If I carry on this way, I'm in serious danger of becoming a one trick pony!

I've done it again, it's another Peplum! It's also not the first of the week as I have another on the way!!! If I'm not careful I certainly will end up a one trick pony. But I so lurrrrve the Peplum. I have such a boy figure that it helps me fake a shape and it also hides my tummy a little, so it just perfect for me. 

I've been lusting over this pattern for a while now, it's Simplicity 1590, which is a vintage Peplum blouse. Simplicity are currently selling their patterns at half price, so this was the ideal time for me to get my hands on it. Call me a cheapskate, but I hate paying full price for patterns these days, unless they are really special.

"You will sit down"

Unfortunately I managed to mess up a little on the measurements whilst I was making this blouse as I have made it a tiny bit snug around the waist. (D'oh) There's not much ease left so you can see it pulling a little. Yup, that's what you make toiles for! 

But that's not really much of a concern for me as I'd made it out of some cheap broderie anglais that I bought from Boyes, so even if I hadn't ever worn it ever again it wouldn't have been so much of a loss.

A close up, as you can't see the detail in the photos.

I was thinking this morning as I put it on that I hated it. I thought this will be the first and last time I ever wear it ever. But looking at the pictures, maybe it's not so bad after all? In fact maybe it's even a little bit cute? All in all it took 5 hours to make, I couldn't believe how quickly it came together. OK, so 5 hours isn't so speedy, but I like to take my time! 

This is definitely a blouse that I will make again, but next time a few adjustments need to be made. This time I traced a 10 and graded out to a 12 at the waist, but next time I think I will trace a 10 and grade down to half way between a 12 and a 14 at the waist. I can see it in all kinds of fabrics, but mostly I have my eye on Moda's 'April showers' collection for the next one!

OUI! It's another Peplum!

I've done it again, I think I'm a little bit obsessed with Peplums at the moment! But I have to say, although I love all my Peplums equally, this one is definitely my favourite.

I used Vogue pattern V8815 and I actually started it well over a week ago. I remember it quite clearly because Barry had gone for a day session in Newcastle for a leaving do. (The guy wasn't even leaving he's just moving to another team a few pods up, but that clearly gives an excellent excuse for a piss up!) 

So, as I was home alone, I decided this was the perfect opportunity to move the dining table in front of the TV so that I could set up all of my sewing whilst watching BSG: Blood and chrome that I'd recorded off the telly a couple of weeks before!

What a mess!! But whilst the cat's away...

The pattern is wonderfully thought up and so easy. It went together like a dream, however, surprisingly enough it came with no facing pieces. But that's no big deal, it gave me the perfect opportunity to draft my own! After tracing out the main pattern pieces, making adjustments for my size, I then took another piece of tissue, placed it over my pattern pieces and created what I now think is the best facing ever! It's sort of a semi-lining that goes all the way round the neck line and around the arm holes. It works an absolute treat, that design with what I now know is called 'under stitching', prevents that horrible flappy facing problem.

No flappy facing for me.

You could use bias binding around the neckline, but I like the clean lines that I've produced without it.

The fabric that I used is a quilting cotton in Glimma by Lotta Jansdotta, which I got on sale at Guthrie and Ghani. For the bow at the back I used some ribbon from Boyes. You can't beat good old Boyes for little bits like that, especially when you make a last minute decision.

This fabric probably wasn't the best choice for this top. There was very little hope of me pattern matching with all the wave lines. I'd match it in one place but the then rest is out, so I just had to roll with it. This is exactly the fabric that I had in mind for this pattern, so the lines had to lie where they have.

I wore this top on Friday for Barry's birthday dinner, however we got very (very very very) tipsy and no photo's were taken of the top. So, as I'd washed and ironed it again over the weekend I thought I'd wear it to work today, which gave us an excellent opportunity to get pictures.

Overall I totally love this top, it's the right shape with the right pattern and it fits beautifully. (Or at least I think it does!!) I'm definitely going to make more.