This was written by Cherie from you & mie for the Miss Matatabi Makers series.

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Hellooooo Miss Matatabi readers! How are you doing? I’m doing great, though I’m a bit sleep deprived – but aren’t we all?! You know what makes me feel better though? A new top just for me!

For this month’s project, I knew I wanted to make a new top for myself so I decided to try something from Frock, Cotton + Steel’s rayon line. This rayon is soooooo amazing. It’s soft and smooth and drapey and perfect for garments. I’d seen it during the Frock Tour (see Rae’s top and links to all the other stops on the tour for some Frock inspiration), and then I saw it in person at the store and was in LOVE with how wonderful it felt.

Look how beautifully it falls. It’s like silk, but without all the fuss. I was worried that it might be slippery to sew, but it really wasn’t difficult at all! Unfortunately, I wasn’t really in love with any of the prints, but this Gemstone one definitely fits in my wardrobe. I thought I’d give it a try just so I could see how the fabric washes, sews and wears. And honestly, I’m a huge fan.

This blouse is a pattern that I tested for Rae called the Beatrix Blouse. It is still in testing, but will probably be released at the end of May. The pattern is great! It’s a pretty simple button-back blouse with two views (different sleeve lengths and hemlines). It came together really quickly. The thing that I appreciate about Rae’s patterns is how well put together they are. Her and her team work ridiculously hard to make sure everything is perfect, from the pattern to the directions to the illustrations. Even though I was testing, I felt comfortable using this fabric because I knew the pattern was probably pretty near ready to go. And they didn’t let me down! It fits wonderfully.

One of the things I love about this particular colorway is that it’s so versatile! When when I was picking out buttons, I felt like almost any color could work – from aqua to navy to yellow, coral or orange. But somehow I got it in my head that the buttons had to be chartreuse. When I couldn’t find buttons in the right color, I decided to go with fabric covered buttons. I like this combo, but when Yuki saw one button hanging out from beneath my cardigan she told me I had playdoh stuck on my back! Haha. Not sure if that’s a good thing.

I really hope Cotton + Steel comes out with another rayon line! It’s such awesome fabric. I’d love to make more tops or a dress with this fabric! But until then, you can the current collection, Frock, here!

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Thank you, Cherie! Connect with Cherie on her blog, instagram, facebook, and pinterest.