A J. Jill blouse purchased at a huge discount over a year ago stayed unworn in my closet for too long. Something about it didn't work for me. Along came The Sorbetto Top from Colette Patterns transforming the blouse into something I would wear.
The tuck is the original from the blouse and the bias strips were cut from a sleeve. The hem is original from the blouse too. Alterations to the pattern were a small bust adjustment with the remaining dart converted to gathers at the side seam and the addition of a center back seam for shaping.
Colette Patterns offers The Sorbetto Top as a free download, hard to resist with all the rave reviews it has in the online sewing world. The pattern is ok and can produce a nice top.
The good
- It is simple and easy to sew.
- The neckline shape and front pleat are good for this style top.
- It's free.
The not so good
- The darts are huge and really long.
- The pleat size does not grade with the pattern size.
- The side seams wing out at the bottom.
- So with the dart already changed by my SBA I made the pleat smaller for the size 6 I was using and reshaped the side seams to be more bell shaped than flared at the bottom and things went well in the next top I made using a cotton lawn.
- Then, since I don't like wearing woven tops much, they feel restrictive to me, I eliminated the front pleat and made the Sorbetto in a cotton jersey with ribbed binding. Not bad but it seemed a bit baggy and saggy in that fabric.
- Then, continuing my usual variations on a theme method, I made the now pleat-less top in a cotton lycra that has some weight and crispness and simply turned under the neckline, armscyes, and hem stitching them down with the coverstitch machine.
