Made a joyful Joyful Top from Hot Patterns…

How did Mr. Lizard get in the first pic? Handsome little guy…

I’ve spent 3 days finding the joy in the Hot Patterns Joyful Top. And I’ve got it!

A preface: I love Indie pattern makers. So many new ideas and designs. I can spot a Koos or Tilton or Comey from a far distance. But the Indie designers are so much more fun.

Not always easy – their concepts might not match up with their patterns. But I appreciate the concepts. Which leads me into the Hot Patterns Joyful Top. It’s a free download from Trudy and Jeremy, right here in Florida (relocated from the UK). With a little plug for a lovely charity, what a great pattern.

I was drawn to the pattern because it’s such a fresh look. And I’ve been searching for new ideas for spring and summer tops.

Love it!

Fabric: Lightweight cotton jersey, Holly Lobby  Shoes: Kork Ease buffalo leather sandals, Sundance

and the back…

I know it’s black and hard to see – but here are pics of the front flounce and back gathers…

From concept to reality. When I laid out the pattern, which is a PDF, 32 pages taped together, I could see that things were not what I expected. The back is not 4 or so inches longer than the front. The flounce is not really very long.The back yoke is very narrow, side to side, and very very high on the back. 

I have to take a break here and bend at the waist with an acknowledgement to Emily at Fabric, Thread, Clothes? Her review and post on this top is the only one I’ve found! There are no pics on the Hot Patterns site of someone wearing this top. Emily’s muslin confirmed what I was seeing in the pattern layout. Thank you, Emily!

I made a lot of changes to the pattern, so I’ve just shown them on a copy of the pattern layout.

Edited to add a tip: just remembered! when you tape the pattern together, just butt the paper edges to one another. They aren’t meant to overlap. You have to ‘imagine’ the lines flowing across the edges. I found this tip on the Hot Patterns Facebook page…after pulling out my hair and reprinting the pattern a few hundred times.

 Such a cute top.

Other sewing notes:

• I sewed the size 12.

• My neckline is finished with a binding, rather than a narrow hem. 

• And I added sleeves. My right upper arm is bandaged, elbow to shoulder, due to my scleroderma, for 8 months now. Which is why you see so many garments with sleeves lately on my blog. I wear sleeveless around the house, but enjoy having things I can wear outside without a cardi! I used the sleeve from the Dixie DIY Ballet Dress, which worked really well. My change to the top pattern was a simple 1/2″ extension of the outside shoulder with a little redrafting of the armscye.

So – I love my top. I’m sewing a white one tomorrow. I did put a lot of time into redrafting the pattern, but I enjoy this part of sewing. 

If you make one, you might consider widening and dropping the back yoke. And narrowing the flounce. I don’t think this pattern would work well in woven cottons, but lightweight knit and chiffon, voile, mesh knits…yes.

Parting shot. The Easter bunny came by. Hope he comes back.

Ciao! Coco