Up, up and away

Thank goodness for Amnesty Month! I was nearly ready to post this top as my contribution to “The Final Frontier”, but somehow the weather got worse and I no longer seemed to have the desire to finish this very summery top.

In the summer months we regularly see hot air balloons from our back window. They are launched nearby in parkland and with the westerly winds they float across our neighbourhood. This cheerful cotton lawn with its air balloon design seemed just right for this challenge.

The top was created using a shirred top pattern from Burda. To be truthful it isn’t much of a pattern, more a set of instructions. The top is basically made from two fabric rectangles, and the top half is shirred. The shirring technique used suggests laying the elastic thread on the inside of the top and then sewing a zig-zag stitch over the elastic thread to hold it in place. This is quite a handy technique since you can adjust the tightness of the top after you’ve sewed your lines of shirring. I found it was easier to keep the shirring lines straight as well with this technique.

I also added some spaghetti straps to the top as I don’t really have the courage to wear anything strapless. I’m too prone to wardrobe malfunctions! The straps were made from strips of the same fabric.  They were sewn right-sides together and then turned the right way out and attached to the inside edge of the top.

I can really see this top being useful on summer holidays; just something to slip on over a swimming costume. I’ll just have to book a summer holiday now.

More details as usual on my blog.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to everyone at The Monthly Stitch!