Watercolor Stripe Maxi

This busted stash fabric is from my stock-up trip to the G Street Fabric (DC) remnant table last year.  It's a super-soft, springy knit in a blue/purple watercolor stripe.  I have loved it ever since I bought it, but just couldn't seem to match it with it's perfect pattern.
At the time I bought it, I had a dark blue maxi dress that I wore all the time and didn't want another blue maxi dress, but that maxi dress has since been given to Goodwill and now this fabric can fulfill it's destiny.

I used McCalls 6559 View D, the one without the racer back.  I knew I wanted a blouson top, so I cut fairly straight down from the armpit to the hips.  After I made it, I just put it on in front of a mirror and bloused it out a little and marked where the elastic would go.  I put 3/4 inch elastic around the smallest part of my torso, just under my ribcage and cut it at a comfortable length.  I sewed in into a continuous band and then zig-zag stitched it to the inside of my dress.

Hemming this sucker STUNK!  I hemmed just the front and it was, like 4" difference from one side to the other!  After a couple of tries and some seam ripping (which is so dangerous in knits!!) I got it.

I raised the neckline fairly significantly when I cut the front piece and then had to gather it in the middle because the knit was soooooo stretchy.  Oh well, bonus design element.

This is stash-busting garment number two of thirteen.

I think some SewaholicThurlow shorts will be up next... or possibly a swimsuit.  We'll see what strikes my fancy.