Pillowcase Upcycle Peplum Top

This top is the first thing I’ve made this year from new fabric, not from stash fabric. The pattern I used is the FREE Peppermint Magazine Peplum Top made by In the Folds and the fabric is from an IKEA duvet cover I bought from the charity shop for 50p! This is most definitely a wearable toile.

This is probably my most sustainable make to-date. I got all of the bodice and shoulder pieces as well as all the bias binding cut from just the pillowcase of the duvet set I bought. That means the only pieces I cut from the duvet cover were the gathered peplum pieces – needless to say I have most of a duvet cover left!

This duvet was a soft and gauzy 100% cotton and it made a lovely toile of this Peplum Top. For 50p I certainly can’t complain and urge you all to check your local charity shops if you don’t already! I absolutely love sourcing fabrics from charity shops, I get to re-use textiles someone else didn’t want (keeping them out of landfill), I get a bargain and the charity gets some money too! Everybody wins! If anyone out there isn’t sure about buying secondhand textiles I would say to them ‘Do you sleep on hotel sheets?’ they have been slept in many times by countless different people, you trust in the hotel washing process and sleep on their used bedding. So trust in your own washing process! I wash all secondhand textiles I buy and am more than happy to use them once I have thoroughly cleaned them myself.

This is the first time I used this pattern, it’s a free one I included in my list of Free Patterns a few posts ago. I downloaded it and stuck it together with no problems, I already knew I wanted to lengthen the bodice by 2 inches so I did that straight away to the pattern pieces. Emily of In the Folds is a bit more fashion-forward than I am and whilst I love the cropped look, I like a bit more coverage as I spend so much time bending over to talk to my 2 year old I don’t like it when tops ride up easily.

Whilst this top was an easy make it included some nice details such as the pattern piece to make the bound neckline, instead of just using binding the pattern piece means that you get this lovely finish on the inside of the deep V at the back of the top. It was a little bit fiddly to do but I am certain I will be pleased with the insides every time I look at them. I do think when I make this out of my fashion fabric I will make more of an effort to slow down and make the insides even prettier. Do you follow @sewitcurly on Instagram? She just made an absolutely beautiful version with gold glitter binding, lined shoulder pieces and a velvet ribbon hem – I can only aspire to make a version that gorgeous!

Even though this was only a toile I definitely think that this floaty gauzy cotton could be my first entry for #alittlelawnparty – have you seen this Instagram challenge by Atia (@thebrightblooms) and Mel (@handmadebyditsytulip)? The challenge is to simply sew something ‘Spring-like’ in-between March 15th and May 15th. I think this floaty green number definitely says ‘Spring’ to me!

The Instagram challenge that’s really caught my attention at the moment though is #soiselflesssewing – Sew Over It has challenged sewists to use the month of April to focus on sewing for others. I absolutely love this, I have been trying to slow down and enjoy the process of sewing this year so that I don’t over-produce tons of new items for my own wardrobe. The only problem is, I have enjoyed this attention to detail sewing so much I have been spending loads more time in the sewing room! Even though I am sewing slower I am still producing the same amount! SO, the plan for April is to not sew for myself AT ALL. I have a few of my March makes lined up for blog posts so it won’t be silent over here but I intend to spend April sewing for family and friends and sharing the sewing love!

Are you taking part in any challenges this spring? Let me know in the comments below!