Last week I made a top from Newlook 6107, it’s a pattern that was given away free with one of the sewing magazines which is why it was out of stock in all my usual places! I was so pleased with it I promptly cut out a second one!

This one is from a lovely soft batik cotton, I bought it in Harrogate a couple of months ago when I needed some retail therapy after a hospital appointment! I love the colours in it, soft blues, greens, purples and pinks, it feels so nice too.

I decided to make the sleeveless version again. I changed one thing though, on the pattern the neck and arm edges are bound by using bias strips as a facing which was turned to the inside and then top-stitched down. I felt it could be neater to use the bias as a binding, making it more of a feature. I stay-stitched the edges  on the seam-line, mainly to get an even line to lie the bias against. I could then stitch the bias 1/4″ in from the seam. I trimmed the seam to the seam line and then hand-stitched the bias to the inside. I must admit I’m not sure it does make it neater, just different, so the jury is still out on that one!

I bought the buttons at Boyes in Ilkley, I really wasn’t sure about them at first as I wasn’t keen on the sparkly bits. The pale blue glass effect works really well as they just blend perfectly in with the background. Once I stitched them on the top, I liked the sparkle, it just lifts the top. I might put a press-stud at the top of the buttons just to give a bit of back-up, as the buttons are smooth, I’m worried they’ll come undone more easily than the fabric covered buttons I used on the blossom top.

My chief photographer has been away sailing on the North Sea all week, hence the delay in posting! She came back this afternoon and was out again within the hour!! I just managed to have a photo session before she went out, the sun was shining too!