I was waiting for the bus yesterday when it was raining, so I took shelter in a fabric store nearby. Of course it wasn’t the best decision (or maybe the best), because when I got home there was suddenly some addition to my mound of fabric stash.
To somewhat lessen my guilty feeling, I immediately worked on one of the fabric. All the fabric in that store was already cut to 1-3 m, this one looks like rayon and is only 1 m in length. I got it for only USD3! Although it has rabbits and little houses on it, I don’t think it looked like kids’ fabric. Maybe because of the muted colors and the almost abstract shapes. The brown background is not a solid color, but rather a mix of brown and black in textured pattern.
The pattern is Tara top by Style Arc, from the description in the website: “Cute casual shirt with interesting double collar detail. Bias cut sleeve band, side splits and buttoned front opening. This is a very handy shirt to have in your wardrobe.” I made the top in size 6 and the only alteration was shortening the bodice as usual.
The buttons are round yellow plastic buttons from my stash. I think they match perfectly with the dotted swirling path pattern of the fabric. I only had five of these buttons, so for the undercollar I used a small yellow shirt button.
When the top is finished I just realized that the fabric also has skulls on it! I wonder what’s the story with all these rabbits, little houses, moons, and skulls. I’m not too happy about the pattern placement on the center front but there was not much I can do with one metre of fabric.
The skirt pattern is Ali knit skirt also by Style Arc. I’ve made it before, but this time I skipped the ruched front and only used the back panels twice as suggested by the pattern: “For a plain skirt just cut 2 of the back panels, or for a rouched all round skirt cut 2 of the front panels. Three styles from the one pattern.”
I finished the waist rather differently. Instead of folding the wide elastic tape inside, I just let it be the waistband. I thought it looked more interesting like that. The dummy has smaller hip than me, so the skirt looked wrinkled. But when I wear it, it hugged my hip closely without any wrinkle.
I guess I don’t regret my decision to take shelter in that fabric store!
Top pattern is Tara by Style Arc, size 6.
Skirt pattern is Ali by Style Arc, size 6.
17 Comments
I know I’m waay after the fact, but I saw this in your 2014 retrospective and I just had to say something! I so love this blouse!! I’m not one for patterns, but maybe it’s the little yellow under collar, of just how neat thus is… It’s just awesome! Did it get much wear? Alex (sewrendipity.com)
What a find!!!! I adore that fabric and a drapey rayon to boot! For 3 dollars? Wow. I love the shirt and the skirt. A really great outfit!
Love the shirt and its double collar. Thank god it was raining! Really cute fabric!
Love the outfit! I initially thought the blouse had cutouts and you underlined it with the citron colour. I think it’s the collar that makes one do a double take.
What a find! Lucky it rained as this blouse is awesome. Love your outfit.
Really, really cute!!! These both look great on you!
Thank you! I plan to make more casual clothing so these two are good addition to my wardrobe! :)
No regrets at all! Both pieces are great, and I really love the shirt fabric. So odd, but it really works well as a little shirt!
No regret indeed! I agree the pattern is unusual and a bit mysterious!
Great top! And really, the front placement isn’t that bad at all. Such a fun fabric!
I wish I had more fabric so the pattern can be continuous but I guess people won’t really pay attention to such detail. Glad you find it not that bad! :)
I love everything about your blouse! Those colors look hard to match- lucky you already had buttons! Is the collar in one piece or is it two collars, one sitting on top of the other?
The collar is actually two collars in different sizes on top of the other :)
What a great combo! I love the brown and the yellow colours on the top.
Yes the color combo is very interesting. I’m happy to find the perfect pattern for it :)
Great combo and definitely a good idea to shelter in that shop for just $3!
I was lucky but I wish they have more of that fabric! :D