Still pursuing my endeavour to use up large scraps, I managed to eke an Alice top from some leftover Stella cotton/lycra knit (from Crafty Mamas).  I suspect that the gathered sleeve is rapidly going out of fashion again (it’s been overtaken by the peplum as the trend that you see everywhere) but I find them rather flattering and a nice detail.

This was a size 12, cut slightly straighter through the waist. I sew on elastic to create the gathering in the centre front and down the centre of the sleeves. Rather than cutting the elastic at the recommended length then attaching it, I mark the start and end point on the elastic in pen so that I have something to hold on to (both behind the needle as well as in front of it) then stretch it like made to ensure that the marks line up where they should. This technique seems to work quite well.

I think that this will be a versatile top – I really like the colour, and the fabric is delicious quality. While I was at it, I made a pair of Kerry (cargo) pants, but without the cargo pockets. I did retain pockets in the side seams. I was looking to make a pair of comfortable pants that would be cool in summer – these fit the bill.

When I first made these I added the side tabs from the pattern and rolled up the legs, forgetting that I’d overlocked the seam edges in a different colour. There was also too much bulk. So to salvage the situation I unpicked the side tabs, hacked a whole lot of fabric from the hem, and rehemmed the pants to a finished, unrolled length. I actually rather like them now – simple in style, but a knock-you-out colour. And I’m very happy with the fit (size 10).

These have a simple drawstring waist, but you could use elastic as an alternative. There isn’t much bulk around the waist since the pants are fairly slim-fitting through the bottom and hips, just enough room to get the pants on. The pants legs are loose but not too wide. It’s just what I was looking for. The fabric came from Rathdowne Fabrics, and I’m unsure about the composition. It is a shot woven, with turquoise threads running one way and metallic bronze the other. They’re rather light and have worn well, and don’t need a great deal of ironing.

Another cool outfit for hot summer days – we had a real doozy here in Melbourne yesterday, almost 40 degrees! I’m really not too good at the heat, despite growing up in country Victoria where it hovered around those temperatures for weeks on end, not even cooling down much at night. I have grown soft – I love our refrigerated air conditioning.