Prada Inspired Suit - The Top

I've had a few inquiries concerning the turtleneck top I modeled yesterday in the photos. Yes, I did make the top to go with the suit, and it seems to work well as a pair with the jacket when worn with jeans (some of you picked up on that fact and pointed it out, thanks!).

It is made of the winter white stretch velvet I picked up at Fabric Fix a week or two ago. It took less than a yard, and at only $10.00 per yard, cheaper and closer to what I wanted than anything RTW. It needs a camisole, but that's a very easy fix!

I used to BWOF 8/08 #118 as a starting point:


I saw the version Cidell made, which was really cute and liked the basic elements: the turtleneck, the front and back yokes and the front pleats. To modify it to my tastes and to look more like the higher necked blouses/tops shown with the Prada lace tops (view the collection here) I changed the neckline by making it smaller and making the collar smaller in circumference, and made it as a top instead of a dress/tunic. To make the neckline work, I stole a few pattern pieces from one of my daughter's patterns, which also happens to fit me in the largest size. (There are a few perks to being petite!).

This was the right idea, but not quite right yet:

I had plenty of leftover fabric, so I knew I could cut another collar and yoke if the first one didn't work. The collar needed to be smaller around and taller, and the neckline still needed to be higher in the front to make it work. The second try was much better and the rest of the top went together easily.

I used the coverstitch machine for the hems, and got a good result by basting first for a guideline and because I wasn't sure how the machine would deal with the slippery stretch velvet.

I might actually make this pattern again in a different fabric and draft (or steal!) a pattern piece for a long sleeve for the winter. Come to think of it, I need to replace both my standard white and standard black turtlenecks this year and this just might work.

Q/A: Kennis asked, "I am inspired to make something mixing knit, woven and lace fabrics, but I don't really see any fabric vendors that have these fabrics in the same color. How do you manage to get the same color fabrics?" Well, mostly by luck, actually. The brown suiting I've had for at least five years, bought on clearance at Jo-ann's most likely. The brown/gold metallic lace was bought on eBay somewhere in the past, three to five years ago or so (maybe longer!) and the brown knit I bought within the last month at Jo-ann's. They had several shades of brown knit to chose from and I bought several cuts and figured what I didn't use for the jacket, I'd make a turtleneck for my daughter to wear to school with her brown/pink/cream/teal wardrobe.

Parting Shot: Sephora goodies. I took the afternoon off yesterday and went down to Salem, NH (our nearest Sephora and 10 minutes from where my husband works) to have lunch with my husband and shop with my birthday gift card. It was fun to be able to get some new fun things and a few samples to try too: a few new eyeliners, eyeshadow primer, new lipstick and a trial mascara among other things.