Third SWAP top

The pattern is Simplicity 2603, the famous cardi wrap. This is the shell top that matches the cardi wrap, but has bracelet length sleeves from the wrap added to it in deference to the Yorkshire springtime.

The fabric is not quite as pink as shown on the close up photograph, its a sort of dusky lavender colour. Not the royal purple I thought I had bought when I chose it on line. Its turned out to be a useful colour for the wardrobe, though I will admit I was disappointed it wasn't the colour I had thought it was.

The collar trim is made from two inch strips of black knit found in my "bindings box" and two inch strips of self fabric. There are two strips of each colour in the braid, and I made the strips into tubes so they were neatly finished. The braid is a copy of one from a dress in BWOF 05/2006 and I had long admired the braided collar but had no need of the dress to which it was attached. I knew I'd manage to find a way to use the braid and am very pleased with the way this came out. I applied the braid on top of the collar band and used a mid weight interfacing on the band so that it would hold it up as the braid is a fair bit heavier than the very soft, drapey bamboo jersey from which the garment is made.

This will count as my embellished item, since my beaded trousers bit the dust. The top looks fab with the jacket, and with the black jeans. I've not tried it with the other items yet... its a bit too cold today for a full scale trying on session.

For those of you following the jacket progress; it hasn't fallen by the wayside. I've reached the hand sewing stage, and tend to do that in an evening, so its slowed down a bit. Nevertheless, I did work on it yesterday and it now has the facing caught down to the canvas inside (which stops the lapel/facing moving around and keeps everything neat and tidy). The lapels have been tacked at the edges and the edges of the whole jacket pressed (including having to shrink out a stretched section of the peplum at the back). The shoulder pads and sleeve heads are in and I've sewn a guide stitch around the sleeve linings just inside the seam allowance ready to attach them to the lining. The body lining is pinned in place ready to be sewn into place, so I will hopefully get the sleeve linings in this week. Also this week, I will attach the cuff buttons and remove the basting from the edges and front. Then it will halt for a couple of weeks because I have to go back to learn how to do the hand worked button holes. The end is in sight at last. Much as I love complicated and long winded projects, even I get to the point where I just want something finished and in the wardrobe. I have reached that point with the jacket and to be honest, I am now ready to move on to something else that is not tailoring and is not SWAP. I am hoping to get the remaining SWAP tops done this week as I am tiring of that too. I guess it was a mistake to leave all the tops until last because I'm getting a bit bored with tops now. Or perhaps its just the siren call of that Marfy cardigan with the huge collar.

Does anyone else find they are sewing one thing, which isn't really floating their boat, whilst dreaming of doing something else?