Cynthia Rowley top - finished!

Rummaging through my pattern stash last week I came across this Cynthia Rowley pattern (Simplicity 2584) that I meant to make last year but somehow never did.

On a whim I pulled it out and got started on it straight away. Here’s the result -

To be honest, I think that I made a bit of an error in choosing such a busy print because the lovely shaped yoke, which is the main feature of this pattern, is a little lost. I should have used a plain fabric, or used a contrasting fabric for the yoke, or piped the edges to make it stand out more. However, I did use some heavy topstitching to help define it and, close-up, you can just about see the yoke shaping -

Apart from that, I do really like this top and I definitely recommend the pattern. Although it has a designer label it was very quick and simple to sew and I liked the way that the yoke is lined which makes it easy to construct accurately. I think that the cut is just right in that it’s not tightly fitted but it does have some shaping. Another thing I should mention is that I left off the zipper (I seem to be going through a phase of doing this because I did the same on the last top I made). I actually have nothing against zippers and am quite happy putting them in anywhere that needs one. However, with this pattern the zipper is supposed to be decorative, so you need a novelty zipper but I didn’t have one and couldn’t wait to get one. So, as the top goes on over the head quite easily, I just sewed up the centre back seam.

I definitely want to make another one of these quite soon but I shall choose a fabric that will showcase the yoke a bit better. In the meantime, however, I have acquired a few vintage dress patterns recently and I’ve decided that one of these is definitely going to be next on my list. So, more soon …