Jalie 2788 twist top

I seriously do not know why it took me so long to make up this pattern.

This top is great! I think the twist had me a little intimidated, but it really was much easier than it looks.

The pattern is Jalie 2788. Y'all have probably noticed that I love Jalie patterns, and this one is no exception. The instructions and diagrams are clear and easy to follow, and I got the geometry of the twist in one try.

Here is a detail shot of the twist. The seam that falls under the bust creates a loop of fabric. You make one side first, leaving a small opening to pass through the other side, then sew that seam shut. It creates two interlocking loops of fabric. Pretty neat trick!

The top also features an optional modesty panel. As a full busted gal, this was NOT an option for me. The top is indecently low without it, but that's the nature of the twist. The panel is actually an underlay that covers the entire bust area. It's sewn into the side seams and front armscye, so it is very secure.

The fabric I used, a printed cotton jersey from Girl Charlee, is fairly thin. This makes the twist part lie nice and flat without bulk, but it is bit transparent. The modesty panel also serves as a bit of insurance against bra show through.

The pattern offers several styles of sleeve. I chose the short, puffed sleeve with bound hem. The sleeve is gathered at the cap as well as the hem, so it's very dainty, but in my thin knit, not at all voluminous or overwhelming. I think it works with the delicate print and soft colors of this fabric.

The other stand out feature of this top is the back neckline. It scoops low on the back, but not so low as to require special underwear. I love the subtle sexiness. The pattern includes ties that go across the back neck, but they weren't necessary to keep the shoulders up, so I omitted them. I like the clean line the low neckline gives back here.

For fit, I did my usual Jalie cheater FBA. It's a little tricky on this top, since the front pattern piece is split and looks very odd, but once you find the armscye, the method is the same. Don't forget to add to the modesty panel as well. I also curved the center back seam a little, but from the back picture, it looks like I need a bit more shaping. Nice to have a CB seam for that. All in all, I'm pretty thrilled with this top. I also think it'll make a fab dress... Perhaps soon to come.