Sunday, October 21, 2012

Two-shell weekend

I kicked out two(!) shell/tops this weekend.  A purple one (see previous day's post) and this one!



















This is poly charmeuse that I bought online.  When I first saw it I admired it but didn't add it to my basket because it just didn't seem like something I'd wear.  I mean, it's orange and pink and yellow, for cryin' out loud!  Most definitely NOT my style.  But I kept coming back to the online swatch thinking, "...you could  use some color in your wardrobe--plus there's that whole orange pantone thing going on this year that I can't get down with...perhaps this would be my one piece where I dipped my toe into trendy."

Okay, I know, let's not get carried away.  It looks like something my grandmother would have worn. 

After all that, I finally bought it and thought that I'd give it a try...at the very least I could make satiny lounge pants out of it and no one would ever have to know I purchased such hideous fabric.


Fast forward to today and it's now a nice little shell.  Unlike yesterday's shell, I decided to leave the neckline plain (i.e., no cowl-neck) because, let's face it folks, this fabric is B...U...S...Y and does not need any help in the jazz-hands department:



















Believe it or not, I ordered an equally hideous sweater from Lands End that actually goes with this darned fabric:



















The online description of the color of this sweater was "hot pink."  They got the "hot" part right, but I think this color is closer to "flaming hot gingivitis."  I mean, it's a painful color, folks.  Painful like a deadly sunburn.  Literally.  I was going to return the sweater until I put it up next to this fabric.  Painful sweater + granny fabric = ???  I hope I can work it.

This poor little charmeuse didn't know how close it came to being pajama bottoms!  Right up until the very moment I started to cut out the shell pattern.  I wasn't sure which way this sucker was gonna turn out.  Now, we all know.

Honestly, this is THE brightest thing in my wardrobe.  It'll be interesting to see what people say about it when I wear it this week!

Saturday, October 20, 2012

Cowl-neck tank

I've been saving this 1.75 yards of GORGEOUS fabric that I scored from Jomar for probably 3 or 4 years now.  I have no idea what it is...it's some kind of almost-crinkly-almost-stretchy-100%poly that feels so soft (not shiny and not dull...go figure).  Not wanting to just throw it away on any old pattern, I would hide it away in my stash and occasionally drag it out to drool over it.

I have been working on a self-drafted shell/top pattern that I think I've got down pretty well, and the jewel-toned purples in this fabric are just screaming "FALL, FALL, FALL."  So, the two came together, and in about 3 hours I had this little gem:
Shell done, without the cowl-neck installed

















 



A lot of thought and planning went into cutting out the front piece and the placement of the pattern; I was trying to avoid the dreaded "oh, crap, it's right on my nipple" mistake we ALL fear.  I think I was pretty successful! 

I decided it needed a special neckline, so I drafted a cowl-neck piece on the bias of my scrap fabric.  It didn't turn out too bad!

I love this shell!  It's gorgeous and you'll see me in it at least once a week this fall/winter.  :)

Finished, with the self-drafted cowl-neck





















As an added bonus, this is the first garment into which I was able to install my "me made" satin tag that I bought from Yuki (from Hong Kong!) off Etsy.  It's so cute, and it's lavendar!  It's got the bird and the phrase "me made" on the front, and on the back it says "Ashley." 

"Me-made" satin tag from Hong Kong