Simplicity Top 1692

View: B, sans bows. Size: 14 with FBA and increased bicep size. Add’l: french seams (bc this fabric frays horribly) & some topstitching. Fabric: red lightweight polyester from stash, silk organza for interfacing.

I found this very easy to adjust & cut out and quick to assemble. Only took two evenings to finish. Minimal handstitching needed (button + loop) unless you hand baste bc slippery fabric. I wouldn’t rate this a true ‘beginner,’ but I’d feel comfortable recommending it to anyone who considers themselves an ‘advanced beginner’ sewist. Skills: darts, tucks, gathers, button, bias binding, hem, keyhole opening.

It looks/ fits fairly well like the envelope. The puffy sleeves are a bit much for me, poofed out more than i’d expected, even with this lightweight fabric. It ended up looking less 1940s and more 1980s. I’ll try the View A sleeves next time.

I chose this pattern bc i wanted to try something with gathers/ pleats at the neckline. I like the look/ feel of that & may use it on future garments. The waist tucks make adjustment of size/ shape easy. I am 5’2″ and short-waisted and this hits me right at the high hip. So taller sewists or those who want to tuck it in to a waistband may need to lengthen it. I like the look of the close neckline but am uncomfortable in it most days, so will likely adjust this next time. If you have a larger neck, you’ll def need to test & adjust. I used french seams and did a lot of topstitching to make my unruly fabric lay as it should, but it made the construction feel very solid even after several wear/ wash cycles. Probably this would be unnecessary with a different fabric, but the pattern lends itself to this sort of flexibility. You could easily use serged or flatfelled seams if that is your preferred method. I had wanted a contrasting color for neck/ arm binding & topstitching but had none on hand.