Sometimes a sewing project starts with a pattern, sometimes it starts with the fabric, and sometimes it starts with a desired skill. For this make, it was definitely the skill! I’ve wanted to play around with incorporating embroidery into my garments for a while now. I even picked up a cute embroidery kit with big plans to add the designs to my jeans, but my plans fizzled. When I received Deadstock Cotton Lawn in Coral from Minerva, I knew this would be the perfect backdrop for some colorful embroidery. I wanted to turn this fabric into something pretty, celebratory, and perfect for everyday wear. Then I remembered a blog post from Helen’s Closet where she embroidered her March Top. I love the March Dress, but had never made a top before, so this seemed like the perfect pairing!
First things first – the embroidery design. I wanted a free, beginner pattern that used a lot of color, so I did my Googles. When I found the Srta. Lylo Fireworks pattern on the DMC website, I couldn’t be any happier. It’s a fun pattern that’s easy enough to complete, versatile enough to use any colors you want, and to make the designs as large (or as small) as you want. After looking through my small collection of embroidery floss, I picked out some fun colors and started planning. I even plotted out where the fireworks bursts would be! I rarely do so much planning for my makes, so this has truly been a labor of love.
The coral cotton lawn was such a fun fabric to work with. It’s lightweight, soft, and has that beautiful drape you expect from a lawn, making it a great choice for a top like this. Depending on your monitor/phone, the color on Minerva’s website may appear to be a deep fuchsia, but in real life, it’s a true coral. If you are familiar with Hex codes, I would say it’s a #ff6750. It’s one of those colors that instantly makes me happy and feels especially perfect for spring and summer sewing. Cotton lawn can be wonderfully easy to sew, but I always think it’s worth slowing down a little when working with a delicate fabric, especially when embroidering it. The finished top has such a nice combination of structure and softness, and I love the way it moves when worn.
I followed Helen’s instructions on her blog, so check it out if you’d like more information about the construction of my top. The embroidery is what really makes this project stand out for me. There’s something about embroidered details that makes a handmade garment feel even more special. It adds a beautiful touch of texture and gives the top a bit of personality without taking away from the simplicity of the pattern and fabric. I even added multicolored decorative topstitching to the sleeve cuffs to incorporate cute details throughout the garment. Overall, I’m really happy with this make. The March Top was a fun pattern to sew, and the Deadstock Cotton Lawn, which is available in 10 different colors, was the perfect fabric to bring it to life.
