Trevi top

I don’t know about you, but it seems that every year now, I hit a stage of panic sewing around a month before my holidays.  It always, always creeps up on me, together with the realisation that I cannot possibly complete my mental holiday wardrobe anything like in time.

This week so far, in a spate of speed sewing, I have completed a dress, a jersey top, three woven tops and a dress for Katie. And it’s only Wednesday!! But I have to start work on my wedding guest outfit next week so I’m blazing through the quicker holiday makes before settling in to that one!

This is a roundabout way of saying I have a blog backlog at this point!

Part of that is the top I want to show you today, which continues my search for the perfect summer top.

So what’s a perfect summer top, then?

For me, it’s something sleeveless, preferably woven as I find that cooler, and with a certain amount of chest coverage as I always, always get sunburn otherwise.

Enter the Hey June Handmade “Trevi” top and dress.  This is a recent release and features a high neck, slightly cut away armholes and a button back, to be made in drapey fabrics.

Sounds perfect!

I made it up in some rayon (viscose? Who knows!) I got in the first Sew Up North fabric swap, so thank you to whoever donated this! It hangs beautifully and has a glorious floral print, perfect holiday fabric.

Unusually for me, I didn’t go for contrast buttons, largely because there seemed very little point with a print like that. If I’d worked out my Prym pliers earlier, I would probably have just gone with snaps; live and learn. I have 8 buttons down the back rather than the 6 called for, simply because the last button back top I made comes open now and again so I wanted each button to be under a little less weight.

The pattern sewed up easily and quickly, and I really, really like the result; it feels put together but so cool and floaty, it’s exactly how I like a summer top to feel. I can wear it for work with jeans but it will also work with my shorts.

Another time, I think I would shorten the back piece a little; it just feels a little too long and I’d prefer the look of it with the two hems more in line, but that is total personal preference.

So, a successful make and a use of stash fabric; what could be better?

Becca x

Details:

Pattern: Trevi top and dress by Hey June Handmade

My measurements: bust 35″: waist / torso 30″: hip 40″

Size cut: 8

Fabric: around 1m of rayon (maybe?) from the Sew Up North fabric swap

Future adjustments: shorten the back piece slightly

Make again: Yep!