Twisted: Simplicity 1613

After I made my Flint trousers, I noticed I wasn't wearing them as much as I thought I would. It wasn't the fault of the trousers themselves; I love them and rank them among my favourite things I've made this year. It was just that they didn't go with anything I had, because despite repeated plans and resolutions on the subject, I still have a total of about six tops, all in varying shades of black and grey. I did try to make a couple of coloured Concords, but I don't actually like them. A basic no-frills top in a solid colour worn with a black skirt or pair of black trousers just feels so uninteresting to me. The other way round - a plain black top and coloured bottoms - is totally fine and I often wear outfits to that effect, but the plain T-shirt and black trousers combo leaves me feeling totally uninspired.

Thus, I need to up my tops game. I've always struggled with this because most sewing patterns seem to be for massive long roomy tops that aren't my style at all, and so everything ends up being a cropped sweater. (You haven't seen the last of them.) So when I saw a fitted top with an interesting-looking neckline free with Make It Today magazine, I picked it up.

For some reason I'd decided, even before going fabric shopping, that the top had to be a very pale mint green. Even with a more interesting design, I still didn't like the thought of a bright solid top with black bottoms. I'm still not exactly sure what I think of this colour on me, and it doesn't herald the beginning of a Pastel Shit onslaught, but it was the right thing to do for this one.

The pattern comes with five views; this twisty-style neckline either sleeveless, short-sleeved or long-sleeved, and a cold-shoulder or off-the-shoulder top that doesn't interest me in the slightest. Though if you're looking for that kind of thing (because you like going braless and/or having extra arm faff), it appears to take about five minutes to make.

The front pattern piece has two extra straps, which create the twist, and there is a separate neckpiece which joins to the front at the shoulders and part of the way down the front neckline. The whole thing is faced and the facings extend halfway down the bodice, so it could be made in a sheerer fabric without causing indecency problems. I found sewing the neckline to be a massive pain in the arse. I didn't understand several steps of the instructions, had to go to Youtube for help, and still don't think I've got it completely right. It looks fine (bar the general wrinkliness - the fabric didn't travel well), but I did need to do a bit of hand-stitching to keep the join in the straps hidden and I don't think I should have had to. Now that I've done it once I can hopefully work out what's going on and what I'd need to do differently next time.

I'm pretty sure I will make another one or two of these. I'd like to see how the sleeves fit, and I'd also like a black one (I have a sudden need for a bunch of black basics to mix in with other things, which is really annoying because black fabric is so often terrible and I hate shopping for it AAArrghh). I'll need to take a bit of fabric out of the back neckline, which I really ought to be doing as standard now, and I need to make sure I know what I'm doing with the twist, but the design is interesting without being convoluted and I think that merits a second make. 

Who's posing? This is definitely how I would normally stand, and I haven't at all cropped out a very confused-looking Portuguese man standing behind me, no sir.