Ottobre for the win
My love of the Scout Woven Tee has been well documented, but readers I’ve moved on… I’ve discovered the benefits of a woven tee with bust darts!
The Painted Rose Top (pictured on right) from Ottobre Design magazine Spring/Summer 2/2014 is my new go to woven tee.
Apart from a little shortening, this top is without adjustments. I’m talking no full bust adjustment, no fiddling with the position and/or length of the bust darts, no grading between sizes and no high rounded shoulder adjustment. It feels like I’ve hit the pattern jackpot and it makes me oh so happy!
Telling tales on myself…. After the first wear I decided I would shave a little off the front neckline before sewing up this pattern again. I returned to my pattern pieces to discover than I had accidentally added seam allowances to the front and back neckline. Oppphhhs! With Ottobre Design patterns hem and neckline seam allowances are included so you only need to add them to the other outer edges. I can safely say that tracing late at night when you are tired can be just as disastrous as sewing when you are fatigued!
I’ve raved about this fabric in the orange colourway before, and I’ll rave again. It’s a lovely buttery soft cotton from The Cloth Shop that has excellent drape and isn’t transparent. After sewing this top, I returned to see if I could purchase anymore of either colourway. Yes, it was a serious fabric crush! The orange was all gone, but I’ve stashed some more green and envisage making a long sleeve top with it one day. No point making firm pattern plans or dictating time-frames that I have little chance of sticking too!
Pattern: Painted Rose Top from Ottobre Design magazine Spring/Summer 2/2014
Size: 38
Fabric: Cotton from The Cloth Shop
Alterations: The top was shortened by 3 inches near the hem.
Accessories: Necklaces from Elk (red) & Scarlet Jones (green). Shoes recently purchased at Gorman.
And before I go, I feel the need to give my new shoes a little of the lime-light.
oh Anna, you look so fantastic in this top and in this outfit! You just seem to be radiating confidence at the moment.
Very kind Lara. The lovely Sharon has a way of capturing me at my best.
Love your top. I received my first Ottobre magazine on Friday (issue 5/2014). Can’t wait to try it out. Now I’ve seen your top I want this issue. Thanks for the tip about the neck and hem allowances, I’m sure I would have missed that. Katherine
I’m eagerly awaiting the arrive of the new edition. When linking up to Ottobre Design for this post I had a sneak peak online. I’m liking the kimono and look forward to studying the other offerings in detail when my copy arrives. I’ve been subscribing for a couple of years now (both the kids and the womens magazine). I’ve made several of the kids patterns for my girls, but this make gives me the confidence to try more of the patterns for me.
Such a fun top – and this pattern looks like it’s made for you! No adjustments, yay! (Do you normally make a high rounded shoulder adjustment with all pattern lines, or just with the Scout tee? Your shoulders look so normal-shaped to my obviously untrained eye!) Oh and your shoes are awesome too, I want your shoe wardrobe!
Thanks Gabrielle. I do high rounded shoulder adjustment for some but not all my makes… The Scout and Tessuti patterns are all good, but I find I have gaping back necks on lots of Japanese patterns I make and some other indie designers. It’s one of the fit adjustments that I’m used to making… and one of the reasons that I toile all new patterns.
Love this print Anna, nice work snaffling some more for your stash! Still kind of citrusy too.
A perfectly fitted pattern = jackpot IMO. Can’t wait to see more of these. I haven’t looked through an Ottobre magazine before, maybe I should even if it’s just for girl’s patterns.
Your shoes are fab, and definitely deserved their own photo (and why ever not when your socks match so well). Out of interest, what jeans are you wearing? Jeans and swimwear are my most loathsome shopping expeditions you can save me some time by narrowing my search field. The colour of them is spot on.
I’m with you on the pattern jackpot. I’ve already made a liberty version (to be blogged soon) and I have some more liberty aside for another one. I do love a pattern repeat and short sleeves tops are what’s missing in my wardrobe at the moment. The jeans are by Not Your Daughters’ Jean (NYDJ) and they are the ‘leggings’ fit. Don’t worry, they aren’t leggings really, but a flattering slim fit jean with a bit of stretch that has a comfortable mid rise. I hope that helps.
You have inspired me to track down this back issue of Ottobre. The top looks great on you and the fabric is beautiful.
Thanks Sarah-Jane. The fabric is divine. Good luck with your back issue hunt.
Lo and behold Ottobre has an etsy store. I ordered my issue. Thank you for taking the time to post about the shirt. I am very excited to give it a try.
Just gorgeous. It fits you really well. I love both the orange and green colourways on you. The outfit you put together is perfect – love the socks and shoes! You look very slim and cool.
I have never seen this magazine in person but I will seek it online and see if I can get a copy!
I can understand why you would want to make many repeats once you hit a winning pattern!
Thanks for your lovely feedback Melissa. Good luck with your hunt for the Ottobre Design magazine. I must admit I get excited when an issues comes in the mail… I have a subscription to both the kids and the womans editions.
Great outfit! I’ve been looking for a simple pattern like the Scout, but with darts because I have to do a FBA when I make it. I will try this pattern. Thanks for the tips.
I think it’s safe to say that I’ve moved on from the Scout (which I needed to FBA too) as I find the fit on this pattern so much more flattering. I remember when the magazine arrived I overlooked this pattern thinking to myself… that’s just a Scout… I don’t need that one. How wrong was I? Thank goodness I decided to have a flick through all my back issues a few weeks ago.
I love the top! The fabric/print is priceless! Cotton seems so stiff sometimes, your’s doesn’t! Great shoes and socks… Dots and holes!
The poppies fabric is the nicest cotton. It makes Liberty seem stiff… and that’s a big statement. I do enjoy a bit of quirky socks/footwear and when I saw these in the shop on sale I knew that they had to come one with me!
Hot damn, this is even better than your run of Scout Tees! I love the shaping on this- and let’s be honest, I’m now following your FBA footsteps so the no FBA comment has me intrigued. Looking forward to seeing more of these 😀 Also, fierce kicks!
The FBA journey is a fierce one. With some weight loss my ladies have toned themselves down a little in the last four months. I muslin this top two sizes bigger (as per my current bust measurement) than the size I ended up sewing. Who knows? I think I’ll just keep muslining & then FBAing where needed. I do love a quirky shoe!
Love, love, love! A pattern made just for you by the sounds of things. And you know I adore that fabric. Smart move stashing some for later.
I do love a bit of stashing Jillian. I’ve been tidying the fabric stash today & it’s full of lots of lovely memories. Plus sewing from the stash makes the fabric feel like it’s free… or is that just me?!
Love this top on you; the colours and print are fabulous on you. I must dig this magazine out and have another look at this pattern. I’m a die hard knit Tshirt kind gal but I’m seriously thinking of making woven ones having seen so many lovely versions out there.
I will confess I’m very partial to the woven tee. That being said I realise a couple of knit tees in my wardrobe wouldn’t go astray. Do you have a fav knit tee pattern?
Fabulous. What a beautiful print- no wonder you went back for more. Need to look into this magazine, it is not one I have heard off.
The magazine has an Esty shop where you can purchased back issues. When we were in Germany last year you could buy Ottobre Design at the supermarket! Just read your costumes post & I’m in awe. Great work!
Thank you. It was great fun to make and just as much to wear. Don’t know what to do with it now though! Fear it will be like my wedding dress and just take up space in the wardrobe!
[…] soon as I finished sewing my first Painted Rose Top, I cut out and sewed up another one. That’s always a good sign isn’t […]
[…] this simple woven long sleeve top I used the Painted Rose Top from Ottobre Design magazine. My two previous version of this pattern, with the ‘as drafted’ short […]