattern pieces for both tank and skirt, are actually all so similar to each other that I think this is an essential precaution!
Well, was it was worth all the hours of hand-work? But of course. I'm not going say otherwise now, am I? ;)
Actually, seriously, I totally love my AC pieces and it was no biggie to make the tank top; each pattern piece is quite small and manageable and the embroidery can be knocked off in a couple movies or a short plane trip quite easily. A little tank top is not really the sewing marathon that the midi skirt is. I'm even feeling optimistic about taking on another Alabama Chanin project...! (gasp!) um, well... in a while. Maybe, hehe. Well, I should really, I bought a whole lot of beads while Mum, Cassie and I were in Melbourne, in a zealous fit of enthusiasm, so hmmm. (blush)
Details:
Top; the fitted top from the Alabama Studio Sewing + Style book, hand-embroidered and -stitched cotton jersey knit in two solid colours
Skirt; the midi skirt, same as above, all sewing details here
Sandals; Zomp, from Zomp shoes
I took a slight swayback wedge out of the tank pattern.... looking at the picture below I could possibly have gone further with that, oh well, next time. Otherwise it has the same width shoulder straps and the same low rise of the back neckline as the original pattern. The stitching throughout is in exactly the same style as the skirt; with all seams stitched and flat-felled by hand, and the neckline and armhole binding sewn on using herringbone stitch.
My Mum wanted to know if the jersey fabric loses its stretch though being embroidered; it does lose a little, but not all of its stretch. The fabric also shrinks ever so slightly through the process of quilting the two layers together. Not drastically, but if your muslin is skintight then I reckon this is definitely something to bear in mind.
OH BTW! a little tip I forgot to mention before... when the pattern pieces have been cut out and stencilled, stay-stitched and are awaiting embellishment; the very first thing I did was to tack a scrap of paper to each piece as above, marking the centre front or centre back of each piece, as applicable. The pattern pieces for both tank and skirt, are actually all so similar to each other that I think this is an essential precaution!
Well, was it was worth all the hours of hand-work? But of course. I'm not going say otherwise now, am I? ;)
Actually, seriously, I totally love my AC pieces and it was no biggie to make the tank top; each pattern piece is quite small and manageable and the embroidery can be knocked off in a couple movies or a short plane trip quite easily. A little tank top is not really the sewing marathon that the midi skirt is. I'm even feeling optimistic about taking on another Alabama Chanin project...! (gasp!) um, well... in a while. Maybe, hehe. Well, I should really, I bought a whole lot of beads while Mum, Cassie and I were in Melbourne, in a zealous fit of enthusiasm, so hmmm. (blush)
Details:
Top; the fitted top from the Alabama Studio Sewing + Style book, hand-embroidered and -stitched cotton jersey knit in two solid colours
Skirt; the midi skirt, same as above, all sewing details here
Sandals; Zomp, from Zomp shoes