I have another pattern test to show you! This is the Flawesome Cut Out Top (and dress, but I only made the top for the test) by Pattern Emporium and it was just released today! It’s a fun top with a little bit of an edgy vibe due to the cut out on top. I probably wouldn’t wear this to work, but would definitely wear it out on a date or with friends.
For my test, I used some Ponte Leggero from Stonemountain & Daughter. I was able to squeeze this out of less than a yard of each color. The biggest piece you need is the back so if you can fit that, you’re good to go, making this a nice stash buster if you feel like color blocking. It was actually some pieces leftover from another project which unfortunately I don’t think will get much wear in the end (I’ll blog about it eventually, but I don’t love it so it’s kinda languishing . . . ). But now I’m excited to have something that I will wear made with that fabric! It’s a really nice fabric. Soft and much lighter than most pontes with a nice drapey hand. That being said, it’s actually not one of the recommended fabrics for this pattern because it behaves a bit differently than other knits.
Despite having 60% crossgrain / 40% along the grain stretch and being on the lightweight side for pontes, it still has some of the firmness of regular ponte. As a result, I had to size down from my normal Pattern Emporium size 8 to a 6. I actually ended up taking the whole top apart, trimming it down and then re-sewing it. I also needed to adjust the armholes and drop the sleeve cap, but that has more to do with my shoulder shape. Due to the way the front is 2 pieces and especially with a fabric like this, it can pull in a bit, making the shoulders seem narrow compared to other patterns in this line. So they actually added a section to the instructions showing how to do this in the pattern! Now everyone can easily see how to make these adjustments.
But just to reassure you, I made all my adjustments after the fact and still ended up with a great top, so no fear! I know it looks like the top is grabbing me in the armpits up above, but it doesn’t. I don’t know why that picture looks like that, but it’s the only one I had of my back and I like to show the back for completeness, so there you go.
The pattern gives you a couple of lengths for the top and also a dress though the dress is fitted which isn’t really my style; that’s why I opted to do the top. But I went for the longer top because I like it when I don’t need to worry about it riding up when I sit down and feeling that cool breeze on my lower back (or potentially showing my butt crack though I tend to wear higher waist jeans these days so that’s less of a concern).
They also give you lots of options for sleeves. I did the 3/4 length which I thought fit the style really well, but some other folks made the cap sleeve or hacked on bishop sleeves which both looked super cute. One woman added the bishop sleeves to just the top part to make a shrug and I totally want to do that next time I’ve got the right fabric!
And they give you 2 edging options — bands or binding. I chose the binding and I love the sleek, narrow edge it gives. Especially with my color, I really like how it turned out. It’s one of my favorite parts honestly.
So overall, another fun pattern from Pattern Emporium! I really enjoy being a tester for them. They build such a sense of camaraderie during the process and really listen to the feedback. Probably why their patterns are so good!
