I have been holding on to this very old top for some years
because I really like the fabric.
When I
say some years, I mean approximately a quarter of a century. Yes, long ago, though not very far away, circa 1988 I would have rocked this top with lace up black suede ankle boots and
(probably) a very short skirt. I know I had a dress in it too, but I don't this that this was it. Though it could have been, as you will see.
The fabric is some kind of lightweight rayon, woven, and I think I picked it up from the mystery table at Home Yardage for a derisory sum. It has held up very well to its post wear life in a garage in a bag. In fact post previous photo I unpicked it a
little to lay it flat so I could recut it into a new top for work. This is made much easier by the total lack of
any shaping in this top. It consists of one
rectangular strip for the front and back and two rectangular sleeves. Here are a few features of my top.
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| No seam finishing except where there was a selvage |
Finishing seams was clearly for wusses.
 |
| not even a clean cut |
Ditto for hemming. Did I tuck it in? Did I wear this at all???? Did I hack off a dress? I have at other times.
 |
| Neck 'treatment' |
You will note the lack of shoulder seams and that the neck finish is a folded, unedged strip of the fabric joined into a circle and stitched into a hole in the length. This has worn unsurprisingly badly.
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| with predictable results |
And the piece de resistance - all done, where sewn at all, in 5mm seams. Wonky seams.
I was musing recently on how quick and easy sewing was when
I was younger. I seemed to be able to
whip up an outfit in no time at all. These days sewing takes me forever.
Mystery
solved, I think.
