I've been wanting to move my blog away from Blogspot for a while but could never be bothered to actually do it. This week was the tipping point though, and I've now fully migrated over to https://patsypoomakes.wordpress.com/ . The blogspot address will remain here but all new posts will only appear at https://patsypoomakes.wordpress.com/ . There are lots of reasons for the move but my biggest one is how hard Blogger has made it for people to subscribe to receive new posts via email. It's such a basic requirement but apparently, they think it's too much to offer. I'm basing this purely on how I myself prefer to consume this stuff. I can't be arsed with feed readers anymore and emails are easy and convenient. When I receive one, if I fancy reading it, I will click through to it and, if not, I'll just delete it. Another reason is the spat between Google (owners of Blogger) and Instagram/Facebook/Meta. I don't even know if this is still the case anymore ...
I know I said I didn't think I could be bothered to get the blog going again but this top came into my life and I love it too much not to ramble on about it for longer than I should...
Meet the Sagebrush top from Friday Pattern Company. Isn't it brilliant? I never thought I was a ruffle and puffy sleeve kind of person, but maybe I am because I bloody love this! It was another buddy sew with Mel, but this time not only did we make the same pattern, we used the same fabric as well. We fell in love with a few yellow versions we saw on Instagram and when Mel found this fabric, we had to. 🤷♀️ The fabric was a joy to sew and is great to wear. It's perfect for this top: it has fluidity and drape but it's still got some body to cope with all that volume. There is a lovely slubby texture to it, too, which I really like.
The instructions are really clear. The pattern is of very simple construction and a very good option for beginners. But it's also an enjoyable project for an experienced sewist. The only closure is a tie at the back, so no buttons or zips to worry about. There is quite a bit of gathering to do but that's more time consuming than difficult. I know some people hate gathering but I quite enjoy it myself.
I made a size S, based on my bust measurement and it's spot on. I didn't cut my binding using the pattern piece though. I made continuous bias tape which I find much more economical. You can see a joint around my neckline, because I didn't think about that when I was cutting my piece, but it doesn't bother me.
Another thing I did differently was attaching the binding around the neck. Instead of attaching it to the right side first then stitching in the ditch to catch it on the reverse, I did the opposite. I sewed it to the inside of the neckline first. Then I flipped the binding to the front and just topstitched it; thus eliminating the need to make sure I caught the binding on the inside. I really dislike doing it that way: I always end up missing sections of it and having to redo it.
You know those patterns that are love at first sight? This one was that for me. So much so that I finished this version on Friday night and as I type this on Saturday night I am wearing the cotton version I made today... It really must be love. It's so quick to make as well. I mess about a lot, watch TV, look at my phone and it took me all afternoon. But I think I can get this done in just a couple of hours if I really try.
