Mix & Match Sorbetto Top (Colette Patterns)

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

As a practice run for a more complex top, I put together a muslin and a wearable muslin of the Sorbetto Top from Colette Patterns (free!) in Maywood Studio's Modern Monet Poppies in purple and Michael Miller Mirror Ball Dot in platinum. My one mistake was using mid-weight cotton fabric instead of lightweight, as recommended. A fabric with more drape would have more shape. As it is, I think potato sacks have more drape.

Fit - Sizing
I did a size 2 in the bust, a 6 in the hips, and an 18 in length by just hand-drawing connections between the different grades. I also ended up cutting 1/2" off of the bottom of each armscye as the armholes tend to be rather restricting on this pattern.

Fit - Bust Darts
After making my first muslin, I realized that I'd want to shorten the bust darts about an inch, so that they would undershoot the bust apex.


Fit - Back Darts
My first muslin fit okay in the back, but when I made this wearable muslin it was ballooning like crazy in the back. I noticed that when I flexed my back I still needed most of the space, so I just put in some darts at the top of the neck to reduce the ballooning a bit. I think for next time, it might be worthwhile to size down the shoulder area somehow.

Construction - Pleat-lessness
This is a pleatless Sorbetto which is accomplished easily enough with Colette Pattern's instructions for removing the Sorbetto pleat. It also lets you use less fabric, which is good because I think I only had a yard.

Construction - Bias Tape
Following the instructions from No Big Dill, I made bias tape, and then realized it was too small for the bias tape maker I had. So, I just faked bias tape with my hands and an iron and then used Cal Patch's bias tape facing tutorial on CraftStylish instead of the recommended exposed bias tape facing.



Construction - Sleeves
Using the sleeves pattern from Sew Incidentally and modifying the sleeve with gathers like how the Seasoned Homemaker described, I added sleeves. A sleeved Sorbetto!

Construction - Finishing
I finished the rough edges mostly in French Seams, when I remembered to. Maybe next time I'll remember to do French Seams on the sleeves.