Rosy glow - Vogue 8581

The rosy glow is both my nose and the colour of my top.  No shots of me today, I look like Rudolph!

My top is Vogue 8581, view C - size 12, made up in silk jersey from Gorgeous Fabrics.   This top feels so good  - all sensuous and slinky.

This is an easy pattern, but I felt like the proportions and the directions were all over the place.  Like so many others I sewed the front, back and sleeves and then did the gathering all in one go.  I also folded the neckband in half, sewed it on and then sewed it down by hand.  I had planned on stitching in the ditch, but my machine didn't like the gathered silk and kept pulling it down into the bobbin case.    I switched out the sleeve binding for an elastic casing - much quicker and easier, but I removed the elastic casing on the bottom and went with a wide band.  Someone on Pattern Review suggested doing the same thing for the neckline which would make it quicker and easier again. 

In terms of the proportions I added 2 inches to the sleeves and I still feel like they're too short, another couple of inches would feel better.  I needed to add an additional 3 inches to have the bust point and the waistline in the right places, but I then had to take 7.5 inches off the length which I folded in half to make the bottom band.  So basically I added the length at the waist and removed it from the hem, or there abouts.  I also narrowed the sleeves, mine are wide and straight rather than bell shaped like the pattern - my fabric just wasn't wide enough but I wouldn't want the sleeves any fuller.

Next up should be a Vogue coat.  There's still plenty of cold weather ahead yet and I figure the best way to deal with it is to make myself some great clothes.