Great British Sewing Bee Draped Top

I have to say I'm really pleased with how my Draped Top turned out. 

This is my first make from the second book from the Great British Sewing Bee 'Sew Your Own Wardrobe'. In the accompanying pattern instructions it says 'one size fits most'. I was a bit apprehensive about what the finished garment would look like. I've made a few of these 'one-size' halterneck tops in the past and always found them to be rather on the large size and a bit shapeless. However, the Draped Top surprised me. I made no alterations to the pattern and it's almost a perfect fit. I'm a size 8 so would treat with caution the 'one size fits most' advice. Saying that, it is a very simple pattern and would be easy enough to size up. 

I definitely will be making another although next time I will add a couple inches to the length, as even though I am only 5'2 I still ended up having to make the tiniest of seams in order for it to just cover my waist! I would also make the neck tie a little longer so that it drapes nicely down the back. All in all though it's a lovely summer top. If you have a spare couple of hours and a metre of fabric, go for it!

Oh, I almost forgot the best bit about this top is that the back is high enough that you can wear a strapless bra beneath without it showing ;)

By Hand London: Design and print your own fabric!

Several weeks ago I was at the Knit & Stitch show at Olympia and stumbled across the By Hand London stand. By Hand London is an independent pattern sewing label who design the most fabulous sewing patterns. If you are looking for something unique and stylish I would recommend you drop by their website and take a look at wonderfully classic collection of sewing patterns for women. Whilst at Knit & Stitch I bought their Georgia Dress pattern to go with some dark stretch denim that I picked up a while back. I will post a picture here when it's finished (although it may some time coming!).

In the meantime if you'd like a peek at some finished By Hand London creations hop over to Dolly Clackett's very entertaining blog. She makes the most adorable vintage style dresses, and her choice of fabric prints are exceptional. I always seem to veer towards neutrals, plains and ditsy floral prints for my makes but when I see Dolly Clackett's creations it really makes me want to break out and be a little wilder in my selection of fabrics!

Back to By Hand London. I know it's a bit late in the day to blog about now but back in March they launched a Kickstarter crowdfunding project to allow you to design and print your own fabric on demand. I was delighted to hear that they have reached their target of £35,000 with 54 hours still to go! You can find out more about their project here.