When a pattern you draft does not give the result you want, you may get discouraged and think “why draft, I’ll use and change commercial patterns”. That’s what happens to me, until I realize that I have lots of fitting problems then too or when a garment comes along that I want to copy urgently. That’s what happened when I saw this thread on PatternReview discussing this top (which costs $ 400! I’ll never spend that much on a top):
![image image](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-md87Sq_c31Q/WKTWYgzfRSI/AAAAAAAAYN4/rDjYau6i0aU/image_thumb.png?imgmax=800)
![image image](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-pfeRQg1fFrg/WKTWaB_1bvI/AAAAAAAAYOA/P892HlJv3dA/image_thumb%25255B1%25255D.png?imgmax=800)
Quite simple looking, yet elegant. Very much a summer top, but also wearable under a jacket. Couldn’t help myself and tried to draft it. This is my muslin, based on my sloper drafted in Suzy Furrer’s Craftsy class.
![IMG_4672 IMG_4672](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ADt3D43Df6E/WKTWbfbkaKI/AAAAAAAAYOI/mZlgcp8UdCA/IMG_4672_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800)
![IMG_4673 IMG_4673](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-BtgvwF2S3YI/WKTWcobfuFI/AAAAAAAAYOQ/Y7tfjW1vZvA/IMG_4673_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800)
In her class on neckline variations Suzy Furrer shows how to draft a funnel neckline and an opera neckline but both in variations that stand away from the neck. I could use the information to draft this neckline hugging version.
My observations:
- funnel neckline close to the neck
- curved v-neck
- 1 to 2 inched seam below lowest point of v-neckline, opening into a small pleat
- seam in the back neckline
- center back seam
- no darts
For my version I chose to have a bust dart: removing all darts in the waist dart is too much on my figure and I think that being full busted that is just fitting better. I did not use a seam in the back neckline.
Hope the next drawings are clear in how I got to this pattern. I use inches in this description as I’m quite used to doing those now, having followed so many of Suzy Furrer’s classes. I use an inch ruler too when I do these markings.
The starting point: sloper draft of the front, shoulder and armhole dart closed and the space “dumped” into the bust dart. (alternative could be a blouse/shirt pattern with not too much ease).
![IMG_4703 IMG_4703](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-DanW_dWdW-A/WKTWeCck09I/AAAAAAAAYOY/cG_lwzvxaOc/IMG_4703_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800)
I went 1/4 inch in for the shoulder seam
(for those having done this sloper too: this is the 1/4 inch you remove from the moulage to get extra space around the neckline. I started using this point but it was too wide, so I went back to the original moulage point)
![IMG_4704 IMG_4704](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-F4C6zuFBUq0/WKTWfYS27WI/AAAAAAAAYOg/WkJP5i6_Kjs/IMG_4704_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800)
From that shoulder point 1 1/4 inch up, perpendicular to the center front
Draw the curve, ending around the middle of the shoulder seam.
Decide where you want the v-neckline to end and draw a curved line to that point.
![IMG_4705 IMG_4705](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-qL6Hk4PC3mo/WKTWgrqnhOI/AAAAAAAAYOo/u7k1NZbzANw/IMG_4705_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800)
![IMG_4706 IMG_4706](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ePs4V1owCVg/WKTWh9gFf6I/AAAAAAAAYOw/txnYR1Pa-M4/IMG_4706_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800)
I decided to have the center seam 1/2 inch below the bust line. If the pleat would start too high, it would open up which at bust level, not so nice probably. The pleat is 1 inch deep (you could make it less or more, it’s just what I thought would be about right), so the amount of fabric for the pleat is 2 inches. The front can be cut on the fold. As I’m used to I marked the darts as “not using them”.
![IMG_4708 IMG_4708](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-s5UDSEe8BeI/WKTWjdtur7I/AAAAAAAAYO4/VSVn7UZJQDE/IMG_4708_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800)
As last step I removed 3/4 inch from the shoulder width.
![IMG_4709 IMG_4709](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-jeywEQ4uC58/WKTWkhixKmI/AAAAAAAAYPA/8PEXOg-IatI/IMG_4709_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800)
The back: starting point the sloper again.
![IMG_4710 IMG_4710](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/---xJsP3HcJ4/WKTWl12V13I/AAAAAAAAYPI/JcjDh61VC-4/IMG_4710_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800)
Basically this is the same change: 1/4 inch into the neckline, 1 1/4 inch up, draft the curve and the neckline.
Remove 3/4 inch from the shoulder width and center the back dart again (I prefer to keep this dart too for better fit).
![IMG_4711 IMG_4711](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-RKzjhyQsxhM/WKTWofTSmJI/AAAAAAAAYPQ/cKjs9-brcUo/IMG_4711_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800)
The final pattern pieces. The orange dotted line is the line for facings. For the back I will remove the dart from the facing by folding it away. Or I could change my mind and make separate facings for neckline and armhole. First to decide which fabric to use for the top.
![IMG_4713 IMG_4713](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-J4o3mJ3yT-A/WKTWpmArCvI/AAAAAAAAYPY/mwGX2abNaM4/IMG_4713_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800)
NB: I folded out a little bit (about 1/2 inch) from the curved neckline to make sure the neckline doesn’t gape. This is more necessary for fuller busted women if I remember it right.
![IMG_4714 IMG_4714](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-bYWMmlbW8CE/WKTWrtSZG7I/AAAAAAAAYPg/neyGrScYf4s/IMG_4714_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800)
Hope this helps some of you interested in drafting in general or this top specifically. It’s my interpretation of doing this. If you do this I do advice to make a muslin as I’m not a teacher and can’t guarantee this works for you too.