French Painted Vogue 1247

A little late to the party, this is Vogue 1247.  So many beautiful makes of this top have been seen around the interwebs since it came out.  Unbelievably it is now out of print.  I had listed it in a sewing planning post, and it stayed on my to-sew list all of that time.  I bought my copy off eBay, figuring better buy now since they will be hard to find soon.  This fabric has been in my stash for years, it is from Darn Cheap.  I bought it because it was so beautiful and interesting but then had no idea what to do with it.  I thought if I wasn't careful it could look very old.  My inspiration came from watching old Project Runway All Stars episodes and seeing how Viktor Luna works with print in season 3.

Look at him looking so dapper

This dress in particular really gave me the "A HA" moment.  Break up the pattern.  Instead of looking at it as a painting look at the shapes and forms that I can use.  I already had the pattern in my list at that point.

peek of a Melbourne train

I went down three sizes, as suggested by several bloggers.  I made a size 12.  It has all french seams, which I use for a lot of my tops and I really enjoyed the process UNTIL final baste to check fit stage.  All the pieces were together and I had basted the side seams to see what it looked like on.  IT WAS TOO SMALL.  I feel like I am straight up and down with very little curves but in reality I must be a bit hour glass shaped because the hips were to small.  At this point I was ready to throw it in the scrap pile and cry.  I had already planned another one in a white silk.  My BF convinced me to finish it, I didn't use French seams after that point (sob), using a tiny seam allowance at the hip finishing my seams with the overlocker.  The hem is only turned back once because it also feels to short and a proper hem with those curves seemed like to much of an ask, in the mood I was in.  I am calling it a wearable muslin. Muslin with an N.

The back is cut in two so you can see the print not as broken up, as on the front.  These photo's were taken by a good friend during a late afternoon BBQ.  She was really uncomfortable taking a photo of me front on, as this goes against her instinct's.  Angled shots make me look less fat, but don't really show off the top which was the point of the exercise.  I took this shots on the ACME mannequin when I got home.  

Ugly lazy person bar tack

I am still planning that white silk version, for a special occasion I I am planning for in the new year.  I will probably play with the sleeve length and shape of the hem, and give myself some more room in the hip area.