Amid my spring Joann Hauls, I snagged two clearance bolts of black and white polka dot fabric at dippy Wal-Mart for $14 each. With seven yards per bolt, I can now replace my fading summer wardrobe with as many black and white polka dot garments as I can make – beginning with a simple tank top based upon the upper portion of my Drafted Nightgown Pattern.
Re-tracing my full length nightgown pattern as new short tank top pieces was easy. Although this was my first time doing just a top from it, I'm familiar with the pattern and carried over my markings for shortening the shoulder as necessary while adding length options for the shirt hem. Did I want this top to sit at the waist or a longer tunic style? Fortunately, I have enough of the material to brave the polka dots without a mock-up and can leave room for adjustments. Laying out the pattern pieces on the fabric indicated about two yards use, but as I was unsure how this new 100% Waverly cotton may wrinkle or shrink, I cut the two yards and pre-washed the fabric first. Usually with cheaper thrift materials, I often soak and steam press, but here a medium colors wash, half hour damp dry, and a steam iron didn't shrink or fray – as say my delicate Orange Tablecloth Skirt probably would. Now I could lay out my on the folds front and back and my cut two side front and back pattern pieces, cutting the polka dot print as well as two chiffon remnants for my linings. Treating both polka dots and chiffon as one, I basted all my pieces together using a “Natural” thread-marking thread cone from a Goodwill grab bag. Here on the ironing board I noticed that my two chiffons were not exactly alike. One remnant is slightly more opaque but at least they ended up matching with the three darker pieces in the back and the three lighter pieces in front. C'est la vie!
Upon pinning my pieces on the dress form at the shoulder and sides, I could immediately see this was too big, and a try on revealed that extra if necessary length was far too long. My helper niece was there to be fascinated by the magnetic pin holder and wanted to play with that excess length once I cut it off, but I think I may use it for a popping polka dot belt! I dislike fabric waste and love to use every inch as possible, but it's also better to be too big in sewing and able to adjust instead of cutting too small with no resolution like my First Black and Orange Polka Dot Skirt. Room to turn up the hem three inches isn't an issue, but both side seams can be taken in two inches each. However, the calculations for my half inch seam allowance must be considered first. The front and back princess seams must be machine finished before taking in the side seams. Otherwise, if I take in the two inches from the sides and loose the half inches from the princess seams, the top could end up too small. This kind of math or measuring ease and commercial pattern jargon can often trip up a sewer wondering where a project goes wrong. If I wanted this tank super fitted, maybe it wouldn't be a problem, but this is meant as a slightly loose summer cool. I thought a back keyhole opening and button loop might be required if I went for something tighter, but I can pull this off and on over my head easy. Besides, I'd also like to make another strappy or lower cut blouse, because why have one polka dot tank top when you can have two?
After washing, cutting, and assembling came together in a few hours; final fittings took a day with lots of stay stitches, under stitching, and seam finishes. This fine tuning makes the difference between an everyday wear garment with regular washes compared to the fast and loose Pastel Pretend Costumes for my niece. I turned under and double machined my hem, although I'm not sure if it is curved or flared by design or if this is actually a wavy, erroneous hem. Fortunately, it's actually a very flattering drape at the hips! Thanks to other deadlines and lots of tiny, finite black on black running back stitches; the last seam binding with black satin ribbon took several days. After wearing this loose top a few times however, I decided it was perhaps a little too loose. I returned to my machine and took in just over an inch by creating a center back seam – marking this change on my pattern for future options. What's binding one more black on black seam when they've already made my eyes goes wonky? Unlike my stalled Brown Dress and Housecoat set with the problematic, independent linings and hems; this top went smoothly because I treated my fashion fabric and linings as one as I had previously always done. Such positive progress motivates me further to make more tops, a short dress, pants, and either a long dress or full skirt like my second Black and Orange Polka Dot Skirt – all from this black and white polka dot cotton! I usually wear black and white in the dog days of August with gold jewelry, red lips, red nails, and cat eye sunglasses. I used to love red but obviously haven't worn it as much anymore, yet I may do some of these black and white polka dots with red trims or pop linings to fully embrace that classic fifties, Marilyn Munster vibe. Climate change is real and now I must move up this lightweight wardrobe because it's already been 110F in June!
My thrifted, decades old black tank tops and strappy dresses are getting threadbare, faded, and mismatching, so it's wonderful to be able to make basic garments for essential needs – proper, practical clothes like my dad always wanted me to make instead of silly costumes and hoop skirts. Then again, I do want to make some Stuffed Pumpkins with the little black and white polka dot scrap pieces. This me, after all.
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