Jasmine Top

A pretty top to go with jeans

So my grand plans for an afternoon of sewing whilst the older two were at school/playing at a friend's were well and truly scuppered by my youngest. I got a bit of cutting out done, and then she woke up. However, I got enough cut to know I'd wangle the whole top out of a metre and a half (instead of the 2 3/4 yards the pattern claimed), so it wasn't all that bad.

Colette `Jasmine' Pattern

Tanya Whelan's Delilah in Paisley Green

Normally a big afternoon sleeper, the youngest opted for a quick power nap after her lunch on Friday - almost like she knew there was an opportunity for my undivided attention up for grabs. And so, we went back to the seaside. Again. And again. Seriously, the game (trotting down the garden with a pink metal bucket as the seaside to dip our toes and then repeatedly trotting back up the garden to refill the same said bucket as it gets knocked over) has lost its charm on me now. The same cannot be said for her, though. It turns out a lot of pleasure can be had from repeating things over and over and over again when you are two - especially where water and mud are involved. And without her big sisters to play with, it seemed to be essential to her that I took part. Pausing to make a cup of tea was just about acceptable, but any attempts to scamper off and sew were not getting past her. Believe me, I tried.

Still, yesterday more than made up for it. My friend Pamela had treated me to tickets for a big sewing show at the NEC - I'd never been before, so wasn't quite sure what to expect, but I'll almost certainly be going back. Fabric heaven under one roof, and plenty of time to browse and soak up all the lovely inspiration from some of the beautifully laid out stands.

Another nice thing about the day was spotting what other people were wearing - quite a few hand made clothes, and it was good to see patterns I recognised being interpreted so differently. I think one of the lovely things about making things yourself is that the possibilities are endless, and the finished result often ends up into something completely unique and suited to you.

We've both decided to join in with the Spring Top Sewalong, and so were on the look out for something to inspire us for making tops. We were not disappointed. I realised yesterday that shopping for fabric has kind of replaced shopping for clothes for me - in some ways. That's not to say I'm aiming to make all my own clothes (my opening paragraph makes it obvious enough time would be the first reason not to even try), but I certainly get a lot of pleasure out of making the occasional thing for me to wear.

There was a stand full of reasonably priced Liberty prints - with a permanent stream of excited women lining up to buy various things. Pamela and I joined them - and both came away with some lovely ingredients for tops. Elsewhere, I was rather taken by some grey corduroy covered in a cheery Cath Kidston floral design, and snapped up a couple of metres for a shirt dress for next autumn/winter. And then there was the stall from east London, piled high with pretty voiles and stacks of beautiful suiting in colours you don't often find. More inspiration for clothes I'd like to make, along with an intention to find and visit the shop with Mum one day...

No photos of all the fabric eye candy yet, as still making do with the camera on my phone. Although Mum has just sprung an early birthday present, which will be making its way to me in the week ahead... :)

So, after much rambling, here's my finished top.

First go at the Colette Jasmine pattern, and I really enjoyed making it. I wasn't sure which size to go for, as according to my measurements, there were three possible sizes I could suit.

And, although I am happy with the final fit (and agree with the claim on the pattern that the bias cut makes this top a flattering one to wear), no where did the pattern warn me that my arms should in fact be made out of matchsticks in order for the cuffs to fit nicely, so there'll be some adjustment going on there for next time.

Sorry, arms - I like you just the way you are
(even if this top would indicate otherwise)

I hired a three year old to be my photographer for the pictures of me in the top. Her rates are pretty good (a sweetie will do), as long as you don't mind a bit of lopsidedness and the camera pointing upwards at you.

Spring Top Sewalong entry #1 - you can check out everyone else's lovely entries here