I spotted the WBM Patterns Silke Top on Instagram when it came out and rather liked the look of it, so I got the pattern at the same time that I bought the Puff Shirt design that I blogged about here. By the way, WBM stands for Wardrobe By Me; they’re a Danish pattern company that I wasn’t overly familiar with until a few months ago.
I thought that the Silke blouse would be a useful top for cooler Summer days, so I bought an oatmeal linen mix from Sew Me Sunshine to try out the design. It’s a top designed to finish at the high hip, and you can choose from a couple of sleeve length options and neck shapes too. I sewed up a size 8 and checked the fit with a mock-up first. I chose the more scooped-out neck shape and went for a shorter 3/4 sleeve (which I did shorten more)
All the main seams are sewn with French seams, and all the hem facings are turned to the outside and topstitched. The neck facing has the addition of interfacing, too.
A rather nice technique is used for attaching the interfacing to the neck facing. It’s one that I’ve heard of before but never tried. So you have to place the woven fusible interfacing to the facing with right sides together, then sew all around the outer edge. You then flip it to the inside and fuse it on with the iron. This creates a lovely, neat enclosed edge that’s all ready to topstitch around. I found that it worked really well and love the neat, clean edge.
As you can see, I went above and beyond doing just one row of topstitching on all the facings and sewed multiple rows instead. I just couldn’t help myself; you know I love to topstitch đ It’s quite subtle, but it makes them nice and robust.
Now, this project ended up being one that I kept changing my mind about after I’d sewn it. The first thing was that the pale, creamy oatmeal shade that you see in these photos is not how the fabric looked originally. It started as a proper oatmeal shade, the sort you see pouring out of your cereal box…yes, that’s right, a sort of dull grey-toned cream. It turned out that it looked really off next to the other colours and cream shades in my wardrobe. So I bleached it, of course đ
Oh, boy, I had my heart in my mouth when I decided to go for it and dunk my freshly made top in a sink of diluted bleach. I was really careful not to overdo the amount of bleach, and I stood over it, swirling it constantly in the solution so that it lightened evenly. I’m very happy to report that, as you can see from the photos, it worked well. But there’s more…
When I wore the top for the photos, I kept thinking that I felt unsure about the sleeve proportions. Part of me wishes I’d left them full length. I think maybe it’s where the width at the hem interacts with the bottom of the top and my own proportions. Anyhow…eeek…two weeks later I removed the sleeves. I know some of you may be saying, “but I liked them as they were”, but I need to feel right in it, and now I love it as a tank top, so don’t be too mad at me đ But isn’t it great that we can sew and alter things to just how we want them?
Here’s what it looks like now:
I’ve been more thoughtful lately in assessing my clothes. I think now more than ever that I know what proportions and style features suit me, and I’m constantly re-evaluating existing pieces to see if I need to adjust or refashion anything.
My Kibbe body type (in case you’re at all interested in that type of thing) is a mix of Flamboyant Gamine and Classic. I suit more cropped proportions or cropped paired with long, slightly boxy shapes, with some angles and contrasts. Nothing too wide/full, soft, or long and flowing. I find it all so interesting đ . Do you constantly reassess? Or do you struggle sometimes to know what works? It’s really good to take time to analyse and think hard about why it is that you don’t feel right in something when it feels ‘off’. You could try making notes and creating a file of inspiration images on Pinterest or something similar.
And on that rather thoughtful note, I’ll bring this post to a close. Thanks so much for stopping by to read my musings đ
See you soon!
Well, how can we fairly comment on which version is better if you only show us a photo on you of the lovely top with the 3/4 flared sleeves (which I like VERY much)?! I loved the well-proportioned sleeves with the topstitched facing/band.
And I liked the original color, too, on you, though that is really personal preference.
The sleeveless top is certainly summery and cute, but the original version w/ sleeve has more detailing, and looked lovely for transitioning to Fall.
How does this fit so well without a bust dart? The original draft with sleeve really LOOKS so nice in the front armhole area (that doesn’t mean that it was comfortable to wear, tho).
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Hi Joan. The colour in all of the photos is the post-bleach colour; the original, as I stated, was a darker grey/oatmeal. I much prefer this cream colour in the pictures đ . And apologies for not having a photo of me in it without sleeves, as it was a last-minute change and I’m flying off on my vacation in a few hours. The sleeves weren’t at all uncomfortable as they were; it’s more to do with the flared hems and where they hit on my proportions, also in relation to my height and the length of the top itself. I chose photos for this blog where I felt it didn’t look too bad, but it just didn’t feel right.
Oh and I reckon the bust dart was drafted out into the shoulders to create the slight flare.
Knowing its a done deal, I will say that the ivory cropped, full 3/4 sleeve top, (in the photos you showed) + the long slim skirt, cream over rust, is one of the most flattering outfits youâve shown us. The sleeve length ended just above the hem, so it was visually distinct from the hem and hips. The bell sleeve proportions with its flare was really elegant in the photos you chose to show.
Sometimes how we see ourselves is different than how others see us, but ultimately we have to go with how we see ourselves, as you did. But it is always good to try to understand how others perceive the same thing.if they are really looking at it with attention. I generally donât comment if I do not care for something (or I only comment on what I can be positive about đ).
One question: you mention that the bust dart was âdrafted out into the shouldersâ â I thought it would be rotated out to the hem, creating the flare??
Author
Apologies, I meant rotated out to create the flare, as you said. And It’s funny, but with the sleeve length as you see it here, the sleeve length does seem compatible with the hem length, but…in real life I feel that the added width hits my body in the wrong place. Also, I realise that it is a conventionally and classically flattering look, but whenever I go too classic in an outfit, I feel wrong. Isn’t it funny how we perceive ourselves? đ
I go for very similar proportions in clothing as you do, but how we think of ourselves (I mean even the things we donât necessarily admit easily to others!), really influences our gut feelings about fit and little details.
Several sewing teachers who I think have excellent taste and judgement have encouraged me to wear longer tops and jackets, down to the hip or low hip, but as Iâm shortwaisted w/ long crotch depth and average to slightly shorter legs, I almost always go for shorter tops and jackets above mid-hip that allow my legs to look long!
Author
Yes, our own internal voices can be deafening, can’t they? And that’s one of the reasons I only included close-ups or side view photos of my outfit here. The full-length face-on shot looked so unflattering to me so it got deleted.
I looked at your pattern on the WBM website. They showed models wearing the blouse made in solid and print fabrics. I thought the blouse looked best in the stripes.
Author
Ah yes, I expect you could use the stripes in different directions.
I so agree Diane, even after I âfinishâ a garment âŚ..itâs never truly finished.
Half the fun of sewing your own wardrobe is the fine tweaking. I love knowing what really works on my body and making that happen. Sometimes you donât know that itâs not the best until itâs put together. And when it doesnât feel right, the pinning begins and changes happen.
Itâs not disappointment âŚ.its learning and changing things to be the best for you.
Author
Thank you Suz! Yes, that’s right, it’s always an ongoing process isn’t it?