Riffs on a Trusted Pattern: A Silk Top for the Finale
We come to the end of the Year of Tabula Rasa. I wasn’t sure if or when I might get to the point of being complete with my Riffs on a Trusted Pattern challenge, but I think I have arrived. Maybe because it was the last riff or maybe because I just wanted to be outside all the time now that I was back in Florida. But this final version of the Fit for Art Patterns Tabula Rasa Jacket (TRJ), a silk top, was the most challenging in terms of energy and inspiration. ÂÂÂI stalled and whined and thought seriously about just throwing in the towel. But hey, it was just one more. I had to finish.
Looking for inspiration
As it was December when I was doing this, I considered something holiday-ish. That idea left me feeling meh. Our holidays here in Key West are low-key (no pun intended), and a holiday outfit just didn’t excite me. I laid aside the TRJ pattern and pulled out a piece of striped silk I have been wanting to sew up for eons. I hoped it would get my sew-jo fired up.
Dress project diversion
The unrelated dress project I had in mind was fiendishly simple. Basically, it was a rectangle with a neck hole. The idea was to let the lovely drape of the silk do all the work. To get the length I needed, I added a yoke to the back and used a striped jersey to make the neckband. What could be easier? The fabric and the loose style are perfect for the balmy days in our southernmost place. Plus, it was a great project to ease back into my southernmost sewing space.
The front of this simple dress features a jersey-trimmed V-neckline.
I designed the back…
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A wonderful finale to the TR year. Would you be willing to describe the garments that might end up in other closets or are flops ? I'm more interested in the why - wrong fabric, fit wasn't the best, etc. Hope you will share so we can learn from your expertise. TIA. Mary J.