Top made before holidays

Front of top



Back of top



Top lying flat




This is a top made just before leaving for holidays. I used top 126 from Burda 07/2008 as a starting point and added some changes. I really liked the back of the pattern. I love the blousy shape that is trendy now, but be careful - your fabric must be drapey if you don't want to look like you put on weight. I also loved how the pattern doesn't have any side seams. It is interesting and it also speeds up the sewing.

First of all, I downsized to 34. I've used an insert in Burda magazine to do it, but there's also this tip on PR that I use a lot.

I knew I wanted a really sexy top to wear for salsa dancing and for hot holidays nights out. I made this top in a hurry to have it for holidays (it was made at the end of July) so I didn't have the time to take any photos, but I tried to show you on the pattern technical drawing what I did.



The red lines are the new design lines. The front and back band are cut away from the pattern. I used black cotton-lycra for the band and I interfaced them with soft knit interfacing. You must interface them, otherwise you risk a drooping neckline. And you don't want that, do you?

The back is cut to have a deep cleavage, showing your nude back. You cannot wear a bra with this - well, actually you could wear a very interesting bra that you feel like showing, if you want. The design is quite blousy so I don't think it works for insertion of bra cups. My fabric is drapey but quite thick so I can wear the top without a bra and I'm still totally decent. And after all, you can always purchase those little silicone patches that cover your nipples if your fabric is too revealing.

The center back seam is pivoted to make a cowl.

The green lines on the front show you where I cut and spread the pattern, to have little gathers that go in the neckline. I only spread my cuts about 1 cm away (approx 3/8'), I could have spread them a bit more, but as I told you I was in a hurry and didn't have time to experiment.

The back is gathered around the square insert (part of it shows in the left corner of the drawing - the dotted black lines show the gathering), that I also cut from black viscose lycra. That is from the original Burda design and it is a detail that I like very much.

Even if it's quite a particular top, I think I will sew it again, probably in a solid. I wore it to death during holidays and salsa parties and I got tons of compliments over it. While away on holidays, a girl wanted to buy it off my back and offered me 100 Euros for that. I took it as a compliment but kept the top :)

See this older post for sewing with knit tips.