Review: Onion 5028

 

This pattern comes from the Danish company Onion.

It is a remarkable variety of tank tops, and almost exactly what I was looking for.  It pays to shop your stash! 

I chose the plain back pattern, but added in the "princess seam" option in the front (not that visible).  After assembly, I feel that the straight lines are fairly useless, and don't really add to the pattern for me (a friend agrees).

Interestingly enough, Sarah Veblen's "The Complete Photo Guide to Perfect Fitting" has a princess seam primer on page 96.  And her book may help explain my disillusionment.  For optical illusion assistance, I would be better served to have rounded seam lines on my princess seams.

Straight princess line, like those found in this pattern better serve those with sizeable chesticules.

The upper back fits well, but I probably need to take out a little more in the sway back alteration.  I ten to narrow my sway back in knits, since they are stretchy, but I think I went a little too narrow this time.

I think the front also fits well.  The neckline is comfortable, neither too low nor too high.

This is definitely a keeper for me, and I anticipate producing several more over the next couple of years ... because I am slow that way!

Review: Burda 7519 Cowl Neck shirt

 

Burda's 7519 is two shirt patterns (same tissue) with a cowl neck and either short/fitted/sleeveless variation or long/loose/draped sleeve variation.

The fabric suggestions are jersey, satin, and crepe.  It is rare to run into a knit or woven, your choice, pattern.  They are usually either/or.

The front is cut on the bias, while the back is on the straight of grain.

I've been looking (and looking and looking) for a close fitted cowl neck top.  I really like the look of the cowl neck, but generally don't like the way they fit on me.

I made the sleeveless variation up in a thin rayon knit.  I narrowed the cowl neck by 2 inches total (it looked too big as drawn), performed a typical sway back alteration, and cut it in the smallest size.

Result?  I think the back looks good, the side view is nice, but the front is too big.  It hangs, because I don't have the, uh, chesticules to fill the top.

I suspect I would need to grade the front down another size or two, further narrow the cowl, and then, maybe, I would like the front view.

 

The back view is fairly comfortably fitted. The darts are a nice touch.

The side view looks good to me.  Close fit, but not tight.

But the front just has too much excess fabric.  Cowls are a fiddly pattern.  Nudged a little to far either way and they are no longer elegant. 

This one falls into the not elegant on me category. 

I am torn, do I continue fiddling with pattern?  Or try something new?  Because I'm all about trying a new pattern ... but feel that this one is close ...