TGIF! Lately I’ve been really inspired to get in on the color block action. I mean it’s up and down my feed. I’ve seen so many other influencers really getting creative with it (@theravelout, @thecornyrainbow and @katiekortmanart are killing it)! And to be honest, I actually bought a whole pattern and some fabric to actually color block an entire dress (more on that later), but this top was all happenstance.
I’ve had this tomato red poplin in my stash for about 4 years. I know it’s from Mood, but that’s all the information I have. LOL, sorry guys! The floral print is from Hobby Lobby a few years back. I had about 2 yards of fabric for each – so in sewist terms that just enough to do SOMETHING, but not enough to do EVERYTHING. And usually my “go to” for 2 yards of fabric is a top (ie: a cami, tee or a cut off shoulder top). For this top, I used view D from McCall pattern 7757.
Sometimes I get so bored with my own ideas and then other times (like this time), I have just enough fabric for the bodice but the sleeve pattern is SO BIG that it won’t all fit. Enter…my floral fabric color block. I was holding onto this fabric for some lining of a dress, and I may still use it for that, but today I used it for the bottom half of my sleeve and I must say that it did not turn out bad at all.
Of course I was nervous, but the colors complement each other so it is almost like peas and carrots. I cut my sleeve on the lengthen/shorten line and added back in the 5/8 seam allowance. Because this sleeve has an unusual curve at the hemline, I highly recommend that you add a notch or some sort of marking to let you know if the sleeve is for the right or left side.
I sewed my top up as normal and sewed by color block right sides together to create the effect.
I don’t know if this shirt will really see the inside of a brunch spot this year, but oh.. next year. Baby, it’s coming out.
XO
RAVEN MAUREEN 