When I think back to even a year ago, it’s amazing to consider how my sewing skills and drive to create a handmade wardrobe have grown. A few weeks ago I planned a fun girls’ weekend in Chicago with one of my best friends to see Beyoncé (and her husband) in concert. A year ago, that would have certainly meant buying something to wear for the occasion. While indeed my knee jerk reaction was still to purchase something, I checked it and took some time to think. I considered sewing something to wear but had no experience with the delicate types of apparel fabrics that come to mind when thinking about concert attire. I decided to browse fabric shops a bit and if nothing jumped out at me, I was going to wear a dress I already owned. When I came across this phenomenal embroidered bee tulle, it was game over. There was no way I was not going to buy it. It was clearly meant to be(e)!

It was an unusual approach for me to choose fabric first and pattern later. I had to consider my very limited time until the concert deadline – I had about five days to complete whatever I was going to make, and that was really limited to a little bit of time in the evenings at best. I put a good amount of thought into what sort of garment would lend itself well to featuring this glorious fabric. I decided something simple with clean lines and minimal piecing would be ideal, and then recalled this incredible sheer Scout top I had seen on Instagram. Even with no experience sewing delicate or sheer fabrics, I decided I would just figure it out as I went along and jumped headfirst into this project.

I decided to make a lot of black silk cotton voile binding to form the seams of the garment, since given its sheer nature, the insides had to look just as neat and tidy as the outside. This worked really well and I loved the final result. While trying on the top mid-creation, I determined I liked the look of it without sleeves and knew that would also save me a bit of time, so I just edged the existing armholes in more of the bias binding and called it good. I found this Seamwork article to be really helpful in preparing me for working with delicate fabrics. I used a brand new needle of the correct size for this project, and used strips of tear away stabilizer to make the sewing process simple and easy. I was amazed at how well it worked and the whole thing came together relatively quickly. I wore it over a yoga bra I already owned and paired with my favorite black leggings. The end result had exactly the aesthetic I would want for a concert outfit and was also incredibly comfy!

Scroll down for links to the pattern and fabric as well as a gallery with more images of the project. Please note, I purchased my fabric from Stonemountain & Daughters Fabric but they are out of stock. I appreciated their lovely customer service and quick shipping, so wanted to be sure to link to them!