Swingy lace top - I've been craving texture and movement!

Swingy lace top - I've been craving texture and movement!

• 3.23.2016

Happy spring! I'm so glad it's time to transition away from all the grey, black, and navy I've been wearing and switch to some lighter colors. But unfortunately.. the other weekend when I was getting dressed for something social I realized I've pared my wardrobe down so much, I hardly have anything that isn't a very basic piece in a neutral color. Seriously, I have an aqua t-shirt and an orange t-shirt, and the orange one has a hole in it. I have some colored layering tank tops. Pretty much rest of my wardrobe is neutral and has no texture or interest. I really wanted to wear something long, something lacy, something not knit or denim.

So, I pulled out a few cuts of fabric from my stash over the weekend and am working on giving myself some options!! I put together this lace top in only an hour and a half or so of sewing time (not cutting the time I spent cutting it out while watching Fixer Upper).

I used a simple top pattern, Simplicity 1693. I thought about modifying one of my favorite dress patterns, like I did on this peplum top, which might have had a better neckline... and I didn't use the length of the top pattern for the lining or the lace layer. Oh, well.

How cool is that lace?? It was left over from this dress. I used a really nice, very tightly woven off-white cotton shirting for the lining.

I didn't have to do any special finish on the armholes since I used the lining.

I paired it with the olive cargo jacket I wear at least once/week (mine is ancient J.Crew but Old Navy has a very similar one this season!) and some black stretchy jeans I recently distressed. It felt very refreshing to wear this transitionally springy outfit during a sun break over the weekend!

Pattern: Simplicity 1693
Modifications:

• Cut the outer layer longer but didn't hem it; used the edge of the lace
• Gave it a short lining

I feel very proud of DIYs like this that are so wearable and work with pieces I already own and wear a lot. I rounded up some similar pieces here for the rest of the outfit!