Minerva Blogger Network - October Separates

 

When I ordered the fabric for this months Minerva Blogger Network project it was going to be a dress. 

 

 

 

However, as you can see, it isn't a dress!  When the weather started to cool down and I began to unearth my Autumn/Winter clothes I realised I was desperately in need of separates.  Particularly cosy tops that could be worn with jeans, or with a skirt for a smart casual day at work.  So my plans changed (as they often do - I'm fickle like that) and I decided on a top.

 

 

 

This top is actually rubbed off of one of my favourite sweaters.  I used this tutorial from A Fashionable Stitch and as the sweater I was using was a very simple raglan sleeved one with no shaping, it was as quick as anything! 

 

When I came to cut the fabric out I did add a little bit of waist shaping, as the "base" sweater was much thinner and more fluid than my fabric.  I also added cuffs to the sleeves and the foldover collar.  The collar was totally taken from the new pattern I bought last week at the Knitting and Stitching Show - the MiY pull on shift dress.  The pattern piece fitted my neckline perfectly, but it would have been just as easy to draft my own.

 

 

 

The fabric is gorgeous.  It's a ponte knit, and as well as this colourway, it also comes in grey with a black floral pattern.  It's the perfect weight for this top. 

 

I had 2 metres of the fabric, and once the top was finished I realised I had enough for a skirt as well.  Bonus!

 

 

 

I wanted a pull on skirt, and decided to use the pattern in my Alabama Studio Sewing and Design book, with an added self drafted waistband.  The skirt is cut with the stretch going round the body, and the waistband with the stretch going vertical.  This makes it a little bit of a wriggle to get into, but once on it fits perfectly. 

 

 

 

Both garments were made on my overlocker (which I'm beginning to wonder how I managed without) and hems were finished with the 3-step zigzag on my regular machine.  Because the fabric is nice and thick, the hem stitches sink in and you can barely see them.

 

Here's a shot of both garments worn together - I don't think I would actually wear them both at the same time, but it doesn't look as bad as I thought it might.