My long list of wanna-makes has had this pattern in it for a long long time.  I also wanted to make something for my sister, and when I showed her the pattern she was skeptical.  We are rather similar in temprement, and very close, but have completely opposite colouring (she’s blond) and shapes (she has long legs and opposite curves to mine), so a lot of what I will wear, she wouldn’t and vice versa.  Skepticism aside, as I went looking for the ‘fabric’ and found these in my box of ‘silks’ (I have a shoebox of swankier pieces put aside).  It was a pair of trousers which was from the reduced rail.  The fabric is a viscose poly shantung (easy to launder), and the colour is predominately turquoise which is shot with green and a slight royal blue/purple.  All in all, its gorgeous and her favourite colour.

I was going to just about make the cut, except I had to cut the a small panel extra on the right panel.  I gambled if I got the angle to mimic the centre front and was exact on grain, it may not be too noticable and I think it works fine.  I was delighted to get the sleeves cut in full, and the only squeeze were the facings but it was not by much.  I used the pleat of the original trouser (and hem) as my grain guide, and then used the wooden lat laid along the grain to work from. ( I did not full press the trouser crease lines out fully when I prepared fabric for the cut, and after the cut, I sprayed the fabric with a mix of 50:50 vinegar water and pressed to remove the crease line.)

There is a ‘thing’ I do though if the corners are a bit tight in the cut (ie, missing) and I still want to be accurate, and that is to selotape some fabric over the corner and cut and when the item is sewn, this is taken off, I did this in the underarms of the left front.

Its a lovely top to make up.  Getting a colour zipper to match didn’t happen but the green invisible one works well.  For some reason I don’t like invisible zips.  I cannot tell you logicially why.  They feel a bit flimsy and I don’t like the way the weigh into the seams of the garment, so I don’t use them that much.  Again, I was glad I did in this instance as it gave the top a finished look.

So I posted it off on Monday and she got it on Tuesday.  My big fear is that it would not fit, as I don’t actually have her measurements, but know that she takes one size up from me in tops (and one size down in jeans).  Turns out, it fits!