Instant gratification project causes headache

Before starting on miss R's suit, as I should, or on my leather dress, as I want to, I thought it would be a good idea to cram in a nice, quick and very wearable top for myself. Sounds like a plan, right?

The weather is finally heating up this week, but near the coast (where I live) the temperature remains at that 'great in the sun and out of the wind, but otherwise just a bit chilly' stage.

I have been thinking about making a striped top for a while and I still had this fabric in my stash. Stripes on kimono sleeves, matched at that arm seam, really seemed like a good idea at the time... Well, right.

I knew there was something wrong with this fabric, that was why I got it very cheaply. You see, the stripes are yarn dyed, however they still manage to be horrendously off grain. I think this is because the fabric was knit in the round and than cut rather carelessly. I tried pulling, I tried washing and drying carefully, I tried pressing. No good. So, for this top, I thought I would just look only at the stripes when cutting. Yeah, time for another surprise. Whether it was like that from the start or got pulled out as a result of line drying, I don't know, but the stripes themselves were not straight... I messed about with it getting the pieces out as well as I could last night. Finally stopping with a bit of a headache.

I sewed the top together today, which didn't bring any new problems, until I could first try it on. I'm not entirely sure I like it. Since then, I added the cuffs, which help, but I'm still wondering if this fabric is just a bit to bulky and stiff for a volumous sleeve like this. Or if horizontal stripes and a pattern like this are just, and always should be, a big fashion no-no. And yet, different combination, move around in front of the mirror/camera and it looks OK... Oh, and it is really comfortable. I will add a strap at the back neckline though, to keep it from sagging forward.

Oh, I guess this is obvious from the pictures, but I completely forgot to mention it: this is a kimono sleeved top fitted to the waist with a surplice back. I don't use this sleeve style a lot, but when I do, I like to make I don't have to cut both front and back on the fold. It takes quite enough fabric already (although in this case, I'm glad to be finished with that stuff)