Black top with puffed sleeves

I decided I should be a bit more adventurous when I made this top. I keep buying very nice and unusual patterns but then cop out and make something ordinary and boring. Wy I ask myself? Because I am a coward? Well this black fabric is so basic and boring I decided to go for it and make something is bit more adventurous and risky and it truned out to be  a very good choice!

 I made this black top quite a while back now and was very unsure about whether I would ever wear it. Even with it being black but in fact it is so versatile and wearable despite that its got very strange sleeves.

Not so sure these are really called puffed sleeves but I could not think of a better title. They are puffed on the shoulders as well as ruched up the arms so they take quite a biyt of fabric.

They are kind of leg-of-muttonish. This top is made from Butterick 5562 view B and made in my never ending ( so it seems right now anyway) cheapo polyester crepe. This as it tunrs out is robably a good fabric choice because its quite structured ad the polyester has body.

I used the reverse of this fabric as usual since so far it has made this somewhat horrible fabric wearable. Its akin to the fabric of lots of high end sportswear clothing anyway. I really cannot tell the difference, so not probably most peoples choice of fabric for this top but needs must and I have to find ways to use what I bought so why not thinks me.


I am sure alot of other people would not agree with making this particular top from thios  particular fabric, but it works for me at the moment and eventually I will use all this stuff up and buy no more. I refuse to chuck it out and in the end for winter fabric its warm, and easy wash and wear for work.
The cheapness also means I am able to have lots of clothing which it seems where I work is expected of me. No one wears the same stuff week after week which is my alternative if I stop making things from cheap fabrics and bought them cos this stuff even vies with the likes of Primark for cheapness.


I get two or three items of clothings for about 99p in most cases - not including thread or zips tho.

Anyway back to the actual pattern: Hopefully you can see here how unusual the sleeves actually are. They have elastic to gather them down the length of the sleeve and the top of the sleeve is pleated. The pattern says to gather but ever lazy me I decided to just pleat which is kind of more victorian to my way of thinking.


I have had this pattern absolutely ages and to be honest bought it for the weird sleeve variations but never until now got round to making any of them. I just stuck with the basic version of view 4 which means missing out the fancy collar on that view which means that without the collar  you get a basic boat neck T.



I have made several very basic boat neck tops from it for example these tops here:http://brackencrafts.blogspot.com/2018/01/a-faux-leather-t-shirt-with-mesh.html



and these multi media T shirts made for The Month Stitch Stash Smash challenge here:
https://brackencrafts.blogspot.com/2017/10/multi-media-t-shirts-tms-october-2017.html


So far though until now that is, I have copped out when it comes to actually making one of the tops I bought the pattern for. Because this is black I decided to go the whole hog so to speak and make the extreme version of this pattern with gathers and rushing and yes I have decided I love it. Its turned out a very steam punk top but also very wearable in that I have worn this out and about at weekends as well as to work.

So heres the photos which show just how wearable this actually is:

Here I wore it over Christmas with my Tom Ford inspired gold leggings, plain basic black leggings and my goth skirt. I have also worn with wide legged trousers to work but never got a photo of them but was was very nice to wear to the office for a very subtle change of look.

It does work really well with my Goth skirt too!

Anyway this top just goes to prove its time I stretched myself a bit more and started to make the weirder patterns I have collected.

This particular top works for all occasions and I just cannot get over the fact it took me years to get round to being brave enough to make this because of the stupid pictures on the pattern envelope.

In this case I bought this pattern even though the pattern picture on the envelope has a photo (or drawing) of something which is actually totally not at all me and quite unwearable, and I bought this because the line drawing or diagram of the tops shows some brilliant looking structural design.

But then because of the pictures I was put off actually making this. But those pictures do not mean it cannot be made in a fabric you can wear for normal work life or even just for the wekeends.  I knew I liked those diagrams. I liked the design enough to buy the pattern after all.

I need to make a New Years resolution this year to try to be more adventurous in my actual normal wardrobe because I collect all these lovely but a bit weird looking patterns and they cost money to buy and this top proves I should be making more of them up instead of just collecting them. I need to be braver.

 Have a wonderful 2019 and may all your dreams come true!

Bracken