A Spring Top

I’ve been getting behind on my sewing. I have fabric and projects just sitting on my sewing table … waiting. I walk past them and sigh. One project particularly, the Made By Rae Spring Ruffle Top, I had been dying to make.

So last night I made the 2-mile trek to my parents’ house with all my sewing gear and determined to sew that top. I’m able to be more productive with creative things when I’m with other creative people, not to say my hubby isn’t creative, but I’ve yet to persuade him to sit at my sewing machine. I sit at the dining table and sew – he turns the tv up a little louder. I stop sewing for 90 seconds – he turns it back down. I start sewing again – it cranks back up. You get the picture. Sometimes it’s just better to leave the house

Let me begin by stating that I don’t sew things for myself. I’ve sewn many items for my daughter, a few for my nieces and even quilts, but no adult clothes. I’ve been too intimidated. I’m pretty petite, I’m small and short, which makes a lot of patterns not translate well to my measurements. That said, this top intrigued me because it’s a flowy, loose-fitting top, which means there’s some room for screwing up variance. I went to a fabric store when I was out of town and found a great fabric for a good price. I paid less than $4 for more than enough of it because I had a coupon. So I had fabric I liked and didn’t spend much money on it. Now I felt empowered to dive in without fearing the guilt of screwing up and wasting fabric, money and time. I viewed it as my inaugural effort. You have to start somewhere, I told my mom (who sticks to her quilt and curtain sewing). I felt like a brave pioneer, venturing where no one else has gone before. Ok, not really, millions of people sew adult clothes – just not me.

It turned out I was right. This pattern was a great place to start. I had to alter my work a couple of times, and did so with ease. I love how customizable the pattern is (I left out the pockets, ruffles and arm divots) and how it’s easy to tailor. If any of you are pregnant out there – this could be an adorable maternity shirt. Seeing how I’m not preggers though, I took in the sides a little narrower to make it a little more flattering for my figure. This shirt took about 2-1/2 hours for me to complete – one evening. I think it was well worth my time.

~ I’ll post a picture of me actually wearing it as soon as there’s someone over the age of 4 in my house to snap it for me

Why I do what I do ~ Chloe calls my sewing machine “Mommy’s Buchine.” It makes me think of the “machines” in the Matrix Revolutions or the “machine” in The Princess Bride. Suddenly, my sewing “buchine” has become something vicious and warring. Do you think my hubby will be interested in it now????

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Tagged as: Sewing