2016: A Creative Review

It is always nice to look back and see what one has achieved in a year. I may not have been as productive this year as in others, but am still very pleased with what I have created.  Here is a review of my finished makes for 2016:

• Jeweled kaleidoscope mini quilt -pattern from here
• my first foray back into making clothing saw me make the A-line Barcelona skirt
• an EPP Liberty Sew together Bag
• A Nani Iro infinity scarf
• the quilt top for mum's reversible quilt - Morocco pattern from here
• the Rocky Shore to Sky quilt for my brother
• an EPP AMH pillow
• my second attempt at an item of clothing, the Sorbetto top
• a feather pillow for Miss B
• I finished the EPP cartwheel pillow started last year
• My big finish was my Scrappy Sampler Quilt
• my big bold beautiful Liberty Bloomsbury - has been bound, and partially quilted, so I am saying effectively a finish.

So what am I working on next year

• still more blocks for my seaglass sampler quilt
• finishing the hand quilting on my Liberty Bloomsbury quilt
• maybe another EPP project
• another hand sewn felt ornament in the 12 Days of Christmas swap with my sister
• a new applique project with my sister - this will involve felt, embroidery, fabric and no doubt a little muttering as I unpick things.
• hopefully a couple of new additions to my wardrobe.
• piecing my city sampler blocks into a quilt top 

Linking up to My Makes of 2016 at Say Little Hen

Weekending - A Sorbetto Top

Ever since I saw a picture of this Sorbetto top. I have  wanted to make myself one. So after the success of my Barcelona skirt, I went back to Spotlight to find a suitable fabric. I looked at various cotton lawns but ended up choosing  a textured chambray voile.

The pattern is a free pattern from Colette Patterns , which I downloaded  and printed out, then spent a wee while matching and taping all the pieces together.   Based on my not so large bust measurements, I ended up making size 2 for myself.  My darts and the front pleat turned out really well.  I contemplated doing a contrasting binding but in the end made continuous bias binding to match the top.  I figured any wonky stitching wouldn't be so obvious this way.   Rather than risk messing up the top stitching, of the binding, I hand sewed it down. I have decided that if there is more binding for dressmaking in my future I am going to invest in a bias tape maker.

I made the pattern longer than what was recommended for my size, however,  I think that next time I make a Sorbetto top,  I will probably make it a little longer again and maybe make the armholes a little lower too. This is a really easy pattern, that could be made up quickly if you had pre-made bias tape on hand and you weren't handstitching anything. I have an idea,  that one made from some of Anna Maria Horner's,  Loominous fabrics with the pleat inverted like my inspiration picture would be pretty fabulous.