As part of my recent style/colour consultation, I received a colour swatch (mine is Warm and Deep).  It’s been fun pulling fabrics out of my stash and seeing which ones are in the same family as the swatch.  I figured that comparing colours in the swatch to colours in my linen remnant tub would be a good way to get used to applying some colour theory to my wardrobe. It was an enjoyable hour pulling fabrics out, comparing them to the swatch, then seeing what else was there are how they coordinated.

As you can see, there are lots of colours in the swatch that I already love and wear, but there are a few that I haven’t really explored. Those purples! I will definitely give those ones more of a go. By the way, I will still be sewing and wearing colours that are not in my swatch if they are colours that I like – it’s up to me whether I break the colour ‘rules’ or not! However, keeping the swatch colours in mind will help with wardrobe cohesion. So, let’s see what I made from four of the colours in my linen remnant tub!

I had spotted the Nature Top Tutorial on Instagram a month or two ago and knew that it would be a great way to apply my new swatch knowledge. The tutorial is a combination of written instructions and diagrams and a video. I probably could have figured it out myself, considering that I have done plenty of patchwork and quilting in the past, but sometimes I prefer to use the experience and knowledge of others and pick up a few tips and tricks in the process.

I chose to use the Marilla Walker Maya top as my base pattern. I’ve sewn it a couple of times before and all my previous versions are still in my wardrobe. It’s a boxy top pattern that works well on my boxy shape, and I’ve already made a forward shoulder alteration on the pattern. To sew this top I used the back pattern piece and traced out a full sized copy onto mid-weight non-woven interfacing (that was in stash and I never use in garments; it worked well as pattern paper). I then drew my design and sliced up the pattern pieces, remembering to add seam allowances. Once the top front and back were assembled, I recut one piece with the lower neckline and shoulder line of the front.

The wavy seamlines needed a good steam press at each step along the way. After each press I topstitched beside the seamline in bright mustard thread (mostly because that was already in the sewing machine, and I liked the contrast). I also made bias binding from another shade of remnant linen to use to finish the curved hemline and sleeve hems (I did this before sewing the side seams) and to finish the neckline. Normally this pattern has facings; bias binding worked really well as an alternative. I used the same mustard thread to topstitch down the bias and add an extra detail.

I wore this top to a family lunch with linen pants that happened to be the same linen that the bias was made from! Glad that I kept those scraps. Everyone at the lunch was very complimentary about my outfit, and I felt great in it. Thanks, colour swatch!

So, to the first thing that I sewed in 2023!  There are actually a few outstanding items from 2022 that haven’t made it to the blog yet because they haven’t been photographed, but I think it’s time to just draw a line in the sand and move on!

This is the Tamar Top by Paper Cloth Cut (worn here with linen Style Arc Ethel pants, sewn back in 2015 and now beautifully faded from wearing and washing).

I first saw the pattern on Katherine’s Instagram, and very quickly decided that it was just the sort of thing that would fit well into my wardrobe. As per the pattern website: A loose fitting summer top with a round neck or V-neck at the front and low (see orange and pink top) or modest (see teal top) V-neck at the back. The armhole is gathered with ties in a channel made by the facing, and the sides left open (with an option to close as well). There are two options for the ties at the back neck, two ties make a bow or one tie and a snap fastener. The neckline is finished with bias binding and the hem is a fine pin hem.

Everyone who reads my blog knows that I avoid waist definition in my own clothing, so this pattern ticked lots of boxes for me. A similar silhouette to other patterns that I own, yet enough differences in construction and details for it to be worth buying.

It was difficult for me to choose what size to make. The pattern comes with four sizes : XXS/XS, S/M, L/XL, XXL (6-18 AUS/UK) and is a generous fit. I think that in the end I sewed the L/XL. I chose my size based on the distance from the shoulder seam to the bust point, measuring it on me then comparing it to the pattern.

This is a straightforward pattern to construct, and there are no side seams! There are wide facings that form casings for the ties (the ties exit through buttonholes). Because it’s designed to be oversized, it doesn’t really expose too much flesh below the side seam tie closures, but there is an option to close the sides completely. I finished the neckline edges with self-fabric bias at both the front and back before sewing the vertical seams closed. It gives a really neat finish at the centre front and back V.

I sewed the higher back neckline option, and now realise that it doesn’t really need the ties to stay in place. They’d definitely be necessary with the lower back, but with this higher one they’re really just decorative. One of the harder things to figure out was what size to leave the arm openings. That’s something that is best worked out when wearing the top, but it’s a bit awkward to do on yourself! I just gave it a couple of tries, eventually working out that not many gathers seemed to work best on me.

And of course, you want fabric details!  It’s a really beautiful printed linen that I bought from The Cloth Shop. So many of ‘my’ colours in it, and the more that I sew and wear linen the more I like it. It was bought one day, washed, and sewn up the next.