Oh la la!

I made french darts! And belle shaped sleeves (if you call them belle rather than bell it makes them french too.)

I drafted this off my main top block and re-positioned the legs of the dart to the waist rather than under the arm. My totally-non-left-brain really rebelled, but I kept sketching and playing until I got it working the way I wanted. (Shout out to Emily Ann of Retro Glam for the encouragement to give this a try!)

I also flared the sleeves into a bell shape – just free hand, and it worked.

ECU french dart

This fabric is second hand fabric from my local op-shop, a cotton stretch of some type. It grew like nobody’s business as I sewed so this fitted top turned itself into an effortless, unfitted top with less of a boat neck and more of a scoop as it went. C’est bon, french tops will do what french tops will do n’cest pas?

For  my birthday, husband had some clothing tags made for me (what a guy). This top is the first of my subsequent makes to sport a custom label!

While I know I have more work to do in the perfection of french darts, I happily wore my new top out on a lunch date with one of my besties. It went well with the mushroom & blue cheese risotto cakes and two glasses of rosé  ❤

Oh the joie de vivre!

Outfit details:

 

• Sound of Music pants – hand made from old curtains
• Sandals – second hand
• Pounamu earrings – a leaving gift from an old job
• Gold chain necklace – an gift my mother was given, not her style so paid forward to me
• Bracelet – my grandmother’s
• Pentti Sarpaneva (Finland) Ring- my mother’s when she was a teenager, bought for her by my grandpa
• Watch – was my mother’s