22 August 2018

A Dreamy Double Gauze Stevie Top

Tilly's dreamy double gauze Stevie top - Tilly and the Buttons
Tilly's dreamy double gauze Stevie top - Tilly and the Buttons

My everyday wardrobe is seeing more and more versions of our Stevie pattern on rotation. I've made two dresses, which have seen me through the never-ending London heatwave, and my third version is this top, which I think is my favourite one yet.

Tilly's dreamy double gauze Stevie top - Tilly and the Buttons
Tilly's dreamy double gauze Stevie top - Tilly and the Buttons

The fabric is a beautiful double gauze that I found on Etsy. If you haven't handled it before, double gauze is made up of two layers of very fine cotton gauze woven together, giving it a lightweight-yet-not-thick, almost cloud-like - marshmallow-like, if you will - feel. Yes, it's as dreamy as it sounds! I thought the stripes would be horizontal, so was a bit thrown when it arrived and they were vertical, but I've come round to it and think I like it more this way.

Tilly's dreamy double gauze Stevie top - Tilly and the Buttons

The yoke on the back is just screaming out for a contrast print, so I cut the pieces on the crosswise grain to make the stripes horizontal. The wrinkly, floaty nature of double gauze mean that the stripes don't always look like they match up - and I'm totally blaming that on the fabric, and not on the large glass of chardonnay that was sat next to me as I sewed the top one night in a sleep-deprived mama haze, hehe ;)

Tilly's dreamy double gauze Stevie top - Tilly and the Buttons

Some of our customers have been wearing their Stevie tops and dresses back-to-front-on-purpose, so I thought I'd give it a whirl myself... and it totally works! The modern, easy-fitting style of the pattern means that it doesn't matter which way round you wear it.

Trying Stevie this way round has inspired me to plan a peasant-style version in something drapey like tencel, voile or viscose chambray, with an embroidered design on the yoke - worn at the front - and perhaps adding tie tassels. Ooh, you could also insert a little ruffle into the yoke seam if you wanted to make it extra pretty. I've seen lots of tops and dresses like this in the shops recently and think it would make a lovely summery piece.

Tilly's dreamy double gauze Stevie top - Tilly and the Buttons
Tilly's dreamy double gauze Stevie top - Tilly and the Buttons
Tilly's dreamy double gauze Stevie top - Tilly and the Buttons

Do you prefer Stevie with the opening at the front or the back?

Sewing pattern - Stevie top and dress
Photos - Jane Looker