Back - After A Coffee Fueled Cutting Spree

Happy summer solstice!  While I took a few weeks off blogging I didn't take off from sewing.  In fact, part of the reason I quit blogging for a bit was I didn't feel like I was sewing anything.  But a couple of weeks ago I was drinking my second cup of coffee (keep in mind I'm a tea drinker) when I decided it was time to get some summer sewing under way -- after all summer stuff is what I love to sew.  After washing out my cup I cut out three tops, two dresses, and a skirt.

First to hit the sewing machine were two much needed tops.  Both are peasant tops - a timeless comfortable style I like.  I made one last year from New Look 6892 and really didn't like or wear it much.  I pulled it out of the closet this year and totally changed my mind - it just needed some tweaking, such as nipping in the sides a bit to make it a little less blouse-y.  I used the same pattern again for both a blue and white one.

Here's the white one - I need to adjust the gathers on the neck since they're bunched up - ignore the wrinkles.

Both are made of cotton crinkle gauze; not one of my favorite fabrics but it was so cheap at the end of the season last year I bought it with the idea of making more peasant tops.

I thought the one I made last year was short so I added one inch to the bottom of the white one - that was all I had room for.  I added two inches to the blue one which strangely ended up four inches longer than the one from last year.  I have no idea where the extra two inches came from!  I had enough blue fabric to cut a sash.  I've found I like wearing it with the sash rather than without.

I might be wearing this blue top backwards!  When I cut it out I marked the back with chalk -- I usually tell the front and back by looking at the sleeve notches (two in back) but I knew these would be serged off.  When I went to look for the chalk mark it was gone, so I guessed and put my neckline casing on.  As I wore the top it rode up the front and down the back -- I turned it around and it works better now, so it might be backwards.  You would never know if I hadn't told though!

I like both tops but wish the back came higher up.  I didn't photograph it but it's only slightly higher than the front.

Three peasant tops is more than enough for me.

As for the other stuff I cut out...that's for other days.