This is the first piece of my summer wardrobe plan and the mini-wardrobe I am sewing for a Pattern Review contest. It was so fun and easy to sew - I believe I'll be making another very soon! The pattern is Simplicity 2936 - View D.
Can you believe that until now I had not yet made a woven top? I guess I was always scared by the idea of fitting a woven top - RTW ones almost always are too tight or weird at the bust, and gape in the front if there are buttons. I had no idea it would be this easy to get a nice fit. I cut a size 12 (for my high bust, a size smaller than my full bust measurement indicated) and did a slash-and-spread full bust adjustment to add 1/4" to each of the tucks (1" overall). I also added 1/2" in length to the front, tapering to nothing at the side seams.
The fabric is cotton lawn from Gorgeous Fabrics, and I used off-white poly/cotton batiste for the facings. Over in the "Whatcha Making" thread, I chronicled my issues with attempting to match the print - it ended up not matching, but I think I'm ok with it. Without the extra front piece I had to cut, the top used only 37" of fabric, and I think I still have enough to make a sleeveless top of some type out of what's left.
As for the pattern - I highly recommend it! Very quick and easy, and would be great for beginners. A few buttonholes are about the trickiest part, and if you really wanted you could do snaps instead. All in all, I'm really happy with how this turned out, and I think I'll be making another in the near future (and probably for the contest). I am glad to finally have a start on my mini-wardrobe.
Let me know what you think!