I’m off to see Shania Twain on Thursday! I’m so excited! My daughter bought us tickets for my birthday last month. It’s quite sweet too as when the kids were little, like under five, I used to put Shania on full blast, pick them up and dance round the lounge with them on my hips until we fell on the settee laughing. Just last year she happened to mention that whenever Shania tracks come on at parties etc she has to dance, she was obviously indoctrinated from a young age!

Having got over the excitement a little, I then thought, what am I going to wear! I haven’t been to a pop concert for years, and I mean years – the last time was when I saw Queen at the Knebworth Rock Festival…and yes, Freddie Mercury was just amazing!!

Having lost weight this year a lot of my clothes are too big, some others I can fit into again! I don’t have a pair of jeans at the moment but I do have a couple of denim skirts I made a few years back. All I needed was a top!

I decided to make a tied shirt type top. I eventually decided on the Saturday Skirt Set by the Friday Pattern Company. It’s a wrap top which you can either tie at the front or wrap round. It’s meant to have sleeves but I fancied a sleeveless version.

I used a madras check print which I think I bought a few years ago from Fabric Heaven. I’d actually put the fabric on a charity pile as during my last sort out I couldn’t think what to make with it! It’s quite colourful! I decided it was perfect for trying a pattern out, a wearable toille!

It went together fairly easily. I cut some bias binding to finish the arm holes, I really like the effect of the bias cut. I’m also particularly pleased how well the collar pattern matches with the back!

When I tried it on I liked it tied at the front rather than wrapped round, but it did show rather more than I wanted! I didn’t mind a tiny bit of midriff though it’s a bit more than I anticipated, but I really didn’t want most of my bra at risk too. Having pondered for a short while, I stitched a couple of button loops at the edge and found some pale yellow see-through buttons which blend in really well. It just keeps me covered enough to reax and enjoy wearing it.

We’ve got a long hot holiday coming up over Christmas, I might make myself a matching top a skirt from this pattern, it looks like it will be cool to wear in hot climes. I also think maybe the skirt in the pattern sits a little higher than my denim one which I may be a little more relaxed in!