My wardrobe is moving slightly in the direction of wearing ‘office wear’ more often. Blech and double blech.
I’ve been struggling to reconcile my taste to things that go with slacks. Secretly I hate dress pants. They make me feel like a cater waiter. I also have never found a pair that didn’t make me look like Eyeore from the back. I recently discovered that I whipped out 3 new workable blouses and didn’t share them. Don’t be disheartened- my gaudy parade continues!
So here comes a Burda, an old friend Simplicity and a Vogue-
first victim:
This is a repeat- yes, Ms short attention span has repeats! This is my 3rd- I love the ease of this shape.
When I feed new sacrifices to the Textile Hoarding annex, I like to buy 5 yards of something. You just never know. Maybe I want a tank top, maybe I want to make a car cover. I will not be limited!!! So if I like it, I want 2 of it. Perhaps a summer dress and a top. Or leiderhosen and a hoodie. You get the idea. This Anna Sui fabric is in 2 prints- from selvage to selvage so it can give some fun mixes. Previously, it was a dress to match my fav Dr Marten flats. Now those flats will get even more out of the closet time paired with this.
I added the cuffs for contrast, but really, the location of the prints was based on how much fabric I had left. A roll of the matching dice as it were. I’m happy and I can consider this stash busting, right? Can I shop now? Please?
This years squirrely goal is more detail and structure in my makes- so Burda will be my target- lots of seemingly random seams going on in most of them- this was fun to sew- a nice saturday morning no-brainer with a nice reward. I let the print do the talkin’ and only added a little accent button for fancy. 7125-
Last but not so least is my take on Vogue 1367-
I used an embossed nylon ultrasuede snakey fabric for the yoke and a frisky chiffon for the body. No design changes or ‘that didn’t work- better get creative’ design changes. My other goal to combine more fabrics is still in effect- I love these two pieces together- a summer something will happen for these I’m sure! It’s a little wide thru the shoulders- I will gladly announce that next time I will drop it down a size. I will pause to reflect on that. Ahhhh…….
a little more fabric detail- I’m loving my faux fuzzy snake!
I would have made a 4th top but we only have 3 dogs and Flannery is away at her writers workshop in the Berkshires……
photo credits: pattern review, meadhawg, google images, Pattern Review. All images remain the property of their original owners.
You must be amazingly productive or too in a hurry to get through stash busting. 🙂 Three beautiful tops in one post! I am struggling to finish one!! This reminds me that spring is almost here….
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I got seriously busy in January!! I’m not usually this speedy- but my last years stuff was boring me!
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Well you’ve been busy sewing up a practical storm! That Anna Sui double print is genius. Matchy but not matchy – you know what I mean – and I like that in a fabric. I love the name you’ve given your stash – the Textile Hoarding Annex – ha!! I call mine… ‘The Archive’. I’m loving all three of these tops!
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I tried to be prudent, but I just love adopting fabric- the stash busting is just like trying to turn back the tide!!!
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Could I just have the anna sui fabric please? What a beautiful print and blouse.
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I’m always hoping fabricmart will get more Sui!!!
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Love your idea of buying 5 yards at a time – I might join you in that habit. Loving all of your tops. I can’t decide which one I like best. Do love me some snake skin.
Thanks for introducing me to some great patterns. We both have been on a top / tunic productivity pulse. We are certainly twinning the war on the stash!
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My style arc summer is coming- many thanks to you!!!
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Looking forward to seeing the style arc
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P.S. loving the new look site too.
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Thanks! Much messing around has occured!
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What a fab trio of tops! My fav is the Anna Sui top. It’s enough to make me want to embrace florals instead of say piranhas…;)
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Wait- lets have Floral pirhanas!!!!!
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Wow, love these! And I’m loving the new look of your bloggy blog! Well done, you!
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Thank you! Im having alot of fun tinkering!
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Love all three but that Burda has no shoulder seams…hooray! It is the most neutral of all even though it is a wacky print. And the cool thing is….if you like them as tops…they all can grow into maxi dresses for the summer to catch breezes under your skirt. You snuck in some modern touches to the page as well….very nice!
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Oh! That Burda is now being visualized as a swishy dress! Scheming engaged!
I registered my domain name yesterday- i was running out of file space- now I can get fancy!
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I’m loving your Continental top – such a pretty mix of prints and colors! It looks like springtime!
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That pattern has been a staple for me! So comfortable and print display perfect!
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I love all of those! I think I’m going to try that Burda pattern. I think the blog redesign too 🙂 Most of sewing has to fall into the work-appropriate category. That’s what I wear most of the time, so you know how it goes!
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Its painful when the management tries to smother our muse, isnt it? Heehee
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Baaa haaaa haaa, “Sometimes you need a car cover.” I’m liking the top assembly line you’ve got going on here. Your print mixing is looking great. They should spice up those pesky dress slacks.
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Dress pants- the scourge of the flat-butted!!!
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“Textile Hoarding Annex” Loved it. My favorite is your snakeskin shoulders…great mix and match!
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Thank you! That fabric will be making many guest appearances this year!
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Love that vogue pattern! You’ve been busy making three great tops!
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Im shallow- I like a new pretty all the time!!!
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Ooh, lovely tops and some gorgeous print combos ..im especially taken with the Anna Sui prints. Gorgeous!!!
Maybe we have faulty DNA … I’m just the same, I know I should make some plain stuff that will go with other things but its always prints that set my heart beating faster. Maybe we should start up a gaudy print addicts club? Count me in.
P.s. love your blog makeover!
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Charter member! By laws include much foolishness!
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Gaudy print addicts club! Awesome idea!
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Oh I love that first one! Obviously, as a floral-fan 🙂
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Floral is out friend!
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Wow you’ve been busy. And you’ve brought some lovely patterns my attention. You look really pretty in the last pooch snuggle photo.
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Aw- Katze tolerated me well, didnt she?
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Wow! 3 in 1. Excellent productivity
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I do try!
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I have that Lisette Continental pattern next up in the queue (I got it for $1.50). I loved the top and your version is gorgeous! The colour blocking is fabulous, I have been hmmming and hawing for days trying to figure out how to colour block it as I was thinking about using the same fabrics for the skirt. I like how you also seemed to use a very lightweight fabric. I couldn’t decide between that or a heavier cotton to add structure. And, I can’t see the cuffs in the pic, do you have another pic where I can see them? Pretty please. 🙂
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I love that pattern- a nice little sew with no pitfall! I emailed you a cuff pic!
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Thank ye! (I just blogged my snakeskin trousers, a month too late for Jungle January, darn it!! But, you know the Jungle is with us in spirit every month 🙂 )
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Those pants are fabulous!!!
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🙂 Thanks(sssssssssssssssssssssssssss). You know I was going to do it sooner or later.
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Lisette 2059 I’ve overlooked you in the past… but I’ve now seen the light. Love love love… And that Anna Sui fabric, well you already know how I feel about Anna!
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We are Sui-cial, you and I
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I really like your fabric choices, but I’m a sucker for prints! Unfortunate about the seamline being completely hidden by the brown printed fabric.
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I have that alot- Im going to do more color blocking to accent details better!
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I like them all, but I think snake + chiffon is my favorite.
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Me too!!
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Beautiful tops. I am into tunics myself. You look smashing.
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All lovely anne. It’s just that time of year for making tops right as I am working on doing the same. I think my favs the vogue one. Fabulous darling!
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Thank you! You cant have too many tops, right? Maybe it is the weather!
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They’re all beautiful but I think, I think, I like the last one the best. Or maybe the first one. Regardless, please don’t stop sewing and posting!
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Thank you! I kind of needed that this week. I was considering not playing anymore.
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Wow! You have been busy. And I KNEW that purple/cream print would look fabulous on you. It does. They all do.
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I was waiting to seewhat you thought!! Its lovely- just like its giver!
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*blush*
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Loving the puppies!!!! Ok, the tops are all pretty special too x
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The pups do make the pics!
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Those all turned out so cute. I love the Burda pattern. I have not yet sewn a Burda myself.
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They can be an adventure in reading!
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I love each of these tops. You’ve reminded me that I own that Vogue pattern and haven’t sewn it yet. It looks fantastic in mixed fabrics.
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I look forward to seeing yours!
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