How many tops, it too many?

My love of the Paprika Patterns Onyx Top continues, these two version are actually the ninth and tenth time I have made this pattern (those ten versions weren’t all for me, one was for my Mum), it is my go to pattern for a woven top.

Let me gush talk about the pattern first, it’s only available as a pdf, but I’m one of those strange people who actually finds cutting and taping pdf patterns together therapeutic.  For me the added bonus of a pdf pattern is I can print it out again if I misplace my pattern (between cutting out the top version on Friday and the dress version on Monday I had misplaced the pattern and had to print it out again).  The pdf is layered so you only have to print out the size you want and the size range is generous from an 80cm to 124cm bust.  And the largest size only used 15 sheets of paper, with the instructions only using 7 sheets.  Lisa’s instructions are clear and concise, with additional tutorials on the website, if needed.

For both versions I made a size 6 at the shoulders and bust, grading down to a size 5 at the hips.  In previous versions I have lengthened the bodice by 5cm (I have a strangely long back), but for the blue version I left it at the original length because I had only bought 1 metre of fabric, 112cm wide.  Anyway let me tell you about the fabric, it’s from Faberwood, who I found through the Paprika Pattern website, but who are actually based here in Sheffield about ten minutes from where I live.  I emailed the lovely Fiona who runs Faberwood and asked if I could collect my order rather than have it posted, she said yes, and I got to meet her and chat about sewing and fabric, whilst my patient husband and not so patient dog waited in the car.  It is a dangerous thing having such lovely fabric right on my doorstep.  Check them out, but bear in mind Fiona is an enabler, she included swatches of all their lovely fabrics with my order.  The fabric I choose was a blue Indian block print that is kind of the soft lightweight cotton I have been looking for for ages.  It has a border print, but only on one edge, which I tried to use to its best advantage.  I would have loved to feature it on the front hem, but as the hem on the Onyx top if slightly curved, I don’t think it would have looked right.  I could say the pattern on the cuffs going in the opposite direction was a design feature, but that was the only way I could fit all the pattern pieces in 1 metre of fabric.

On to the dress, this fabric doesn’t have an interesting back story; it was from The Textile Centre on ebay and is a lovely viscose.  All I did to change to top into a dress was extend the pattern by approximately 35cm, I just eyeballed it when I was cutting it out.  I liked the idea of the split hem as seen on the Named Clothing Inari Tee Dress, which was very easy to do, especially with the broad stripe to follow on the fabric.  I just have to say how happy I am with the stripes matching on the side seams.

So those are my two makes, which will hopefully get a lot of wear this summer, it the rain ever goes away and the sun comes back.