Amy Butler Mini top, mini mini top and the problem with summer......

  I had to pop into my local haberdashary recently to buy some cotton tape for the waist of my Merchant and Mills linen skirt (still unmade!!) and just happened to accidently on purpose look at all of the other beautiful things in the shop! Most of the indie patterns were By hand London (not my style) or Collette (I just don't have much luck with) I saw some amazing Amy Butler bag patterns (I have millions of bags which I never use so thought best not buy a bag pattern - even though they were fab). Then I Stumbled across the Mini dress/tunic/top pattern

  For the bargin price of £9.99 this pattern includes dress, tunic, long top, short top for not just women but girls (age 7+) too!!!! - to be fair you could argue that it would be fairly easy to adjust one pattern for top/tunic/dress if you wanted to. Now I am not at all into me-mini-me matching outfits (if you were this pattern would be a dream come true!) but I could see the potential for lots of different outfits for me and my daughter.

    For my first try I didn't want to cut into uncut fabric so I had to make the short top for both me and my daughter, She chose the rest of the floral fabric that I had used to make her PJ's and as I knew this fabric pressed well I chose to make it as the pattern suggests with the pleat. For my self I just about managed to eek out enough blue and white stripped seersucker that I had used to make disastrous  shorts for my boys (pre-blogging days). I am not into the formal look of pleats but knew it would be easy enough to gather the 'skirt bit' of the top to make a less formal garment.

  Well the pattern was simple to cut out and the instructions were lovely, really suited to a complete beginner until I reached step 9. Maybe I am just particularly stupid but I could not at all understand what it was asking me to do - can you?

  I fudged my way through my daughters top but was not at all happy with the result so I ended up making a very bulky french seam on mine. I would love to make dress versions of this but won't be able to until I sort this shoulder seam issue out!!

  I also tried and failed to get my overlocker working (it's going to the overlocker hospital next week for an 'assessment' - to see if it is worth fixing - I really hope it is as I can't afford a new one and can't live without one!) so the insides are a bit of a mess. 

  Other than the shoulders I am really pleased with the results. 

  I made up a size 7 for my skinny 8 year old, she seemed to be pleased with it....

'A sailor went to sea, sea, sea......'

She is honestly wearing shorts but you can't quite see them as the top is longish - I tried to convince her to wear leggings but it seems that once a tween has made up her mind there is no changing it!!

I made mine in a size large, it does have a bit of a maternity look about it but I often don't like tops/dresses that are tight around my middle. I just wish I had enough fabric for some patch pockets.

It should be nice and cool for the hot spell we are supposed to be heading into!

I am getting better with invisible zips!!

  I love being out doors - any excuse and I am outside -with the kids - with the dog - on my own. Unfortunately you can't really sew outside which does present a particular problem in the summer - I wan't to make a cool summer dress for the heat wave we are about to have but I love being outside too much to stay indoors to sew!!!! - Does anyone else have this issue??

  I hope everyone has been enjoying the sunshine (but finding time to sew)

      Thanks for popping by!

            Su xx