After sewing up two BurdaStyle Anda dresses, I decided to try my hand at sewing a top. With summer close at hand, I chose the Amy Butler pattern "Mini Dress Tunic & Tops" - opting for the top in the "long length".
Unlike the BurdaStyle pattern, this one was very well written! Amy did an excellent job with clear and concise instructions, and I definitely needed it. This was my first experience with an invisible zipper (turned out to be easier than regular zippers) and my first time using a lining (it's at the bodice only).
I chose a cotton fabric from Fabric Depot; light gray with a subtle white hatch pattern (I can't ever remember the pattern designers, but this same fabric came in lots of color combos). Believe it or not, I actually ironed this top before I photographed it, and it doesn't seem to have made a difference. I might think twice before using this fabric again for apparel.
After wearing it a couple of times I have a few observations:
1) It's difficult to zip/unzip by myself. This might just be a result of the type of zipper used, but it's an annoying feature.
2) The shoulder seams have a little pleat feature on the front and back that was very hard to match up. It's a small detail, and not very noticeable when I have it on (not noticeable at all if my hair is down), so I will probably leave this feature out if I do it again.
3) The overall shape of the top is very forgiving - maybe a little too forgiving. I fear that it looks like a maternity top because the front pleat just flops open and I can't see my toes. I actually thought about tacking the pleat down, but I haven't decided if that's a good move or not. Perhaps if I used a lighter-weight fabric then it would "flow" more and I wouldn't feel like I was wearing a bell. If I make this again I think I'll make the "short top" length to see if that makes a difference. Or I might try the dress length, as it appears that the bodice is longer and the result is more empire-waisted.
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