Sometimes a gal just needs a not-that-basic-‘basic’.

I was stood in front of my wardrobe at the beginning of August (when it was absolutely sweltering, do you remember those halcyon days??), with my newly-sewn maxi skirt in hand.

My dilemma; what did I have to go with it?

I had a rummage. Came up with a couple of t-shirts, for sure, and a skinny vest or two but, but .. there was nothing that fluttered its eyelashes at me and said, ‘oh darling, you know we are made for each other…’

I’ve had this ever-so-light black cotton jersey in my fabric stash for years. The weight was perfect for hot summer nights but a simple tank top threw up a potential pitfall; how in the heck would I be able to finish the neck and arm hole edges neatly? The damn stuff kept curling and unfurling.

Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to my project this month; Burdastyle’s Silk Tank 07/2013 #103B;

Double layer? Yeah, that’d get around those upper-edge issues. Although, double layer .. won’t that get a bit hot?

Here’s what I did;

• I ignored the fabric recommendation to use silk. And got away with it! *air-punch*

• I cut the inner layer to just below my bust, and cut it out on the opposite grain to the rest of the top, so that its bottom edge didn’t curl or need finishing but I still got a great finish at the arm and neck hole *second air-punch*.

• I cut some curved shaping and side vents into the hem as the original straight-across hemline looked really boring when worn outside my jeans. It took me until last night (having worn it out once already despite a raw hem) to iron some Vilene bias tape onto the bottom edge before sewing it in place (twice; a fake twin needle look, innit). All this to get the damn hem to stop curling outwards and to hang straight (suffice it to say, previous attempts to roll-edge the hem ended in tears and much, much bad language…)

• I also raised the armholes after my first try-on, which meant I had to take the side seams in a little, too. Just about an inch higher and pesky things like my underwear no longer appear on show. ‘Cause I’m a lady.

I’ll grant you that, on the hanger, it doesn’t look that much but, as you can see from the model (thanks Burdastyle), it’s not a bad little number when worn. The twist at the shoulder means the neckline does a kind of cleavage-enhancing Sweetheart number, and the shoulder straps are wide enough to hide those of my underpinnings (Matron!). I feel dressed up and dressed down simultaneously. Easy yet elegant? That’s a tall cool glass of WIN, my friend.

(Plus, at first glance, it looks like you’re wearing a sailor collar. Yeah, the jury’s still out on that bit, to be fair…)

Want to try it yourself? It’s HALF PRICE until the end of today (Sunday).