Cara’s sagebrush top!
I keep seeing Embroidery Anglaise everywhere, in the media, high-street, and my Instagram feed!. Stunning white or in a rainbow of colours, but each one exquisite in its detail, a wonderful combination of embroidery and cotton. Beautiful.
As a sewist this gets my creative brain thinking, and often I can’t switch an idea off until its come into reality. How can I use this beautiful fabric, what can I create that would do it justice? Embroidery Anglaise of my childhood is a far cry from the fabrics featured on the Felicity Fabrics Website, there are no nightgowns or christening robes in mind for me. But both would be so beautiful.
I am so fortunate that as part of the blogger team for Felicity Fabrics; Caroline and Fliss allow my creativity to come to life.
Like many I have recently fallen for the Sagebrush Top. The Friday Pattern Company describe the top as ‘an elegant and easy-to-sew blouse’. I couldn’t agree more, I love the statement sleeves and the front frill detail, all on trend, without being overpowering.
I also felt that the components of the top would allow my vision of using two designs of the embroidery anglaise to work really well. One of my considerations of using the fabric is the potential sheerness, or more bluntly put, the holes. This is a rather obvious statement as this is the key feature of the fabric, but I didn’t want to create something only to need to wear a camisole or line it; that just wasn’t what I was after, especially in the summer.
To overcome this I selected the Beatrix White Embroidery Anglaise, this is quite a dense design with small holes incorporated, by using this fabric for the front and back pieces, the fabric would allow the features to shine, without the need to worry about sheerness. I also created the bias binding for the top neckline using this fabric.
Then to really highlight Embroidery Anglaise I selected the Chloe White. The two designs echo each other, one being a larger scale than the other. This is perfect for the Front and Back yoke, the sleeves; and I also made the front frill from this fabric.
I ordered 1m of both of the fabrics as I was uncertain of how much each section would need. I have enough remaining to create sleeves on another top, of a slimmer design.
Creating the top is a joy, I love the instructions and for what looks like a complex design, it is an easy sew. The elasticated cuffs create the statement sleeves. The self made bias binding to finish the neckline, and create the tie feature at the back of the top really do make this an excellent project for sewists of all levels of experience.
I was delighted to have this top to wear on a recent trip to Lacock Abbey, a beautiful backdrop for what has turned out to be my favourite make ever! I will be incorporating the remaining remnant into another top in the coming weeks.
Thank you to Felicity Fabrics for this opportunity, I look forward to sharing more makes with you very soon.
