marfy blouse - uaine on the bias

This poor skirt was sitting on the euro rail last year - I got it as I like green, and its a viscose linen.  As a bias skirt - I wouldn't be able to wear it, bias enhances any potential curve (I think bias skirts are to be avoided at all costs  for pear-me ......) but as a top it could work out quite well indeed - I probably should have ironed the skirt before photographing as the creases do it no favours.  

I had come across a few versions of this marfy top online, and I was also curious about their patterns as there was a discussion on them somewhere on fb - so as this pattern was free, it was one way to find out.  I cut for a size 44 and did french seams.  I double checked on seam allowances before cut, and there are none so I added 1.5 all round, and as there would be no hem allowance, I decided to use the frill as the hem (which turned out to be an excellent decision).  

I ironed a crease at the centre front and centre back of skirt pieces to get the true bias, before laying the pattern over each.  In the pattern layout photo, the pattern is laid on the fold and then the side seam hem edge is at the skirt frill join on both, so that worked as my 'marker' or notch when I went to sew, I then marked 1.5cm seam allowances at the sides, armholes, and neck.   I put a small facing on the back for the opening, and then sewed the top, gathered the front and then bound the edges.  I decided not to use the neck band as I had seen one version without and liked that, and when I went to cut I may not have had sufficient fabric for the bands (judging from what was left over).  The top was quick enough to run up, and probably quicker for anyone else as I tend to hand hem bindings (my machining of them is rough at best), but in all I think it was 2 or 3 hours (I took apart a dress in-between).

I am incredibly delighted with the top.  This marfy pattern was easy to use but I don't know how true this is for their other patterns as they seem to give limited instruction from what I gather on their site - but then again, early vintage patterns don't give too many clues at the best of times either!.  

Uaine (wen-ya), is an old Irish word for green - it is specific to something being coloured green as opposed to naturally green, and this month is going to be a Uaine month!  In January I did a bit of a rethink of what I was at with all this sewing and cutting, - and I am still without a master plan but now have a modus operandi!!!!  I had to find some focus, as I seemed to have lots of ideas, and projects started all over the house.  So now I am doing projects by the month and by general colour or theme as when I went through everything it turned out that there is currently enough charity shop buys to see me to the next 5 months of making! (its far too easy when things are 1 and 2 euro)  So I divided them into colour and drew up some plans for each, and also catalogued my small stash, so now I am only working a month at a time to stop me flitting from project to project, and have a bag with the next 4, but no more................