SEWN: THE OBNOXIOUS TOP

Careful. If you look too long at this baby it'll sear itself permanently upon your retinas.

Oh, but don't you just want to look?

At that gloriously amazing perfect geo bright fabric??

Or maybe it's just obnoxious... same same.

I never intended this fabric for a garment. I did stroke it lovingly when I spotted it in Spotlight, but I thought it was just a bit too much. I actually purchased it to make a Furoshiki bag back last Christmas when every man and his dog received one from me. But ummmm... stretch cotton sateen. Hello, Jillian? Stretch fabrics don't always work particularly well for bags...

And so it made its way into my stash where I continued to lovingly stroke it obsessively from time to time pondering what exactly I could do with a scant 1m cut.

Enter this top of magnificance!!

I adore this top at woohoo levels. It might not be for everyone, but I am currently feeling crop top and peplum love and, well, Japanese patterns are pretty much my entire "thing" these days, so BIG SURPRISE!

This is Top M Circle Sleeve Short Blouse from Yuko Takada's I Love Tops. As far as I'm aware this book is yet to be translated into English so for the record I used the Japanese publication.

And no, I neither read nor speak Japanese. I don't suggest you make your first foray into working with Japanese patterns books with a non-translated volume or with limited sewing experience. If like me, however, you have some experience in sewing and have tried a few of the English translated books you should be all good. I'm a hugely visual person and the diagrams are always excellent in Japanese pattern books. There was only one step that tripped me up, but I was soon on my way again.

I made a straight size large. Which is surprising as I've not been described as large even once in my life, but that size almost exactly matched my measurements. The one conundrum was that the size chart included only height, waist and hip measurements. Makes it kinda hard to pick a top size without a bust measurement. I did therefore make a quick and dirty toile of the bodice, noting that the bust darts where too far out. I moved their position in, aligning them with the dart legs for the medium size.

It's still very roomy, particularly the armscye width and depth. If I flail my arms around like I'm going off at a dance party you might get a bit more of a view of my brassiere than you bargained for. But given my lack of a predilection for dance parties I think we're good. And I'm all for a boxy top.

It is definitely cropped, so if you are long-torsoed like me or live in hipster pants or jeans you're likely to be flashing you midriff, so if that's not your thing (and let's face it, after our teen years it's rarely what we aim for) you might want to lengthen it or layer over a longer tank.

It works great with my new wide-legged jeans and just about maintains my modesty with my every-present skinnies.

Ha! Gotcha! Outfit change - actually different day, different time. All in an effort to get a decent shot. The colours seemed to do weird things to my beloved camera.

People, I've seriously boarded my own little WOOHOO train. And all in time for the first day of Spring.