Ginger Made: The “Oona Made Me Do It” Simone Top!

March 2, 2013 By in finished object, Mood Sewing Network, Uncategorized Tags: , , , 165 Comments

Friends.  The internet is a dangerous and scary place.  One minute you’re innocently setting up a Twitter account, and the next you’re accepting dares from a madwoman!  BE VERY, VERY CAREFUL.  Gillian‘s #sewingdares spread like wildfire!

Obviously, I’m no sissy, so I immediately agreed to this dare and headed to Mood with Oona and friends!

This is what happened.

photo stolen from oonaballoona

Oona pulled many the bolt of fabric down and wrapped me in colors and prints from head to toe.  It was a difficult decision, but, like the loose cannon she is, Oona decided at the last minute to up the ante and dare me to use TWO prints.  WHAT?  I’m a plain Jane, yo!  I do NOT mix prints!

But.  I’ve been looking for justification to download the super rad and sporty Simone Top from Victory Patterns, so this seemed like the perfect opportunity.  Is it not crazy cute?  I thought its modern lines worked well with these abstract prints, and it felt like a good way to mix patterns.  Plus I just really wanted an excuse to buy it.

Speaking of patterns, let’s talk about the fabric for a minute!  The blue fabric with the larger print is sold in 1-yard panels, which made the yardage perfect for a top rather than a dress.  It’s a stretchy silk blend of some sort.  The gray and orange fabric is silk charmeuse (I used the wrong, less-shiny side).  I had a sudden inspiration to separate these two partners in crime with handmade piping (chartreuse!)– I love the extra pop of color it provides, even if it’s a bit over the top!

I really liked both the main fabric and the contrast, but they were a nightmare to stitch together.  The slippery charmeuse and the stretchy blend slithered and bunched together around the curves of the placket and back yoke– it wasn’t pretty.  I unpicked those seams so many times that I eventually lost count (even though I hand basted all of the seams before machine stitching!!), and it definitely took a toll on the fabric (and my psyche… I cried… SEVERAL TIMES…).  I was ELATED when I finally finished it!

Let’s just pretend that I’m not so pale and slouchy. The back is way cute, though, yeah?

As far as the pattern goes, I took the liberty of raising the armscyes by about 1″ from the get-go since that was an adjustment I needed to make in another of Kristiann’s patterns, but then I trimmed them back unscientifically.  Since my main fabric was stretchy, I skipped the zipper and I can just squeeze into it.  Win!

I think Oona was acting as my spirit animal or something because for some reason I went rogue and totally skipped making a muslin.  I didn’t even check flat pattern measurements!  It strains a little bit at the bust… whoops.  But I can totally live with the fit.  Even though I can’t close the top at the neckline.

What?  I TOLD you I didn’t make a muslin.  Don’t be like that.

This pic is so terrible that it would be wrong to deprive you of seeing it.

So, what do you think of this?  Am I channeling our beloved Oona?  Did I do her fabric choices justice?  Would you let her pick out fabric for you?  Who’s in on a sewing dare?

165 responses

  2. Oooooh, this is gorgeous. Love the top pattern and Ooona’s fabric choices were inspired! The bright piping is JUST the kick it needed. Sorry you had so much trouble with it, crying during a project is never fun :). That’s why I havn’t attempted thin, shiny, slippery fabrics yet. But your perseverence paid off! Well done. And, yes, I would let Oona pick fabrics for me :).

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    • Thanks, lady! Slippery projects can be a pain in the butt, although I find that hand-basting really helps a lot. But there was something really tough about dealing with sewing curves on stretch and non-stretch fabric– the stretchy fabric had tons of give and just kept folding itself up into tucks. Ugh!

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  4. This is a fantasic combo of pattern-fabric-colours – well done you! Love the terrible photo, it would be wrong to not share that with us, shows us that your life is not edited (which is a trap I think we all risk falling into!).
    And yes, I would totally let Oona pick fabric for me. Although my current sewing dare is at a stale mate – House of pinheiro dared me to sew a top to go with a houndstooth skirt, and whaddaya know, my butt has grown and I don’t fit my skirt anymore!!

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  8. I think oona and I might be at opposite ends of the print spectrum so I’d be very scared of her picking my fabric – always looksawesome on her tho! I haveto get myself onto twitter. The sewcialists seem to be having a greattime and maybe I need a sewing dare!

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  9. Wow, I love this Sonja! I’m a huge fan of the pattern itself and Oona’s fabric choices for you ended up being perfect for it. Excellent work lady!!!

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  10. Whoa, I like how the two prints are combined in this shirt, especially at the back! (Also that bright, chartreuse piping isn’t over the top at all. I think it helps make the shirt, as they say.) Seriously though, the sporty design done up in fancy, silky fabrics is really nice. A sewing dare win, yeah? 🙂

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  11. Oh man, this is inspired! The piping totally makes it – good call! I’m absolutely in love with this. Maybe Oona should start a fabric-picking side business – I’d let her pick my fabrics!

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  13. Ah! I love it! I am normally not a print mixing person either but this is fabulous (and very Oona!). I think I actually like the top open better as well. Your version as totally put this on my to-sew list : )

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  14. Simone would probably have to be my favourite Victory Pattern but I think yours might be the first one I’ve seen made up. And it’s gorgeous! Relinquishing control and letting other people make decisions about your style is always tough, but often rewarding! It’s so easy to get bogged down in a particular style that you forget to experiment, so I think it’s a good challenge to get some outside input from time to time!

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    • I love this pattern, too! I’ve been realllllllly wanting to make it, but it came out towards the end of summer so I’ve been waiting to download it– glad I finally had the chance! You should make it! I bet you would love it!

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  15. I”m so impressed for you for mixing TWO oona prints AND bright piping -and it’s soooo good! It’s you, but with a dash of oonarificness. And you’ve got me seriously considering buying the pattern now… Well done on your sewing dare!
    (Come back for another any time! 🙂

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  16. Sonya you brave, colourful, magnificent woman! I think you totally did this fabric and Oona proud. So awesome that I’m now tempted to make something as bright and fabulous. Also stay away from that internets, it is evil.

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  18. You are so much braver than I am! Mixing prints (or hell, even sewing with them!) always has freaked me out a little…OK, maybe a lot. 😳 Anyway, I would have had a hard time seeing what to make out of it, but I really like your end result, so you chose VERY well! 🙂

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  25. You’re completely adorable, and the top turned out slammin! I love the prints, and the piping seriously makes it. MAKES IT! Good call. I might have to go pick up that pattern…

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  30. Wow, this is awesome! I love the kick of yellow – it totally does it for me! You look great!

    I second the comment on liking it open at the top. The one part of the pattern that I didn’t like was that it came straight up at the top; for me, shirts like this always flop over oddly and it never looks good post-initial-wear. The styling is a bit more sexy casual open like that. Totally loving this whole thing! WOWEEEE!

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  31. Oh, this is fabulous! I love that chartreuse piping, it separates the two patterns nicely and adds a great contrast colour to bring them all together (heck knows how that sort of thing works, but work it does!).

    I was like “oh, nice top” and then you showed the photo of the back. Stunning!! Those curves are just so pretty!

    I’d totally let Oona pick out fabric for me, but then, I’m all about colours anyway.

    I’d love a sewing dare, but don’t have one yet…. Wanna give me one? 😉

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    • I felt the same way about the pattern! I thought it was nice enough until I saw the back, and it’s just so cool and unusual! What a great design!

      OOH! I would LOVE to give you a sewing dare! What do you think of this one? I sewing dare you to stitch something from (or inspired by) a decade that you’ve never sewn from before!

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      • Oh my, a decade I haven’t sewn from before! Eek!! That pretty much leaves pre-1930’s, or the 80’s or 90’s. Oh dear…. That’s one heck of a dare! I’m rather scared! (Maybe I could mix all three – a flapper dress in plaid with shoulder pads, perhaps?) (Or maybe not….)

        Either way, you’re on! I’m off to do some planning now…. (Eek!)

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  32. Wow this top is super sexy! The back is wowsers! I’m obsessing over the gorgeous blue fabric, I may need to hunt this down and add it to my wardrobe. The combo of this and the animal print works really well, you did a great job on this despite the frustration!

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  34. It’s rad and really channels oona … I love the grey and orange fabric and pattern is cute … This post is very funny lol you done well on your dare.

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  37. Wow I love this! The patterns look great together, definitely channelling Oona 😉 I was never drawn to the simone pattern before but now I see yours I think I’ll have to get it

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  38. Haha, thank you so much for that last pic. Awesome. The top came out great and it fits very nicely for not making a muslin! Well done!!

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  40. Holy Crap I love this. I’m almost in pain, I like it that much. If only we all had our own personal Oona’s to aid in matching clashing (oxymoron, much?) prints. Woman, this is art. And I’m going to make a knock off at some point in time, okay?

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  43. Awesome job! I LOVE the fabric combo!! Oona is a genius with fabric combinations – I’d let her select my wares ANY day! Especially if paired with such an awesome pattern. Love this Victory pattern top. And way to go actually squeaking through all the tricky slithery fabric bits and not losing your mind!

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  46. Plain Jane? You? Not at all my friend. Oona picked the fabrics so well for you, you picked the perfect pattern, and your top looks great! I also agreed to a dare by Gillian but I’m dragging my heels on it, although I must confess I would never have agreed to let someone else pick a print for me – you are brave!

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  47. Oh, I love this! Oona’s picks are great, the pattern is great, and your sewing looks fantastic. I was totally amazed when you said “slippery,” “woven,” “non-woven,” and “curved” all together, and then saw how good it turned out!

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  48. I think you picked the perfect pattern, and the piping was a brilliant move. You really pulled it off. I don’t think I’m brave enough to let Oona pick fabric for me 😉 But your top turned out really cute–way to go!

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    • Thanks, Leah! It’s fun to make something a bit more modern– I love geometric prints and interesting lines, but I often end up in things with more of a vintage or classic silhouette.

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