Liz Haywood from A Craft of Clothes has been writing a monthly e-zine called “A year of zero waste”. The much anticipated December e-zine was about zero waste and pleats and includes instructions for making a pleated top. 

I immediately began looking for striped fabric as that was one of Liz’s recommendations and found it in the form of the underside of a Gorman doona, from which I’ve previously made a Clair skirt (also a Liz zero waste pattern) and a hacked Pattern Union Cora blouse. The pleating is really fabric manipulation but it looks so lovely, especially with the stripes running in the opposite direction where the pleats happen.

My first task was to make my pleating template and then transfer the markings to the fabric. These are then stitched and gathered up, securing with a knot. I then tidied up the back and fidgeted the front until the pleats formed themselves – as if by magic!

I need to mention that at this point I hadn’t realised that there was a sewalong, even though it’s mentioned in the instructions. Once I had followed that many things were much clearer and I would recommend to anyone making this top that they follow the sewalong, it’s brilliant and Liz has such a calming voice you feel like you could do anything!

In the video Liz mentions that there is a template for the pleating and I began to wonder how I had missed it. When @whendy7 from IG told me it was in the template file (makes sense right?) I realised that I hadn’t printed this out as the printed booklet contained the armhole and neck templates, which is all I thought I needed. So I now have the pleating template printed out for my next version.

Anyway, I had done my pleating so now followed the sewalong for everything else, but still referred to the booklet – they are both really useful.

The actual sewing of the top is very straightforward and Liz’s instructions are excellent. Liz warns that this isn’t a quick sew and it’s not, but it was so nice to make a garment over a few days, with other activities in between.

I have now worn the top and taken photos, so here they all are. I tried the top on with a couple of skirts and my newly repaired yellow shorts. I quite like them all. I have yet to try trousers, but they are coming and I think will look good.

It was our wedding anniversary so we went to Cottesloe beach for coffee and cake and a walk – yes, that’s as exciting as it gets. As a recycled single I had an apartment right over the road from the beach and was where I was living when I began dating Mark, so a certain amount of nostalgia was involved with all this.

The wind caught under the fullness of the top which I didn’t much like, but it is lovely to wear. I think I need one in a softer fabric.

The back is pleated as per the front, with a slit in the neckline secured with a loop and button. There is a very clever shield on the back opening, made from the neck cutout.

I had enough fabric leftover to make bias binding, and the extra length is turned into the button loop. I used an orphaned off white button from my stash to secure it, and although I was tempted to find a white button, I’m really happy with the creaminess of this button.

This is my first make of 2024 and I have yet to make a label for it.

I have a couple of bonus photos for you: One of Mark wearing an apron I made from the flour sacks that came from Tom’s new house. There were 24 of them sewn into a drop sheet, which Tom found in the garage and was using as a drop sheet until I confiscated it and took it apart. The second photo is Miss G feeding a lamb, which is quite cute for the granddaughter of a sheep farmer.