:: pins & needles - In bloom

Simplicity 2599

- if you squint, you may just be able to make out the enlarged bow on my left (your right) shoulder -

- styled with jeans and my new wedges & nancybird belt -

- styled with my new watermelon pink shrug from Vinnies ($5 new with tags, woohoo!) -

Last week I made up my first version of Simplicity 2599. It's a basic shell top (so my sister tells me) which provides a good base for fun embellishments - flounces, ruffles, bows etc. 

While in Melbourne recently, I bought my first piece of Liberty. I wanted to make up a fairly basic & versatile pattern with it and thought Simplicity 2599 was a good place to start. The top above, is actually my 'test version'. I thought it better to try out a new pattern on a cheap piece of cotton from Spotlight than to dive blindly with Liberty in hand. This turned out to be a good move. The bodice was quite a poor fit. Fortunately, I've just spent a week with my sister (a much better sewer than me) and she pinned and tucked me to perfection. She helped me make the alterations on the paper pattern so I should be good to go. She changed the style of front dart (I have no idea what it is called) and added a back dart. We also changed the width of the bodice throughout giving a bit more room at the hips.