Working with What you've Got

One of things I enjoy most about sewing is the sense of having construction something truly unique. To that end, I love the challenge of working with limited materials. Long ago I realized that if anyone said it couldn't be done, I would do just about anything to prove that it indeed could.

This top is one of those projects. I was at Mill End recently, having my selections cut, when I noticed this fabric behind the counter. I was being helped at my favorite counter, the Fashion/Gourmet, and there are always treasures to be found. Turns out this was an end piece of silk, with just a scant 7/8 yard left. But it was perfect. And offered at 70% off! Can I use it? You betcha. I brought it home, and decided that it would make up nicely as B4985 if I left off the sleeves. This is, after all, a spring wardrobe so who needs sleeves?
Cutting out the top was a bit challenging due to the size of the piece but I was able to get it all in, although the bias was in seven pieces. But since it was going to be turned in, bias is bias, right? There are some flaws in the fabric, where the ink is darker around slubs, but the irregular pattern disguises it nicely.
The pattern went together very easily, and I was able to keep my white thread on both machines for most of the construction. I did change to green thread for the buttonholes and hand sewing. Because this is a nice crisp silk I chose to handstitch the hem and armscye bindings instead of topstitching; it just didn't seem like a visible topstitching sort of top. I used organdy for interfacing along the front and in the collar. The buttons are pearlized green squares, which I sewed on as diamonds.