Wooot!

I always feel good when I finish a project, but I feel even better when I finish something that has been languishing on the back burner for some time. That describes #14 from Ottobre 05/07 pretty much perfectly. I bought a bunch of fabrics back in early 2008, among them this lush bamboo rib knit that just longs to be fondled. It’s stretchy as all get out at times, but sooooo soft that it’s worth the extra trouble. At the time I bought it, I knew I was going to make something out of 05/07, but hadn’t decided between shirt or skirt. I finally decided on the Sleeveless Jersey Top because I had bought the last of the bolt of this stuff and there was not going to be enough for a skirt. As it was, there was barely enough for the top. I had enough for all the ‘outside’ parts, but there was nowhere near enough for the facing on the inside of the straps.

So it sat on my cutting table.

And it sat.

And it sat.

And I finally put it away in the cubby I have for all my unfinished projects and there it sat for at least a year. I finally pulled it out the other day and got to looking at it.

For the facing, I ended up using a lavender t-shirt knit. This worked for several reasons. First of all, it was in  my stash and so I didn’t have to go spend money on it. Seems like that wouldn’t be that big a deal, but we’ve had lean pick’ns lately, so every little bit helps. Secondly, it was a bit sturdier knit than the bamboo had been, so I think it’s going to help hold up the integrity of the shape, while the ultra drapy, ultra soft bamboo can do its magic elsewhere in the garment.

I’m really happy with the shirt, overall. I added some beading to the yoke band to make it more interesting. It adds just enough sparkle to make me happy while not being so obnoxious that I would never wear it. I can see this under the blazer and the sweaters I sewed a while back. It doesn’t look bad without a topper, but I will have to wear something over it at school—the no-tank-top rule in our dress code and all.

I might end up taking the stitching out of the bottom three inches or so of each arm band so that I can sew a little triangle out of them and then restitching the bands. It gapes a little bit and I’m forever pulling at it, which is not an attractive look. I’m not sure if it happened that way because of the fabric being so droopy, or if it’s my sloppy pattern and fabric cutting from that era—I’ve gotten much neater about both—but I’m pretty sure it’s not the pattern itself.

That aside, the fit and the drape of it all is really nice. Robert, upon seeing me in it, said “That makes you look really skinny!” which is the aim of every garment I sew or buy. Some hit the mark closer than others, but I think this one is going to be a keeper. I’m wearing it to a business function with Robert tomorrow night and I’ll get a picture of it modeled to post soon.