I Sewed Something! For Me!

It's been an age since I last sat down in my sewing room to do anything but alter or mend.
Or, at least, it feels that way. It's been hot, is my latest excuse. I don't have central air at home, so I tend to retreat to my much cooler, oh-so-inviting basement rooms right-quick after work.

Anyway, Thursday night, for some reason, I felt I could brave the heat and sew for a few hours. (Note to self: move sewing room downstairs.) Earlier in the day, I'd been in there to do a quick mend before work, and as I idly noted to myself that I still had blue thread on the serger (from an alteration), I felt I'd best think about what blue things I might have in my queue*. I pulled out a sheer knit top I'd cut out way back when, and propped it up on my machine, to remind me.

(I'd actually been more excited to sew up this sort of caramel colored sheer blouse I finally cut out last weekend**, but I was trying to be practical, use the serger as-is, instead of changing the thread.)

So, instead of settling in to watch some Netflix in the cool of my basement family room, I trudged back up the stairs and sat myself down in front of the sewing machine. I thought I'd go mad if I had to change the needle, so I left it. It seems to have worked out okay.

I reminded myself to check the fit of everything before I serged off the seam allowance. Had to let out the sleeves a bit, for my less-than-slender upper arms. Other than that, this is as the pattern was printed.

I'm pretty pleased with myself.

I was sort of using up fabric, and testing the pattern, seeing if I liked the look of it; but also, I liked the idea of this fabric in this sort of shape.

I think the bustline is fairly flattering, so, I think it'll be worth making for myself again, in some other fabric.
Fabric was purchased too long ago to remember where. Pattern is Butterick 5185, which is out of print now. (Sometimes, it just takes me a while to make something...)

It must be noted that the "knot" and the "waistline" are really much more empire than shown on the pattern. This means that the slit is above the waist, so even non-sheer fabrics might need an undershirt. (Too bad my photos don't show the hemline. I was doing a selfie using the timer, and there are only so many places I can take pictures without a tripod, so, this was as much of the top as I could get.)

*When I figure out what I want to make, I put it all in a gallon Ziploc, pattern, fabric, buttons, etc. so it's all together. When I cut it out, I put it all back in the baggie so I can keep it clean and together until I sew it up. I have a healthy stash of these little "kits" near my sewing machine, so I can sew whenever the mood strikes. 

**Every time I thought about that blouse, and the fabrics, and how they were going to look together, and the buttons I'd picked out, I got all excited and wanted it sewn up already. It wasn't even cut out, but still I got excited - so I finally forced myself to cut it out, which took forever because it was all sheer and/or slippery fabrics. It's my next sewing project, I swear, and it's gonna be awesome!