Fibremood Edition 26 has now been released and I chose to make the Zinnia which is a batwing sleeved top with a round neckline, elasticated sleeves and a long slit at the back which is closed with a button and loop. It has the usual big range of sizes, 76 – 146 cm bust, and I made a small.

I considered fabrics for this top as I wanted something that was versatile and which I could wear to summer social events. I had to discard a few choices as those grown on sleeves meant that I needed more fabric than I initially envisaged. In the end I chose this bright green silk that came from my mother’s stash. The fabric wasn’t wide enough so I cut the top on the cross grain, with fingers crossed that it would be ok.

I messed about with the fabric for so long that I accidentally cut the front out on the selvedge edge rather than the fold. This was a minor disaster but I overlaid the back over the front and realised that the shape was similar for both sides apart from the neckline and the bottom shaping. Of course the front neck is lower than the back, so I had to cut and paste/sew an insert into the back neckline.

I was a bit concerned that it would be obvious, and it shows in closeup but I don’t feel that it stands out when I’m wearing it. I’m so pleased I was able to recut the top and my mistake didn’t result in wasted fabric. I should add that the pieces do lineup when the top is worn and the button side drops a bit.

I did a mid-make try on and felt that the top swamped me and the shape didn’t suit me at all. I decided to finish the hems, add elastic to the sleeves, and sew on the button. The next time I tried it on I loved everything about it, so I suppose the moral is to not judge until something is finished!

I played around with pairing it with various things, with these first photographs representing the vibrancy of the green the best. I rather like it with a straight skirt.

Then I tried it with some pale blue jeans. I’m sorry about the blurry photo – Miss G plays with my phone and I forget to clean the camera lens. One thing I love about the top is the slightly shaped hem, which you can see in this photo.

I also like it with white jeans – probably more than the blue

You can see in the last photo that the back neckline doesn’t look untoward.

Then I wore the top with my floral jeans. I love these jeans and I’m pleased that they team well.

As always, this edition of Fibremood has many lovely garments and I struggled to pick one. I chose this as I felt it would be useful as a transition piece as we move into summer. I’m also looking forward to making it in a heavier fabric, such as flannel or wool for winter.

I wore my Zinnia on a trip down to the south-west, teaming it with my very elderly jeans. I did go looking for zinnias, but it might be a bit early to see them flower. Instead I found some nice railway memorabilia. Love a good railway!

I also tried wearing it with my Stokx Square pants made from blue corduroy and do really like this combination. Luckily it’s still quite cool!

Finally I needed a seated photo. I’m sitting on the hot tub which has a very cool lid made from triangles of wood glued to canvas. The triangles make it really easy to roll back, even for me.

Miss G is learning to use scissors. These belonged to her Daddy when he was her age, so there’s some nice symmetry here. It’s good for me to watch this – managing scissors is hard!