This Peppermint Paddington Top was made in collaboration with Peppermint Magazine and Spoonflower. The fabric used was given in exchange for a post on Instagram and there was no requirement to write this blog post. All opinions are my own.
I love happy coincidences. I literally live for those moments when the universe unfolds something in a fun and interesting way. Throughout my time of making and sewing, I’ve had a number of those moments. Colour me incredibly thankful.
Ok, so lets go back a bit. When Peppermint Magazine dropped issue 50 and I saw The Paddington Top pattern, I added it to my sewing queue. I was so adamant to make the top, I downloaded the pattern and sent it off to be printed at A0 size, the very same day. If my printer was working I would have made it that night.
Pretty soon after downloading the free pattern, I was contacted by Peppermint Magazine and invited to make the Paddington Top with Spoonflower fabric! I was gobsmacked! I had been thinking about this top a lot ( I have a gap in my me made wardrobe for tops) and I had even decided on a fabric. There’s no obligation to make a blog post about the fabric, pattern, or even my experience but I really wanted to share and document this make.
The Fabric
Since this is a Peppermint Magazine and Spoonflower collaboration, I was able to select some fabric from the website. With summer in mind, I went for some of Spoonflower’s signature Organic Sweet Pea Gauze. The print is called Seamless pattern01 by Moleskostudio. This gauze is quite different to the traditional gauze fabric I’ve used in the past. It has a grid like pattern that runs through the weave of the fabric and creates and unique look. I washed the fabric before sewing to eliminate any shrinkage. I didn’t experience a huge amount of shrinkage which is great. Be sure to finish the seams well as this fabric is prone to fraying, like any other gauze.
The Pattern
The Paddington Top was designed by indie sewing pattern designer, French Navy. This woven top with voluminous raglan sleeves is beginner friendly. It has a button down back and a wide neckline finished with facings. It also has an elasticated sleeve cuff.
The sleeves were the selling point for me. I am definitely not over the big sleeve trend. For this version I made the elastic at the sleeve cuff slightly longer than recommended. I wanted the cuff to be a looser fit. Next time I will make the elastic to the specified length in order to get the full volume of the sleeve.
It’s an easy to sew pattern and the only other modification I made was to add coloured poppers to the back instead of buttons. The buttons don’t need to be functional since the top fits easily over my head. In future, I may just stitch some buttons through both layers of fabric at the back
The current sizing for the Paddington Top ranges from 32 – 50 inches for the bust (82 – 128cm) and 34 – 52 inches at the hip ) 87 – 132cm) Peppermint Magazine say they are working on an extended size range so it’s worth checking back with them on that.
The Result
This Paddington Top is a happy edition to my wardrobe and I’ll definitely make it again. I actually have a hacked dress version in the making, I’ll write a little something about it soon. Bold and bright fabrics will be a no brainer for this pattern as the simple, clean design is perfect for showcasing vibrant prints. I have imagined making it in a fabric with more drape, I feel like that will give the top a completely different feel.
Will you be making a Paddington Top and if so, which fabric will you choose?
Until next time, happy sewing!
