Favourite new top!

This is another fantastic offering from the Friday Pattern Company! It’s a simple but beautiful design and a really straightforward and enjoyable sew. The neckline features a tie closure, so this would be an ideal project for someone new to dressmaking.

I had a really good scroll through the posts tagged with #sagebrushtop on Instagram before I chose the fabric for my top. There are so many versions made in such a wide range of fabrics – plenty of inspiration! I saw a stunning mustard Sagebrush made in a viscose linen blend and shamelessly copied it after I found an almost identical fabric from Minerva. It was very reasonable at £13.99 per metre and I managed to cut everything out of 1.5m.

The Sagebrush instruction booklet is excellent and I had no problems at all during construction. I made one small change, which was to attach the neckline binding to the inside of the top and flip it to the outside before topstitching down. I find I get much neater results using this method rather than stitching in the ditch. I made a straight size S top with no alterations and the fit is spot on.

I absolutely love the finished top and I’m sad I’ve had to put it in the washing basket – I want to wear it every day! I think the fabric is what has made it so successful – it has the most gorgeous drape and weight, which works perfectly with the style of sleeve. I have seen some lovely versions made in printed/patterned fabrics, but I think using a solid colour really shows off the ruffle and gathers. This will definitely not be the only Sagebrush in my wardrobe for long!