Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Sewing Project: Simplicity 1613

I wanted to like this top. So bad. When the summer patterns started coming out, there were plenty of cute dresses I liked, but I was instantly drawn to this top:


No, not the crazy-looking purple one where the girl looks like she's getting strangled. The off the shoulder striped one, view D. I love love love stripes, and so I've been looking for some good tops to try out with all my stripey stash fabrics.

I made view D but omitted the sleeves because it's summer. Plus they look weird on the model, some sort of no-man's land for length. I used the directions for View E on finishing the armholes. At first, I made the top using only the striped fabric (from Girl Charlee):


Something was off about it, though. I decided that I hated the straps. Maybe it was the scale of the stripe, or the prison stripe-esque colors of black and white, but I knew those straps had to go. Plus they were only just barely wide enough to cover my bra straps. I ripped them out, and replaced them with a black cotton/spandex knit I had in my scraps box:


I widened the straps as well. I think the proportions look better with wider straps, and the solid color is a definite improvement. If I saw this top on a hanger in a store, I'd try it on for sure.


The bodice of the pattern is PHENOMENAL. The length is perfect. I prefer Simplicity patterns because the smaller sizes always fit me well right out the envelope, and this one was no exception. There is just the right amount of nipping in at the waist so that you're not left with a boxy tank top or too much adjusting with the side seams. I liked it so much that I adapted it into a standard tank top pattern for future designs.


But now for the bad parts. I'm glad I only paid $1 for it (during a Jo-Ann's sale, of course) because it did not work out for me. There's a reason the model has her arms down and isn't running out to catch a football. That dang band around the chest just does not stay put. I pulled out this pattern because I needed something to wear to a minor league baseball game. I figured that if the band was annoying, it wouldn't matter, because I'd be sitting in the stands not doing anything (unless a foul ball came our way, but I firmly believe it's my husband's job to rescue me in that sort of situation). I put the top on a few hours before we were supposed to leave, and even in that short amount of time I couldn't take it. The band rode up and flipped around at any small arm movement. After an hour I was totally bonkers messing with it. In fact, I hated even putting it back on to take these photos, but I obliged so you can see the fit.

The band rides up
and looks terrible.

I honestly am never going to wear this. Ever. And that's probably a first for me with a project that isn't a UFO. Don't worry, I managed to wear something to the baseball game. Remember that standard tank top adaption I mentioned above? About an hour before we left, I whipped up a serger-only top using that pattern. Check back next Tuesday for more details!

Can you relate to finishing a pattern and detesting it? I surprised myself with this one!

2 comments:

  1. Would it help to tack the band at front and back below the straps at the bottom of the band--it could work...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, that would probably help. Knowing me, I would forget I had done it and would rip them out lifting up my arms too quickly!

      Delete

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