Who's driving this bus?

Don't you just love it when the fabric tells you what it wants to be, and how to go about it?

I got the February issue of BWOF the other day. Didn't think much of the issue and I hate their photography that disguises the most interesting details of the clothes. This ain't Vogue, people! It's about the clothes that we might want to make and the details we might want to look at beforehand.

That night I was in the workroom, finishing off a pair of tan pants from the 6/07 issue. For some reason, a fabric deep in the stash called to me and I pulled it out. Blouse weight, diagonal striping in black, gray, brown, tan and white. I don't remember buying it, though apparently the subconscious shopper remembers it well, and the date on the selvage says 1997. The fabric says it wants to be a top with those pants. I drape it on Evelyn and think about it, and before I know it, it says it wants to be the retro-fabric tunic from the February issue.

Really? That top? In that fabric? On me? You're sure?

Apparently. So I cut it out and pinned it together. This is another one of those patterns where Burda just doesn’t think: how can they say glibly "blouse weight fabric with or without elastane"? In a pattern that fits snugly across the chest and shoulders, there's a big difference between with and without stretch. I cut this in a 38, according to my usual size in Burda and also a flat measure of the pattern, but it was too snug in the front and the CB pieces barely met, much less had enough leftover for a zipper. I recut the top piece in a 40, and it was better, but I just didn't like it.

Stopped. Thought about it overnight. Went in last night to futz around a little bit and the fabric told me it didn't want to be the top of the tunic, just the sleeves and the bottom part, and I should get myself to the remnant pile and find a piece of black stretch fabric for the top of the tunic. So I did. I had a nice piece of heavier weight black left over from a skirt, with just enough stretch, and enough body that I decided (it decided?) not to line the bodice but just to edge the neckline with bands of the striped fabric. Do you cut bias-striped fabric on the bias? Wouldn't that make the stripes go straight?

I guess it'll let me know tonight when I pick up the scissors.