29 November, 2010

With dimensions: a trapezoid tanktop design


Continuing with my variations on the pleating theme, I thought to simplify the overlapping fronts plus shoulder pleats with this design:
 It doesn't get much simpler, does it?  Originally I wanted to have the shoulder "seam" shirred to about 10 cm/4", and to minimize the bulk in that area, made the top of the garment on a fold.  There's actually no shoulder seam at all.



This fabric (an uber-lightweight silk crepe from Fashion Fabrics Club) does very well to show the construction, with its horizontal pattern theme (in flat fabric, the rivers really are perfectly horizontal).  Once I saw it in the mirror like this, it became clear that shirring these lovely waves was going to be just too much. No, it would downright ruin what's already a great feature.  So I left it as is.


The  neckline is bound with not-quite-45-degrees bias, armholes are folded over twice, side seams frenched, and the bottom band is doubled and stitched in the ditch.  Not a single raw or serged edge to be seen anywhere! The top uses practically every scrap of  exactly one yard of 42" width fabric.

Edit: by request, actual measurements.

 These are the finished dimensions.  The raw fabric pieces were:

Main body:  79 cm/31" wide x 112cm/44" long, folded in half along the top. Because the fabric is very light and hard to cut perfectly straight, I allowed 2cm/0.75" for each double fold on the sleeves. The bottom is tapered to 56cm/22" wide.  The diagonals start 21.5cm/8.5" below the fold, and that's also where diagonal seam ends.  The front neckline is cut in a curve that drops it about 3.5cm/1.5" lower than the back, which is straight across.


Bottom band:  a single piece of fabric, 109cm/43" x 20.5cm/8".  I attached it after only one vertical/diagonal seam was sewn, and then sewed it closed in one go with the other vertical/diagonal seam.

The pants, a teeny beige-white pinstripe, are a silk-linen blend from Michael's.

4 comments:

  1. Love that top! Brilliant use of the stripes. Personally, I don't think it needs shirring at the shoulder, regardless of what fabric you use. Perfect as is.

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  2. This is a great top! and no need for shirring.

    Can you share the dimensions of your pattern?

    Thanks. I have a small piece of 100 cm (42 inch) silk that would look fabulous made up like this

    Sewingelle

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  3. What a pretty, cool top that is! Oh, for hot summer weather, I would love to have a whole wardrobe of those.

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  4. This is totally cool. I got a silk remnant at G Street earlier this year that needs to be made into a one piece top--I'm def going to keep this in mind. The hip band adds shape, but it's still loose enough to pull over the head, which is perfect.

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