Adventures in silk
This weekend featured the unlikely but wonderful trio of Silk, Mexican food, and Trains. It also involved lots of lovely people. Win!
Silk isn’t a fabric I ever thought I’d purposefully pick to sew. I have been given silk fabric as a present before and found the experience of trying to sew with it wholly terrifying.
So the idea of working with silk chiffon seemed even crazier!
I actually like chiffon… poly chiffon that is. I like its beautiful drape and transparency and the amazing prints you can get. I don’t even find it too difficult to sew with as I don’t think it snags or shifts about as easily as silk chiffon. Plus you can unpick stitches easier than in silk chiffon. And oh yes it’s cheaper than silk chiffon! Need I say more.
But when I clapped eyes of this beautiful print I had to whip up a replacement for my polka dot chiffon top.
Nice and easy! Well compared to a jacket, it turns out silk chiffon is easy.
This is a very simple self-drafted, empire line, boat neck and elastic waisted top. It’s perfect for wearing with jeans and the elastic cinches you in right under your bust so you feel slim and a little busty.
In other silk related news; This weekend I bought some silk organza ready for my Jeanius course and some awesome geometric print silk which I hope to squeeze a dress out of (I probably have no hope as I knew as soon as I left London that I hadn’t bought enough yardage).
This weekend was rather a whistle-stop tour of the capital as I had to travel down for work Friday but then raced back home on Saturday in order to meet a friend visiting from Australia and eat massive quantities of Enchiladas. I did sneak in the fastest trip to Goldhawk Rd and quick lunch with a small collective of fabulous sewing ladies (Janene, Claire, Sally, Rehanon, and Alison; with a flying visit from Roisin). We went to Drink Shop Do so at the right time I could peg it to the station!
I also indulged in a bit of Sunday night sewing where I made a too small Sureau and had just enough left over fabric to cut out a Simplicity 2444 instead. Phew! More on that later though.
I hope your weekend was less manic than mine!
Discover more from Almond Rock
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Great fabric find and perfect pairing with pattern Amy.
Thank you! It ticked all the boxes for me!
Ooh, gorgeous!
Heehee thanks!
Nice top – well done with the silk, rather you than me with the slippery little so and so! Hope I didn’t give you the wrong size for the sureau btw ☺ Can’t wait to see what you’ve done tho!
Thank you! Yeah slippery fabric can be a real pain if thwy don’t behave! And don’t you worry about the sureau, I needed a 36 on top and a 40 at the waist but I didn’t grade properly! About 5/8 too small to zip closed. Ooos heheh
Your top looks amazing and not only because it is in silk chiffon 🙂 Did you learn in your class how to self-draft a pattern? Great job!
Thank you! The pattern is quite a few years old. I used the Stephanie Lincecum book (pattern making for the perfect fit) and made a pattern from an old top. You should check it out. Great intro to pattern drafting!
Oh, this is adorable! Check you out in the empire line, sassy lady!
Haha not as sassy as you frolicking at the beach but I do my best 😉
Silk chiffon EASY to work with, really? I bought some recently, as I fell in love with the colour, print and drape, (and, it was on sale, booyaa!!) but am terrified to sew with it, so it’s nice to know you did not have a hard time with it. Did you use any special needle, tension, thread? And, your top is just lovely!! Looks great on you, nicely drafted!
Late to the party, but yay for this top! It looked even cuter in real life 😀
V, v nice and that new fabric is looovely!