Finished - But I Don't Wear White top

I don't really don't shop for clothes anymore (just shoes!), and so most of my inspiration comes from sewing blogs, the fabric itself or people I see on the street. But I'm still subscribed to a lot of mailing lists from clothing stores I used to shop at, and every now and then I'll have a peek at what's new and shiny in the fashion world.

One of my favourite Australian brands was/is Metalicus - they've built their brand on a range of mostly one-size-fits-all super stretchy but chic pieces, often in gorgeous knit fabrics and trimmed with beautiful laces and silk. 

When I saw the Sabrina top late last year I loved the boxy, slightly cropped shape, and the gorgeous lace trim but not the $130 price tag so I immediately started scheming how to make my own version. Trims are not something I tend to take particular notice of, but at Darn Cheap Fabrics their racks are heaving with amazing fripperies, so I knew I'd find something close to what I was after there. Of course most of the laces were white, and despite really not wearing much white (a conscious choice due to the combination of being incredibly pale of skin and clumsy around red foodstuffs) I didn't have an awful lot of choice in my colour scheme.

I had a couple of metres of white linen in my stash, also from Darn Cheap, coated very subtly in gold which gives it a gorgeous ethereal shimmer. And I was pretty certain my favourite New Look 6808/Laurel mash up would give me the look I was after with a few minor tweaks....

There's not a huge amount to say - I widened the sleeves slightly, cropped them at a similar point to the inspiration top, top stitched the lace over the hemmed sleeves and hemmed the whole thing a little shorter than normal.

I couldn't go much shorter - I don't have that many high-waisted bottoms in my wardrobe and there was way too much muffin top being flashed when I pinned it shorter. I used a facing on the neckline that I narrowed to about 3/4 inch and I really like the look - it's like using a slightly wider bias binding but far less faffing about.

I think the lace is really pretty. The darts aren't my best work - after a couple of beers my beloved and his mates took great delight at pointing out to me that my 'headlights' appear to be shining in opposite directions (bastardos!). So that needs to be addressed next time I've got white thread in the machine.

But still I do really like this top - it's so fresh and summery. I hope I keep it clean...

Oh yeah - I've had a hair cut! Not the best pics as it was windy but I'm loving it - shortest I've had it in nearly 10 years!