I am Lorna, self confessed sewing addict, pattern collector and fabric curator, and I am delighted to blogging for Crafty Sew & So.

I was lucky enough to receive some of the beautiful linen-look cotton to use for some summer sewing.  It is a bold monochrome print with a lovely linen texture. I decided to sew a Delpy Ballet Top by Halfmoon Atelier, which up until now I'd only made in stretch fabrics.

Number one priority with a print like this was to avoid any unfortunate pattern placement across the chest! I often like to trace my pattern pieces onto clear plastic which makes this much easier to do.  The next step was to add some length to the pattern, as I like a bit more coverage, and I fancied a curved hem, rather than straight, so I got out my French curve and got busy.

Adding the curve was a great excuse to switch up a folded hem for a bound one. I love making my own bias binding and this cotton pressed beautifully, so I cut a square and made continuous binding (rather a lot!). Together with the french seams and the lined bodice it means no raw edges, which is great for fabrics like this which can fray if left unfinished. 

The Delpy Ballet Top has subtle gathering at the bust and a simple silhouette meaning that the daisies are centre stage and give a huge impact.

As well as the subtle shaping that comes from the gather, it is easy to adjust the bust darts on this pattern for a custom fit and the neckline is flattering on a fuller chest. It fits loosely through waist for a comfortable, cool top. All that said, the back is my favourite part! The low scooping swoop is feminine and cool but still gives full bra coverage.

I've included a seated picture, not something I would normal do, but other bloggers recently opened my eyes to how important this can be for wheelchair users, to see how a garment looks when sat down. Its definitely something I will remember to do more often.

My finished top is a stunner which others already have their eye on for borrowing!

Those who know me from my blog, or Instagram, will know that I can't bear to waste a single scrap... and I love a pattern test. The newest summer hat pattern for Twig and Tale was in testing, and a great way to use up odd shapes leftovers from cutting top and binding.

I've never used such a large print on a small garment before so I really wasn't sure how it would work out, but I love the slightly abstract effect.

The cotton presses so crisply that I could skip the top stitching between the petals of the flower inspired panels keeping the simple black and white, clean and smooth.

It complemented such an airy top perfectly, keeping off the sun but feeling light at the same time.

I love my guest blogging opportunity and already have a wish list of other fabrics including some black stretch denim to make new jeans to wear with this outfit. I can't wait for my next Crafty Sew & So project.

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“Crafty Bloggers Club Contributors are given products and materials to test from Crafty Sew&So. We hope you enjoy their honest and impartial reviews of the products. All opinions are their own.”