BWOF 3/09 #103

Minty Fresh

At least that's what I call it. This top is #103 from the March BWOF, which originally was shown as a tunic - not quite a top and not quite a dress as you can see from the line drawing below. I shortened it to top length.

The fabric is from Gorgeous Fabrics and is the rayon jersey in bright kelly green. It really isn't mint, but it is not quite a dark kelly green, either. It is a really nice fresh green for spring.

The top is rather simple to put together, with few pieces and straightforward construction. The fact that this is a BWOF top means that the depth neckline, for me, is suspect. Fortunately, I have figured out a way to get a neckline I'm happy with when using BWOF. Do realize that some patterns just can't be altered to look right, and a camisole is a must. Others can have the neckline raised and still look great. For these type of necklines, I have made a template for myself, with the shoulder with and neckline that I am comfortable wearing, without seam allowances. It is a full template, but most of the time I use it on the fold. I place the template beneath the traced BWOF piece (another reason I don't trace seam allowances) and can easily see how much I will need to raise the neckline.

In the photo below, you can see the template under the tissue paper. I've already taped additional tissue paper in place and have retraced and trued the neckline, raising it to the height I'd like. In this case you can just see at the top of picture that the neckline at the shoulder is a bit wide, too. Since it isn't too wide, and it is meant to be wider, I did not change it.

Here is the new pattern piece, trimmed and ready for cutting out the fabric:

As it was, I still had to go back and alter the shoulders a little bit more. I'm beginning to think I'm a size smaller in the shoulders in BWOF like I am in Vogue.

Overall, I'm pleased with the top. I'm not sure that I'm 100% in love with it, maybe the color is just a bit out of my comfort zone, or it is just a bit too cold to wear such a top right now in New England. I'm not sure. I will keep it and see how much I wear it this summer. If I decide I do not like it, it will be released to a good home without guilt at the end of the summer.

Parting Shot: Denver Fabrics. DF was having a sale, so I bought some fabrics for the summer for my daughter and I. The two on the left are for her and her vintage dresses. The three on the right are for me for a mix of modern and vintage. If you look closely, you'll see that the coral print and the aqua print are the same but in a different colorway. She and I picked the same fabric - her unknowingly. I sat her down at the computer and told her to look through the cotton lawn and tell me which ones she liked. I told her that we would talk about and edit her final choices when she was done, so that we could make the decision together - her from an aesthetic viewpoint and me from the technical viewpoint. It was funny to see both those fabrics chosen without the other's knowledge.