Tie Me Down Again

This is the same pattern from my last post. It's the Hotpatterns Metropolitan Tie Me Down Top. There are 11 reviews for this top on Patternreview.com and at least three of them are from plus-sized women. You can see my muslin for this top on my last post. Many of you said I should wear the muslin, but I think I'll probably give it away to my neice. I still haven't hemmed it yet. My biggest problem with the muslin is the fabric. I know lots of you liked the top and the fabric, but I don't like me in white. My coloring isn't right for white. I never feel good in white and people always ask me if I'm feeling OK when I wear it. So, for my final version, I used some fabric in my colors.


I think it looks much better in this lace and animal printed sueded drapey knit. The fabric is left over from one of my first renditions of KS 2900. I'm not sure why I had so much of the fabric left over but I'm glad I did. The first top was torn to shreads when my son was having his first of many rages. (Thank God he doesn't have those anymore!) The color is more appropriate for me and I feel good wearing it.

I wound up sewing it in a size 16 with a size 18 at the sides. I think if I lose 10 more pounds I can just take it in at the side seams. I serged them so it shouldn't be hard to just serge them again with a larger seam allowance. The shoulders are still a bit long, but that may be because I didn't stabilize the shoulders and they are being pulled by the sleeve. I also didn't use the facing that is included with the pattern.


The back is still too wide, but in this drapey fabric, you can't really tell. It probably also needs a rounded back alteration, but I didn't bother with it. I really like the sleeve cuff treatment. The pattern says to sew the elastic gathers 2" from the hemmed edge, but I don't like sleeves hanging down over my hands, so I put it close to the hem. I shortened the sleeve a lot, but that's also a normal alteration. I also straightened out the shaped hem as well.


I shortened the tie. On the muslin it's much too long, especially on my 5'1" frame. My bustline also doesn't need a large floppy bow laying on top. I shortened the ties about 5" for the purple version. I think the bow is just right at this shorter length.


The only thing I really don't like about this pattern is the sleeve gathers. They are fighting with the shoulder gathers and losing the battle. The drapey knit isn't doing them justice either as they just hang limply and they should probably be spread out a bit more. The pattern has you put them at the very top of the shoulder, so that's what I did.

The top is quite fussy to make and I didn't really enjoy having to tie all the elastic thread ends. Which, by the way, the pattern doesn't tell you to do. However, I didn't want the elastic to come undone so I think it's an important step. That's 14 rows of stitches with 2 ends on each row for 28 knots that need to be made. If you hate gathering, DO NOT make this top.

All in all I really do like the top, just don't like making it. However, I'll probably make it again once I lose a few more pounds. I like how modest the neckline is and that it didn't need a FBA. Anyway, I recommend the top, just don't think it's one of those get it done quickly type of patterns.

For my next project, I've found a few UFOs that are cut but not sewn. I think they will probably fit me, if not now, then very soon. I'm excited to see if they will fit me. I don't have any clothes smaller than I am right now, so I'm going to have to keep sewing so I'll have something to wear. Just as soon as I'm down into a size 14 RTW, I'm going to do some thrift store shopping to get by. There are some pretty good thrift stores around me so I don't think I'll mind wearing gently used clothes. It's better than going out nekked!