Lacy New Year's Tank
Who can resist a scrumptious lacy top for New Years Eve? If you can't, now is the time to start planning it!
There is a huge thought process that goes into making your own lace top. First of all, the moral / style dilemma. Most laces, by nature, are very see–through. While the younger set seems to have no problem at all wearing a sheer lace top over a differently–colored bra, that may not be the style all of us would be comfortable in for an entire evening. Many purchased tops are lined, but the manufacturers have the benefit of dying both the lining and the lace afterward to achieve the same coloring exactly. Pattern 6558N1, made from solid satin for the holiday season. If you stay with basic navy, black, white or red you may be able to match a lace and satin quite well together. Or try burgundy or teal over black, add a pair of black satin pants and you'll have a stunning combination for a more dramatic outfit.
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Once you've conquered the see–through issue, you have to choose your type of lace. This step must be given lots of time and thought and not be rushed into. Your choice of lace may be influenced by your pattern or vice versa. The photograph of pattern 6558N0, shows the top made with alençon lace. The pattern instructions suggest that you purchase a galloon lace which is double–edged, cut the borders off the lace and re–sew them along the bottom hem, the sleeves and the neck edge as trim. Many cutting instructions for lace fabrics suggest laying the front and back cross–wise to use any scalloped edging as the hem, but as you can see on the line drawing of 6558N0, there is an under–bust seam and seams are used as contouring features in the front of the top. If you were to use a cross–wise layout for cutting, matching the scallop of the lace on the three front pieces with two seams would be both time–consuming and expensive. And, contour darts and seams are not of an equal depth so even if you get the bottom to match, the pattern of the lace will not match along the length of the seam. The ideal alternative is to buy the galloon lace, cut off the scalloped edge and use it as trim, the way the pattern suggests.
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This brings with it new challenges: finding a lace that has a selvedge edge that can be used as a trim. Look at the edge of the laces carefully; with an alençon lace, it is important that the satin cord that runs through the lace stays only within the design along the border. The photos at left show one lace that CAN have its edge trimmed off and one lace that CAN'T have its edge trimmed. With the second example, if you were to cut through the satin cording, both sides would have a propensity to ravel even if you were to treat them with a product formulated to prevent that. Some chantilly laces have edges that are suitable but quite small. It may take some searching to find a lace that is both usable and appealing to your tastes. |
Now we come into fabric requirements and budget determination. If you are going to use selvedge edges as trim, notice whether one selvedge or two are suitable. The amount of fabric you need to purchase may not necessarily be dependant now on the length of your pieces, but rather on the amount of trim needed to go around the bottom of the garment, the sleeve edges and the neck edge. If your lace of choice has only one usable selvedge, the amount you will need to purchase for just the trim may make the project's cost out of reach, so look for double–edged laces. And, unfortunately, the laces that tend to be the most suitable for cutting off the selvedges also tend to be the most expensive, so note the per–yard costs.
If you really have your heart set on laying your pattern pieces cross–wise to the grain and using the pretty edge along the bottom of your garment, look for a pattern that has fewer design details. Patterns 4047U0 and 6163N1 are perfect examples: clean cut and simple. (Of course, if you have a bust, your Unique custom–fit pattern will have bust darts.)
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Neither pattern 4047U0 or 6163N1 is lined; both a netted lace and Venice lace will need a lining for privacy's sake.
Your lace top can easily become a staple in your wardrobe; it can go from jeans to party–wear with a change of footwear and jewellery. Take the time to plan carefully, and you'll be thrilled with the outcome!