Cute Top for a Good Girl

I was going to finish off V1158 but there was another distraction - the crazy (hot-cold-hot) weather over this past week.

On about Monday at my son's school the temperature reached 34C - the teacher said if it hit 35C the class could have icy poles from the canteen. My daughter was at her new nearby, mostly outdoors kindy that day, as opposed to her farther away, totally indoors and air-conditioned kindy, and she got rather hot and sweaty.  I decided she might need more summery dresses / tops to suit the heat and sun. 


























The fabric was one of the pieces I got at Tessuti's sale some time back - I just love it! I wish I could have gotten more of it (if anyone has some, can I barter with you?) It's a striped cotton in colours that remind me of the 70s, with lots of embroidery over the stripes. My daughter wanted it made into a dress but that was never going to be possible.

This top, made from pattern A in the Japanese book "Cute Clothes for Good Girls" is breezy enough for the heat and covers little shoulders. I received two criticisms initially: 1) it's not fair that the other hand will get cold, and 2) tops should have a straight shape (ie not used to the flare). But once on it stayed on all day, and it seems to have been very comfortable for a muggy Sydney day.

Sewing details: I made this pattern in a size 110 cm height but used the widths from the 120cm height pattern pieces, which looks to have been unnecessary. I made it as long as could with the remnant fabric I had, but it should normally be about knee length. I replaced the pattern's back buttons with a bright blue zip (quicker!) and free-styled the pocket somewhat, adding a little elastic to the top. As I've made this before in smaller sizes I didn't even look at the instructions - so I'm not sure if my bright orange bias bound neckline and sleeves were what was intended - I added the sleeve cap things after I'd sewn in the bias binding, so you get a peek of orange between shoulder and sleeve cap on the sides, a bit like having piping in there! Finally the hemline is a rolled hem as I wanted to lose as little length as possible.