Collage Gather Top using four prints

This was the perfect pattern to experiment with using four different prints. I don’t usually mix so many prints but I decided to challenge myself, inspired by the Color Me Kaffe Challenge.

It’s a simple pattern – with just a few pattern pieces – center front and back, right and left shoulder pieces, cuff, bottom panels, and bias binding for the neckline (no facing).

This pattern is a great stash buster. You could use a variety of scraps to make a top, play around with different combinations. You could pick a different fabric for each piece.

I used three fat quarters and bought about 1.5 yard of another fabric because I really didn’t know how much fabric I would need for the center front/back. A fat quarter isn’t big enough for the longest pattern piece – the center front/back. But you could certainly color block it and use as many fabric pieces as you want for those pattern pieces.

Pattern changes: I made a slight square shoulder adjustment (I didn’t make a muslin – this was my first version). And I color-blocked two of the gathered panels because I didn’t have enough of the fat quarter so I had to piece together two different fabrics.  I also color-blocked the cuffs using three different fabrics.

Conclusion: A fun and easy make. It’s a boxy top and I used quilt-weight fabric, which doesn’t have much drape. The hand of your fabric definitely affects how this top will lay against your body.