Embellishing a summer top
Back Of Top
Since summer is here (supposedly!) I’ve changed to summer clothes. Pink is not usually my colour, but I found this top in a charity shop and it goes beautifully with the crepe skirt I was wearing that day.
However, I got slightly twitchy fingers and improvised some embellishment for it. The top is knitted in quite a heavy cotton, so the embroidery is in soft embroidery cotton, and it’s very, very simple.
Side Front A
Side Front B
Only three colours – white, pale yellow and pale green. And only three stitches – Lazy daisy petals, French knot buds and flower centres, and leaves made of nested fly stitches. I didn’t attempt to make the sides at the front identical or symmetrical, only to make the front appear balanced, and when I’m wearing it, it does. The ribbed knit of the top made stitching tricky at times, since I was trying to avoid piercing the thread, but perfection is overrated, especially for a casual top.
The little spray of flowers at the back does get seen (by others!), because although I have long hair, I almost always wear it pinned up; but of course the frustrating thing about embroidering the back of a dress or top is that you never get to catch sight of it unexpectedly and get the chance to think “I did that!”.
Never mind, like the contrast lining or facing, I still know it’s there…
It looks lovely. You’ve made the top your own!
Very pretty!
“Not symmetrical but balanced” – I like that!
Looks super. Another unique piece!x
I love this – its beautiful. The ‘surprise’ at the back is quite wonderful. The heavier cotton will work for your less than summery summers.
The neckline looks lovely.
Really cute! It’s so nice to customize a top and make it your own.
It looks really pretty!
Lovely – I like that you balanced the look of it rather than got caught up in making it perfectly symmetrical. It’s charming!
Very pretty and a good idea. 🙂
That is so pretty!
I love this idea! It may be simple yet it’s very effective and pretty.
I also want to thank you for linking up your Piano scarf post to this week’s Stitchery Link Party. I’ve never worked with silk threads to embroider so it’s really interesting and inspiring to see them used in such a beautiful project. As always your stitching is amazing.
You’ve made a pretty top into something a little bit special, and one of a kind. Really effective. XCathy
Simple and beautiful!! Isn’t it wonderful that with just a few simple stitches a plain fabric transforms into a lovely piece…the power of embroidery!!
Lovely! What a transformation “twitchy fingers” can make!
Very pretty!
It’s those little touches that make all the difference to a garment. This has put your name on the piece. Lovely.
Your embroidered flowers are just gorgeous! What a great way to dress up your pretty pink top.
What a lovely way to update a top. Your embroidery is very pretty.
This looks so professional! What a excellent way to add a such touch of class to your cardigan!
I bought a cardigan, intending to stitch something along these lines. I have been wearing the cardigan, but had forgotten this was what I wanted to do with it!
Barbara xx
you should make a badge for the back, sit it under the embroidery…it should say ”I stitched this”!!
That’s a really lovely top. I wish you had shown a picture of the whole thing, but the embroidery looks great.
Lovely embroidery embellishment – its a very eye catching top now.
Simply gorgeous embroidery on the sweet top.