Beaded Detail Silk Chiffon BurdaStyle Cami 101 05/2013

This floaty silk chiffon cami is my August BurdaStyle team project. It seems that things often go topsy-turvy because my last project was a fully lined trench which I posted during a heatwave and now here we are on a dull, chilly and cloudy UK day and I’m showing you something more suited to the Costa Del Sol…oh well! Mind you they are forecasting a warm September, so I may yet get to wear my cami…fingers crossed eh?

(Note: I was gifted the PDF pattern free of charge. All opinions are my own. Please see my disclosure policy here for more information)

When I was choosing what to sew for my August make I’d narrowed it down to 3 tops and it was only when I spotted this gorgeous silk chiffon in the sale at Clothspot that my mind was made up.The minute I saw it I knew it had to be mine and would be perfect for this sweet little top. In fact, when the package of silk arrived and I opened it up I may just have let out a little squeal of delight. Sooooo lovely!

So the pattern is Burda 101 05/2013 and the details on the website suggested a lightweight georgette type fabric. I knew the silk chiffon would be perfect but it was a bit on the sheer side so I reckoned I needed to add a light lining to feel more covered. A rummage in my stash unearthed some cotton muslin and it was just right for adding a bit of opacity, yet keeping things soft, lightweight and drapey.

Now, the pattern details state that the straps are made using pieces of braiding, so of course my undying need to always add a unique, original touch to my makes (I can’t help myself!) meant that I immediately thought how lovely some beading work would look, so that was my plan.

I hand washed both my silk and muslin before I cut the pattern out on a size 38. Besides missing out the little centre front keyhole slit,  I made no adjustments apart from taking a smidge of length off the straps and adjusting the hem to suit me once I had finished the rest of the top….but…you knew there would be a but, didn’t you? No?….

Well… I ordered exactly 1m of fabric which was more than enough for the top and would have been absolutely fine were it not for the checked type design of the fabric and my perfectionist streak, whereby if a pattern isn’t centred, or matched at the seams, I get very, very twitchy.

It seemed that no matter which bit of pattern design I decided to place down the centre on the front, it was impossible to get the back lined up exactly the same! It was just a foible of the way the design was printed across the narrow width fabric. I wasted so much time standing and staring at the fabric and shifting pieces about but to no avail. I needed to think up a solution if I was to keep my sanity so, in the end, I had to add a small extension to the bottom of the back piece in two sections. I made it look as though some thought had gone into it (actually I did nothing but think about it all bloomin’ night long!) so I made a back slit instead of a seam and put two little folds where it joined the body to create a peplum effect. I think it worked well…phew! Plus I was able to match the side seams and the front and back have pattern placed centrally.  

All of the seams were stitched as French seams using a size 60 Schmetz Microtex machine needle and the fine, narrow hems of both layers were sewn using the same method as I did on this blouse hemline. A bias binding goes around the neckline across the gathers and the underarms have a bias binding stitched to the inside. I love the way it all looks inside.

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For the beading I chose to use bugle beads because I thought the shape of them echoed the lines on the print. I picked out some flame, purple and ivory ones which I bought from a new-to-me store called Spellbound Bead. 

Before I made my beaded straps I tried the top on with two scraps of muslin pinned on in their place in order to get the length right. Then I ironed some sheer interfacing onto the back of some of the silk and marked the length and width of each strap so I could bead within the lines. I just played around with bead placement for a while until I came up with something that I liked and hand stitched them all on. It was rather fiddly, but quite satisfying.

Once the beading was done I stitched the straps on to each back and front of the top then I folded the side of each strap to the underneath and finished off by hand stitching the fabric in place. I might add lingerie straps to anchor the straps to my bra because they do shift a tiny bit even though the width of them is enough to cover my bra. It feels very comfy tough and is a light as a whisper to wear.

So far, I’ve just tried this top on with my cream jeans(see similar jeans here). But I’m guessing it would also work as an evening top with my ankle-length black skinny trousers, or tucked in with a skirt or culottes, or even just dressed down with faded denims.

So thanks for stopping by for a read. I’ll try to get back to a more regular post schedule now that I’ve had a break. I hadn’t intended taking two or 3 weeks off, but a brief holiday in Wales and a lack of planning ahead and everything goes by the wayside eh?

Have you sewn much with sheer fabrics? Or have you sewn with silk? I’d love to know how you feel about sewing with this tricky fabric. Let me know your thoughts in the comments

See you soon then!

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