More Esthers and some extreme Kanerva hacking

 

I'm not going to say much about these Esther shorts. I've made them before, here and here. A straight size 8 fits me perfectly with absolutely no modifications, apart from taking a little off the length. This time, I used up my leftover culottes fabric. I struggled a little in getting the grid lines on grain, but it's near enough to keep me happy. 

 

 

 

But let's talk about this top. It's made using a crisp white Italian shirting from Mood. And would you believe that this pattern actually started out as a Kanerva! I'll be honest though. I basically just used the sleeveless bodice front and back pieces as a block, keeping the length and waist darts the same, but changing everything else about it.

• adjusted the shoulder slope and moved the seams in towards my neck significantly
• changed the width of the shoulder seams
• decreased the bust darts a little
• converted it to a v-neck
• changed the shape of the front and back armscye
• added a self-drafted hi-low peplum
• faced the neckline and armscye in one
• added a CF seam for the stitching details, and to enable me to face it properly

CF stitching details. This also helps keep the facing sitting flat.

But it's my facing that you might be most interested in. Facing it all in one creates a beautifully clean finish on both the armscye and the neckline and eliminates the need to line the top or bind it. I always interface my facing and then understitch before turning it out the right way.

Inside out from the front

Inside out from the back

 I'm super happy with this make. The top is easy-to-wear and perfect for slipping on in summer. I love the cool crispness of white cotton. And you already know how much I'm loving my Esthers this season. I can see myself getting some good wear out of this outfit in the coming months.