At Long Last, the Colorblock Top!

My first sewing project of 2014 was my long-delayed project of 2013! I finally finished my reflective colorblock top!

Naturally, it was not easy to do – I never chose easy patterns, as my mother reminded me. Those corners were tricky to begin with, and then I added reflective piping, which is tricky itself. Never look too close, if you ever see me in this! If I didn’t like it so much, I’d be very embarrassed by the sad state of my sewing skills.

I altered the pattern a bit – it was supposed to be solid, and seamed, up the back, and the colorblocked part was supposed to be on the right front.

The original design.

So I flipped it around and then mirrored that in the back. I feel that the reflectivity is more important in the back, and on the left side, hence the redesign. 

I wore it to work on Monday, but alas, it is still January, and still too cold to not wear a jacket, so I couldn’t get the full effect. That’s okay, we’ll have warmer weather in a few months. Until then, I’m just happy to wear it as a funky top. 

Finishing this, however, means I am <gasp> project-less! What will I do next?! I’m not even sure, to be honest. I wish I was brave enough to try pants again, but the fit is such a problem when I have no one to help me. There’s always another skirt or dress. Or maybe it’s time to start things for an Etsy shop….

Sewing Project, At Last!

One of the many things I did in Sacramento was rummage through the local JoAnn Fabrics. The store was a bit of a disaster (having worked in a fabric store in college, I still get uptight when bolts of fabric are not properly straightened!), but I did manage to find some decent doubleknit to make my colorblock sweatshirt. I opted for teal and navy, my current favorite color combination, and I think I will make the inset the navy. That way, if I wear it with jeans, I won’t look like one big navy blue comma. Of course, it is now too cold to wear a sweatshirt without a jacket (or two) over it, so the reflective detailing will be hidden until balmier weather next year. But it won’t stop me from starting this project soon! I can’t wait!