Pattern Review - Simplicity 2603 Tank Top

Pattern Description: The ubiquitous "cardi wrap" pattern - Sleeveless top and cardigan jacket. I made the tank top.

Sizing: XXS-XL. I made a small.

Fabric Used: Birds of a Feather Jersey from Gorgeous Fabrics.

It's long since sold out, but there's a cute story that goes along with this fabric. I had fallen in love with it myself, so before I put it up on the site, I cut three yards with the idea of making a dress. This fabric sold like gangbusters. I think I sold out of it in one day. After it was gone, one customer called and emailed me that she was heartbroken. She wanted it so badly, she asked if I could call her if any more showed up. Well, it became a choice of "Do I keep it for myself or do I sell it to this nice lady?" I told her I had one piece left that was sitting in my private stash. She was so happy! She only needed 2 yards, so I cut that and (crying inside) sent it out to her. The fabric sat in my stash until last week, when I decided to try it for this pattern.

Needle/Notions Used: Stretch 75/11 needle, ProTricot fusible interfacing from Fashion Sewing Supply.

Did it look like the photo or drawing when you got through? Yes

How were the instructions? Bear with me for a moment, I'm going to rant. What is with the large pattern companies and their fekakte instructions??? Seriously. Here's the way they have you attach the collar band:

1. apply interfacing to neck band front and back
2. stitch interfaced front/back sections together
3. attach interfaced neck band to garment
4. stitch uninterfaced neck band sections together to make the facing
   
5. Finish edge of facing
6. pin band facing to neck band. Sew and understitch
7. Turn facing to inside, press
   
8. Working from the right side of garment, pin raw edge of facing over the neckline seam
9. Top stitch

No no NO! Come on, people! (This is to the pattern companies, not you, dear reader) Get your instructions out of the 1970s. No one in RTW attaches a collar that way. For pete's sake, you sew the facing to the collar band, baste them together at the raw edge and sew or serge that that to the garment. It takes less time and gives you a cleaner finish with less chance of messing up. Sorry - can you tell I've had it up to my eyeballs with bad pattern instructions? This is why I almost never use them. And I'm sick to death of having to correct and apologize for them in classes. Grrrr....

Here's a picture of the neck band the way I attach it.

Construction Notes: I did a FBA. Other than the change noted above, I didn't do anything special. I serged all the seams and used a narrow zigzag stitch (.5 mm wide, 3.0 mm long) to sew the hems.

Any changes? Nope

Likes/Dislikes: I like the bra-friendly straps. They are nice and wide. I like the lines of this top. I'm debating about making the cardigan. It's so common these days on sewing sites, I don't know if I want to do that or something different. I have a wonderful pleated silk jersey in a matching turquoise that has been gracefully aging in my stash that I want to use to make a coordinating topper for this. I'll think about it and let you know what I decide.

Would you do it again? Would you recommend it? Probably and maybe. Like I say, I really dislike the instructions, but I like the bones of this top.

Conclusion: A good basic for your wardrobe. Here's a picture of the finished version.
Next up I think is the skirt to go with my bustier.

Happy sewing!