Simplicity: 2892  - Type:Tops  | | Viewed 130 times
| 45 more reviews | | Reviewed by: | Sibilance7 | 
 | | About Sibilance7 | | IL | | Member since: 8/10/11 | | Reviews written: 9 | | Sewing skills:Intermediate | | Favored by: 5 people | | patterns reviewed: 5 | | Bio: more... |
| | Posted on: | 11/30/12 4:39 PM | | Project Photo: |  | | Pattern Photo: | 
Simplicity Pattern Info | | Pattern Rating: | Pattern OK, but did NOT work for Me | | See other patterns in this category: Vests Tops | Available for sale on PR: $14.95 (See envelope)  | | | | Fabric: | Polyester Charmeuse [See other projects in this fabric] | | Related Links | Click on  to add a link |
| Pattern Description:
Misses tops with neckline variations. I made view D, which has ruching/ruffles at the neckline.
Pattern Sizing:
6-22, I made a size 22.
Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?
Not really - I changed some things, plus the one on the pattern envelope looks less shapeless than mine.
Were the instructions easy to follow?
I didn't think so - I never did figure out how they wanted me to finish the edge of the ruched/ruffled panel at the armholes, so I just did it my own way.
What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
There are several things I disliked. First of all, the fit was super wonky. According to Simplicity's chart, my measurements are slightly larger than the size 22 in the waist and hip, but I made the 22 and I was swimming in it. I made some alterations after fitting a muslin, but when I made the final garment, it's still too big. My alterations are detailed below.
Also, the neck ruffled on top of the ruching was overkill, in my opinion, and I couldn't get it all to lay flat. The ruffle kept flipping out rather than laying flat, so I omitted it completely. I also think the shirt would be better if the ruching was only in the front - having it all the way around the neckline means that it looks a bit funny under cardigans, which is something I like to wear frequently. I like to make sleeveless tops that can be worn by themselves in the summer and with a cardigan or jacket in the winter. As it turns out, this top can only be worn with a cardigan because it shows my bra straps, and it doesn't even look that great with one because of the lumpy, bumpy ruching. I'm going to take in the side seams some more and hem it up a bit shorter because it's still too big. I would just call it a wadder at this point, but I really like the print on the fabric and can wear it under cardigans, even though it looks a bit funny, and can definitely wear it under jackets.
Fabric Used:
Poly charmeuse from Joanns, part of the April Johnston Project Runway collection. It was in the red tag bin so I got a great deal on it!
Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:
I omitted the ruffle at the neckline because it was overkill and wouldn't sit flat.
I add a center back seam to add some shaping to the top, but to no avail.
I took in the side seams to make it less ginormous and add some shaping, also to no avail.
I took in the neckline panel because it was too wide and too low, and doing this required that I lower the armholes. I only figured these things out after making the final garment, though, so now the fit is all kinds of wonky. I don't know what I was thinking with my muslin. It seemed fine at the time, but it was made out of actual muslin, which does act quite differently than the poly charmeuse I used for the final garment. I think the muslin neckline was more stable, so it sat on my shoulders and kept its structure, while the final garment neckline was more drapey, so it just hung down and didn't look right. So because of all the on-the-fly alterations I did to get the neckline panel looking right and the armholes taken in, the armholes connect to the neck panel too far in, which makes my bra straps sort of visible in the front and super visible in the back.
Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
I would definitely not sew this again. There's too much work in making the ruching for something so ill-fitting. I like the ruching detail, so I'll probably seek out better patterns for this technique.
Conclusion:
I won't say it's a bad pattern because there are several reviewers here that like it, but it definitely didn't work for me. I'm sorry I spent so much time working on it for so little reward. Here's a view of me wearing it with a cardigan, which is the only way I'll ever wear it in public because of its shapelessness and because it shows my bra straps: Photo with cardigan . | Buy this pattern for $14.95 Add to Bag  |
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3 Comments
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Don't you hate it when you fight with a pattern and it wins. It does look great with the cardigan, so you win the battle!
12/1/12 11:01 AM
The top looks great on you in both pictures. Very pretty.
12/1/12 11:41 AM
Thanks! I got a compliment on it when I wore it yesterday, so not all is lost, though I will still be taking it in a bit!
12/1/12 5:51 PM