A Stitching Odyssey: Watch This Lace - Sonja's smashing Sorbetto

Apologies for the later than usual Watch This Lace post today, but I'm hoping you'll agree that it is well worth the wait! All the way from The Big Apple, I have the cute-as-a-button Sonja from Ginger Makes! This lady is cool in every way - she does location work for TV and film, she has two adorable Pugs, she's part of the Mood Sewing Network and I think she looks uncannily like the beautiful Lizzie Brochere from The Hour and American Horror Story! Oh, and did I mention she has an incredible sense of sewing style?

First of all, I want to say thank you to Marie for including me in this fun project and for sharing this beautiful lace! I'm so thrilled to be a participant!

Man Friend: "You've got to get the gator head into your photos!"

This is actually my first time sewing with lace! Can you believe it? I love delicate, feminine lace, but I'm such a tomboy that I never really feel like I'm pulling it off. So I was excited by this challenge, and of course I couldn't turn down the chance to get my grubby little paws on some vintage lace! My first thought was to pair it with black to toughen it up a little, but that looked a little too "French maid", ya know? Then I spied this creamy dotted Swiss, a cotton from Mood that I've been hoarding for over a year - a perfect match! I love the way that the different textures play together.

I used the Colette Sorbetto Top pattern as a basis for this shirt and drafted a front and back yoke. I eliminated the darts and instead gathered the bodice front into the yoke to give it a nice, swingy shape (I didn't add extra volume to the bodice back to avoid looking like I'm wearing a maternity top). The dotted Swiss is quite sheer, so I left the yoke unlined but lined the front and back below it. I used French seams throughout, so it's very cleanly-finished. I hand-stitched the lace just above the yoke seams, and to the back side of the hem so it's peeking out from under the top. I actually really enjoyed taking my time and carefully stitching the lace to the garment - it was oddly therapeutic!

What's the Photoshop command to remove clutter from your home?

It was so difficult to decide on a style and a pattern! I really wanted to do right by this heirloom lace, but I didn't want to make something too "special occasion" that would languish unworn in my closet. So I'm really happy with the way this turned out - it's a simple, wearable top, but it's still special (and oh-so-pretty!).

Thank you again, Marie, for letting me play and for sharing your exquisite lace with me! I can't wait to see what the next WTL-ers make!

I definitely don't want to play Crocodile Dentist any time soon.

Gosh, I love this Sonja - the yoke, gathered front and lace make this such a unique take on the Sorbetto! It looks smart, yet casual and so wearable. I'm over the moon that you're happy with your first ever lace-sewing experience!

Next week, we're off to Australia for our penultimate WTL fix from the gorgeous Reana Louise...I can't believe we're almost at the end of this fun journey!