Grey floaty pixie top

This is my latest attempt at being authentic. Back to my wearable Fae theme. I gave up work for a while by choice because I can right now and I am having the hip replacement so decided its a good time to have a change. I want to get myself totally away from both the corporate world and acadeamia which are the two worlds I usually seem to work in. 

Right now I do not have a clue what I want to do but possibly a part time ( maybe OU?) creative writing course and see if I can make it as a writer. I did work freelance for two magazines a long time ago and maybe its time to have another go, and I wrote two books which constantly sell though I earn pence from them. 

But; I made a living back then and enjoyed it though getting paid was sometimes not as easy as it should have been. Some publishers are far from reputable and you have to be very careful how to word invoices. But then I did learn all that back then. So in theory at least I already know the pitfalls of the freelance writing way of living. And like the name its "free".

So, being in the mood to make what I actually like wearing,  I made two of these tops so far. I also have two black versions cut but yet to be sewn. They now need to wait until I am allowed to sew again so about another 4 weeks or so. I have a hospital appointment to hopefully get signed off to drive and sew on 23rd October assuming it all continues to go ok. 

The grey tops have different edging / hems since I had some issues with the way to finish this very thin floaty material, but they are otherwise virtually the same in every respect. 

Ah, except one has flared sleeves and one has tighter straight sleeves so actually not quite identical. I was thinking I could wear the flared sleeved version over the straight sleeved version in the very cold weather and would have the warmth with less bulk. I have no idea what the fabric is but I suspect its a synthetic. I made the muslin for my surfer dress from the same fabric.

The flared sleeved top has rather badly sewn hems and has both a sewn bottom band with overlocked edge at the back ( which tends to flip over and so be seen). 

Its a bit messy and I actually preferred that edge before I hemmed it. I started with overlocking and twin needle edge but that looked terrible and stretched out of shape. I did not stretch it as sewing it but I think maybe the presser foot would need adjusting to stop this? The thin fabric though is so thin I worried I would rip it if unpicking. I did start to unpick and gave up so instead I flipped it over and overlocked the edge into a band. But its still a bit dodgy.

 

Also none of my overlockers like sewing this very thin fabric. Perhaps the black versions should have a rolled edge?

You can see the edge above and below on the flared sleeved top.

Its definitely a bit rough and ready but this is much better than the twin needled edge I had before I sewed a band on. 

Its still a wearable top but not up to my hoped for standards.

The second top has an overlocked edge on sleeve and hem edge in grey. I am not sure it actually looks better on either. I can't decide but was just experimenting really with the overlockers. 

This is the overlocked hem:

I think it looks far better just left like this despite really most people would say this is unfinished. It just lies better so unless I can think of a better way to finish these my black versions will have the basic overlocked edge - a rolled edge maybe? 

I will need to experiment to get to decide which edge looks best I think. I have loads more of the thin black fabric so I suppose the next version will be yet another variant on these and then the last version I should get this perfected. Then I just need to decide if I want anymore. I have run out of the grey fabric so it will just be black tops now unless I come across some more of this very thin very stretchy fabric anyway. At least I should get loads of pixie base layers for this winter anyway. And wearing two of these will make it nice and cozy I think especially with another layer on top. So these are just base layers. 

Have a lovely week and thanks for popping by,

Bracken