Almost a Bat Wing Top

Pearl and I on our way to the Post Office! Notice the letters in hand.


Back in the Fall I made a top using the Simplicity Project Runway 3504 pattern. I think I was sick for a day or two and stayed home from work and was able to finish it up. The fabric is a black eyelet. I think it was one of my first fabric purchases from a Vietnamese fabric shop in South Sac. It was cheap so I picked up a few yards. I used a lot of techniques that strayed from the pattern instructions like french seams throughout, using a slipstitch to hand bind the neck line, and I cut the fabric out differently. Whoa, big changes I know. I still think I need to fix the inset, I'm just too lazy. If I unpick one side and shift it over a bit, then restitch in the ditch from the right side, it should lay a little better and look less like my boobs are way too big and wrinkling the front as my co-worker put it, but in much nicer terms. The Boyfriend humored me again and we had a fun photoshoot one Sunday afternoon on the way to the Post Office to mail my mother's day cards. (It was a major fail by the way because the automated kiosk was out of stamps!!!)

Oh and about the batwings. I cut out sleeves hoping for a flowy, flutter sleeve, but the fabric was just too stiff and the sleeves looked like wings. It was really funny. I don't think I have a picture anywhere. I am really bad about taking pictures of the construction of the project.

So here is the official PR review:

Pattern Description:

Project Runway pattern. Simplicity is LAME and never gives pattern descriptions. I made a sleeveless version with the gathered front and inset.

Pattern Sizing:

4, 6, 8, 10, 12. I made a size 12.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?

Yep, I guess.

Were the instructions easy to follow?

From what I recall they were.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?

I love the options of a Project Runway pattern, but I hate that they:
1) Give separate yardage for each piece, which means you end up with extra yardage you don't need.
2) They don't name the separate pieces on each pattern so its really hard to find what pieces you want to use if you are a beginner.

Fabric Used:

A cotton eyelet, that was WAAY to stiff for this pattern.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:

I accidently cut the pattern out wrong (I wanted to cut it on the cross-grain to get the pretty scallop at the hem. I also wanted to use the flutter sleeves, but because the fabric was too stiff even though I cut them out on the bias they stuck out like crazy bat wings. I also shortened the pattern by 3.75 inches. I did a 1/2 in. sloping shoulder adjustment and french seams throughout.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?

I don't think I will sew this pattern again. Maybe in a much lighter material. I guess I would recommend it to others. If I would have gotten better results than I would be more inclined to recommend. The crappy shirt was my fault, not the patterns though.


Here's the back: