Several months ago I bought a stack of traditional Thai handwoven plaid fabric at Chatuchak market from Nuala-Or. The fabric, a lightweight, loosely woven cotton fabric called "phakhaoma," came pre-cut in this narrow (32"), double-border piece. You can read more about traditional uses for phakhaoma here and check out some Thai artisans trying to revive the fabric with modern options.
When I got home I realized the fabric was going to be hard to use for a garment because of the size and borders. But then I had an epiphany: Maya!
Maya's simple lines would be perfect for this: limited plaid matching because of the kimono-sleeves (yes!), a chance to show off the border section... perfect. Plus I have worn my other Maya tops weekly since I made them, so I knew the pattern was a winner for me.
Lincoln quality checked my plaid matching:
I'd been meaning to make the button front version of Maya. I pored over my sizeable button stash and came up with the perfect buttons to go with this particular piece of phakhaoma, these little vintage-looking seafoam guys with thin charcoal lines. The buttons also happened to be from Chatuchak market... seen front and center here in my Chatuchak button haul Instagram photo:
I adore how this Maya came out! The fabric and button combo is great, and I love how the border kinda made the top a bit colorblocked-looking, even though it's all the same length of fabric.
