Chiffon Butterfly Top

Pattern Review: Butterick 5355

Greetings from sunny Melbourne!
It has been a while since I last posted I have been busy undertaking some summer sewing for a work trip to Cape Town followed by a holiday in Melbourne. I finished Butterick 5355 back in October and have only gotten round to photographing it as it has been so cold in London. 

The weather in Melbourne is warm but very changeable. I have heard the saying that you get all seasons in one day and it is so true. When I put on this top this morning I was wearing boots!

Anyway less about the climate and more about the top.  The pattern is rated easy and I do agree, however I would say that my fabric choice made this a bit harder. I picked up this pretty chiffon from the man outside Sainsbury's in Walthamstow. Priced at £2 per metre it was a bargain!

I cut medium and sewed this straight out the envelope making no alterations. If I were to make this again I would narrow the neckline as it does give me an off the shoulder look. I would also grade out a little at the hip as it is a tad snug.

As I mentioned earlier, the chiffon made this project a bit of extra work. It took a while to cut out and it features a fair amount of couture techniques including french seams on the sides and sleeves, mock french seams on the armholes, binding on the neckline and pin hems. This added so much extra time, but I definitely think that it is worth it as the top is so sheer. 

I have to admit that once I had cut this top out it sat in my sewing box for a couple of months I needed some additional notions (bias binding and thread) but mostly this was due to my apprehension of tackling all of these couture techniques in one garment. I have used all of them independently and I have sewn with chiffon, but generally it is underlined and any imperfections are not visible to the naked eye. I attended a couture sewing techniques course at the Fashion and Textile Museum in London which improved my confidence when working with tricky fabrics. I finally completed this garment during a 'Pick Up a Project' sew-a-long with my sewing group to banish UFOs. 

I do really love this top. The style is not something I would usually buy or sew, probably due to the wide sleeves, but it is a versatile garment for the summer. I also really enjoyed the challenge despite my months of procrastination. I would consider sewing this again. Maybe in chiffon or in a satin for something more glam, and maybe longer so I could style it as a tunic. This pattern is one where the fabric really shines, so I would definitely have to think about the fabric for next time. 

You can see my Pattern Review here.

How is everyone's festive sewing coming along? Do you have any UFOs that are going to be carried over to 2015? 

Happy Sewing!