Most New Year's Eves, we catch up with cousins, aunts and uncles over a quick glass of champagne before walking to the water's edge to watch the early fireworks across Sydney Harbour. I know it sounds posh, but it's still a casual sort of get-together, so this year I decided to whip up a quick top for New Year's Eve with some pretty fabric that had attracted me in Tessuti Fabrics. I gave myself heaps of time - more than two days! - and set to it.
I had a few pattern options in mind, but the one I ended up sewing was the Gabby dress, cut (obviously) to top length. It might even be a tad short to tell you the truth, but there's no spare length in that hem, as once again I didn't buy quite enough fabric...
... to the point where I had to make a sneaky join in the back of the top - which you'll be able to see in the close up:
When it was nearly sewn, I knew I liked it, but I wasn't sure I'd like it on - sometimes seersucker looks like a child's fabric - but no, I love it. I love the wavering blue lines of the check, the slightly vintage vibe of the fabric, and its lightness in our humid weather. I think that by making a top rather than a dress I've steered clear of childishness, and closer to the "hip" end of the style scale. Which is all good. And I was going to wear it for New Year's Eve, hooray!
But then Mr UpSewLate reminded me that our usual hosts were away, and we decided to go to a different spot that provides great views after a bush walk in the dark, and I decided to avoid not catching my new top on a pointy branch in the dark and ripping it by not wearing it straight away.
Anyway, I've been wearing the top LOTS ever since - with these jeans, but not the heels. It doesn't need heels! I can't remember why I was wearing heels for these pictures (taken a few weeks ago at the very start of the year) but it may well have been just the joy of the new silver shoes that I'd been hoping to take for spin on New Year's Eve.
I only wish I'd bought enough fabric for matching 3/4 length pants, but I guess that's still possible...
I should give you the sewing details, shouldn't I?
I cut this out in a size S, which is my usual Gabby dress size (I've made it before in a starry blue version, a striped stretch version that's now an awesome top, a paint splat Nani Iro version, and a red and white picnic version). The dress is quite flared, and I left that flare in the top to keep it super airy. Sewn and overlocked with white thread, hemmed with matching blue on the outside.
There's self fabric bias binding for the neckline, made by just folding and pressing with the iron, and I didn't even miss the Clover contraption that's been put away god knows where. The checks on the side seams don't match up (they're offset by a 1/2 repeat), but who cares; the shoulders are satisfyingly symmetric!
The End.
Happy sewing!
- Gabrielle x
