Peplum while they’re hot

At least, peplums were hot when I began thinking about this top almost two months ago. Are they still hot? Does anybody know? Anyway, I knew I wanted in on the action. I also knew the high necklines of these peplum patterns Vogue 8815, Burdastyle, Salme just weren’t going to cut it for my broad shoulders. If you remember this chat, and this one about the virtues of sweet heart necklines it will make sense that I pinned, this anthropologie number as inspiration for my ultimate peplum top. As for putting it together, the plan was just to borrow the bodice of my wiggle dress, Vogue 8280, make the sleeveless version, and, you know, simply move the zip from the back to the side and pinch the peplum from the Salme pattern. How hard could it be, right? Right?!

It’s come to my attention that the last three garments I’ve sewn have all had some mods from the original patterns. It’s been thrilling plotting ideas and just kind of sewing by the seat of my pants with a vague idea about the construction. But meltdown is never far away. Changing the hemline on this top went pretty smoothly, adding a side cinch to the Mission Maxi was manageable but let’s just say my trusty ‘how hard can it be attitude’ only goes so far. Peppi nearly killed me! The truth is, it didn’t actually take me two months to sew. At least one of those was spent avoiding it like the plague.

The details:

I followed the instructions for the lined sleeveless version of Vogue 8280 and lengthened the bodice by an inch. I was originally going to leave the peplum unlined but this beautiful Nani Iro Double gauze ‘Pocho’ dot is quite see-through and flimsy so I decided to line after all. That’s where things went rather pear shaped for a while. I attempted to bag out the hem but then I couldn’t turn the top back out the right way. I would have laughed but I was crying at the time. Unpicking followed, along with profanities as the delicate fabric threatened to disintegrate with every un-pick.  I couldn’t figure out the best way to hem so upon the advice of the girls at work, I basted the lining and the gauze together, folded over once and serged, which made for a super floaty finish. I attempted to put the zip in a few times before I was happy with it and ended up hand-stitching the lining to the zipper. It could also have done with some interfacing through the flange sections for support. It’s a hand-wash only garment!

So despite some tricky bits, it really turned out beautifully. And like childbirth as soon as I cradled Peppi in my arms I forgot the agony and just wanted another. But there’s too many new patterns, see here, to go back for seconds so soon. Besides I just want to follow a regular pattern from start to finish without any brain-straining modifications. Oh wait, that will have to wait until after my placket-less, lowered-hem, capped sleeve version for the Megan Nielsen Banksia Sewalong. Sigh…

We spent the weekend in beautiful Byron Bay, and finally had a chance to take some photos of the top. I have to say there were a lot more people around than I’m used to. Normally I like to go about it all as if reclining on crates, or sidling up to suspicious looking plants is just the most appropriate thing I could think to do at the time. But there were noticeably more ‘special’ faces to crop out in this lot so I must have been feeling the pressure.