Twinkle Sews Flapper Camisole

A couple of weeks ago I came across the book "Twinkle Sews" when I was buying presents from the Book Depository.  Tell you what, I'm in looooove!  I can't stop looking at the pictures. I have not been this excited about patterns in a long time.  The patterns are designed by Wenlan Chia, who sends her collections down the runway at New York Fashion Week.  You can see some of the designs in the book over at Hazelnut's blog.

When the big pattern companies put out their collections, I always head for the tops and blouses, hoping for something special and mostly leaving disappointed.  I don't know what it is, but I just don't look good in T-shirts or in collared blouses, which eliminates a lot out there.  My favourite shirts are raglan sleeved, and Wenlan has a whole section devoted to these.  There is another section on dropped shoulder blouses.  I sewed up one of the patterns in the spaghetti strap section, because I had recently fitted and made a Vogue camisole, which I used as a comparison so that I would not get held up with fit issues (I was excited...had to dive straight in and even interrupted the sewing of 15 purple princess dresses for my daughter's dance concert).

Mine looks rather different to the one in the book because of the fabrics I chose.  I'll put all the details in a pattern review, so head on over there  if you want to find out more about it.

oops...I forgot to mention the beads.  At first I tried sewing on beads that I just collected up from around the house (surprising how many there were), but then a non-sewing friend suggested that after going to all the effort of making the shirt, surely I could go to the bead shop and select matching beads...and whilst I was at it, perhaps I could learn to sew them on straight!  Well, I did go and choose beads, which is not my special talent, but I never got them straight.  Oh well.  The beads are needed to hold the inner strips along the neckline and over the straps.

The top is gorgeous to wear and feels all floaty because it is made of silk...and I love that it is a truly one-of-a kind top.  A big thanks to Wenlan Chia and her team for making these patterns available to us.