Sparkly Top

I really enjoy experiencing sewing with different techniques and fabric and this top incorporates both an entirely new technique and a new fabric for me. This was a top that, while it may not receive as much wear as, say, a jumper, was something that I really enjoyed making and will be glad to have in my wardrobe for special occasions. In other words, it's frosting not cake!

Let's begin with the fabric. I have wanted to sew with some lurex knit fabric for a while after seeing lots of lovely garments made out of it on the high street around new year. I decided to use this lovely fabric from Minerva Crafts. I wanted to use a lurex fabric which was black and silver as I love the contrast between the two colours and the silver catches beautifully on the light. The only thing I hadn't anticipated was that the fabric was transluscent.

As I mentioned, the transparency of the fabric called for something to be worn underneath it. I wanted to make something quite elegant and a v-shaped camisole seemed perfect. I used a satin-like fabric to make it and I love how it looks underneath the sparkly fabric. Because the silver doesn't show up unless its on top of an opaque fabric the shape can be seen really nicely. I made the cami so that there was a much deeper v at the back and I LOVE the shape of it! For the camisole I drafted a very simple design which is similar to the Ogden Cami if you'd like a pattern to make your own.

The top I made was quite a venture into the unkown, but I think it turned out nicely! Shirring is a technique that I have never tried before but was keen to give a go and this top presented the perfect opportunity to try it out. Honestly, I had no idea if the shirring would work in the slightest but it did and I'm delighted by the result! It's such an addictive thing to sew, just going round in circles is strangely theraputic. 

Overall, this was a project that I really enjoyed making. I love the fabric and the details such as the wide sleeves and I also really enjoyed adding shirring to the top. It has turned out slightly dressier than I was anticipating (again, I think that's mainly due to the length of the peplum) and I'd like to try making another similar version that's slightly more casual.

Feel free to head over to Minerva Crafts to read the full blog post.