Number three on my Fall Palette Challenge wardrobe may be my most favourite item this year.
It’s a simple white lace kimono sleeved tee, based off Colette’s free Sorbetto tank pattern. I raised the neck front and back then used this tutorial from Analog Me to draft the kimono sleeve.
The lace is a cotton found on Goldhawke Road which the proprieter swore had also been purchased by buyers from top shop (hmmm, take that with a grain of salt) however at only £4 a meter it was a good deal. The underlining is a slinky synthetic twill that feels really soft and would be a nightmare to sew if it weren’t together with the cotton lace.
I cut the lace out first then squared the edges of the lining on the cutting board securing with pins. With the lace on top I used more pins to hold it in place before hand-basting around the edges and along the dart legs. Once the basting was in place, cutting the slinky fabric was easy and the rest of the top was sewn as one layer.
What I really like about it is that the simplicity of the pattern meant I could spend more time on things like this and french seams and hand-tacked binding. The details combined with the silkiness and weight of the fabric means that this feels like a quality garment even if it only cost £7. It’s something about the heaviness of the fabric that reminds me of trying on expensive clothes, I think.
This may be my favourite Sorbetto yet.
Wow your top is so beautiful, you look gorgeous in it! You made something very interesting and personal from that basic pattern, I’m impressed
So awesome! I love kimono sleeves and it makes you look so put together with the lace.
It really is lovely. The fabric and style are perfect together.
really really lovely. looks amazing on you. i totally love simple but well made clothes and hopefully when my confidence and skills grow a bit i can make something as ace as this!
x
It is such a gorgeous top – and you look so beautiful in it! Did you get your hair done? It is looking very nice
No just flat ironed it rather than it’s usual mess. To be honest, it’s in desperate need of a colour but I’ve been far too lazy
I love a top with kimono sleeves. I also love lace, so this is a win-win! It really is gorgeous.
Yes, the sleeves are so comfy! Thank you
You look so beautiful in it. Great fabric choice!
can you talk more about how you drafted the sleeve? I looked at the tutorial and saw that she used a sleeve pattern — did you too? or could one, as she says just lay a t-shirt down and draw it up, easy peasy. This is seriously the most beautiful sorbetto I’ve seen and I’m dying to have sleeves on one, but not the little cap sleeves (too tight).
Hey Laura, I used a sleeve pattern (colette macaron) and did it just like the tutorial. But I can see how if you laid down a t-shirt you could round off the under arm to create the kimono sleeve. You would need to make sure it wasn’t a tight knit tee though as you need the ease for a woven version.
Gorgeous! Love the lace – and I am a big fan of kimono sleeves as well. great job!
Wow, that top looks great (have to check out that tutorial), your hair looks fantastic, and your smile in the first pic is gorgeous! Congrats on finishing item #3, we are now even. What are you making next?
Oh I love this, a cream lace tee is on my summer wardrobe list too, was thinking of doing it Colette Macaroon style underlining.. You hair does look great, looks like you have cut and colored it, but now I think about it, possibly the only time we’ve seen it down??? How is life over there? I wish you would start using Twitter so we could chat!!
See, I think I’m just way too boring for twitter, but if we can use it to chat I might just give it a go
This is such a pretty top. I’m loving the lace overlaid look at the mo
I love it! BRB trying to copy you now…
(Though with my schedule, it could take months before I have a finished garment!)
What a fabulous idea – and you executed it beautifully.
You are so gorgeous in your lace top! It looks like such a classic piece!
Since you left a comment on my blog I’ve been so rapt with yours! And this post in particular had me wanting to make a lace tshirt, finally today I found some lace and bought it
Awesome, can’t wait to see it!
p.s. loved the awesome interview on xojane!
This is gorgeous! I love the white lace with the underlay, I’d love to try something like this with a different colour lining fabric. I haven’t tried a kimono sleeve yet so thank you for the link to the tutorial – and for your step-by-step to underlining the lace!