Before working on the black-gray silk burnout velvet, I decided to give my sewing space a looooong overdue cleaning-sorting-stowing. Too many I'll-finish-this-someday projects, scraps from long ago finished garments (WHY can't I just throw them away?), waaaay too much stash, and a SHOCKING amount of dust! So I spent three days scrupulously sorting, labeling and boxing tons of fabric, tossing the WIP stuff and old scraps, putting many pieces in the donate stack, and then giving the room a good dusting and vacuuming. Achoo!
Here is the pattern I finally chose for the top:
Inspiration: I had bought an extra 1/2 yard of fabric to be sure I had enough to match the center fronts and the CB seam. So today I lay the fabric out flat, placed the front pieces, one above the other but reversed, along the good selvedge (making sure the center fronts were also on the same part of the fabric pattern), and then checked to see if I had enough fabric to do the same with the two back pieces. Nope, lacking 8". Start again: The two front pieces along the "good" selvedge, and the backs as close to ongrain along a fold nearest to the good side. OK! this would work, and I have plenty of fabric left to locate the sleeves in positions to match the pattern along the horizontal line of the bustline. Also lots of room to cut the facings to match the pattern at CF.
Thanks to Hilary Carton of the SewBiz list for giving me a shove in the right direction late last night! ;-) The two fronts and facings are cut, and the back pieces laid out ready to be cut. Break time...
Beverly