Mint-Some and Clovers

After some disappoinment with Kwik Sew 3295
due to some gaping in the v-neck and surprisingly narrow shoulders, I decided to return to my nearly TNT pattern, Kwik Sew 3062 I recall liking the rounded and topstitched neckline, lower empire waist, the lower front cut on the bias, and the distinctive puffed sleeves.



Third version in cotton from EmmaOneSock.com.

First version made last fall

Third version, photographed by my 6-year old. My personal photographer received a Simplicity 2944 "Cheetah Girl" knit tunic as commission.


Size
XS-S-M-L-XL. I sewed sewed a medium.

The changes I made were:
*100% cotton fabric from EmmaOneSock.com
* making a 3/4" petite adjustment at the marked line and adding the same amount to the bottom. The top tends to run short in length in my opinion, even though I am short-waisted.
* sewing French seams at the sides and shoulders.


Things I noticed in my third version:
* This and some other KS patterns seem to run one or even two sizes smaller than what I normally use in the Big 4 patterns.
* Although I am a "B" cup, I found the size medium's upper bodice roomy.
* I discovered that there is some looseness in the upper back (as in the Kwik Sew 3295 woven top that I just sewed), making it ideal for those with broader backs. I pinched temporary back shoulder darts which seemed to eliminate or reduce the problem.
* Maybe losing 4 lbs this month has something to do with above (so far I am having better success with my "back to the 80's" workout routine)

I'm not going to give up on Kwik Sew 3295...

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Original Review, Oct. 22, 2008
Kwik Sew 3062 has been on my wish list for some time. What prompted me to purchase this recently was the fact that it will be discontinued at PR (discontinued according to the Kwik Sew website).

Pattern Description
"Misses' pullover tops have sccop neckline finished with bias cut binding, gathers under bust and lower front is cut on bias. View A has slit on bodice at center front seam, and gathered sleeves have shirring with elastic. View B has short gathered sleees with elastic in casing in bottom edges. Pull-on bias cut skirt has elastic in casing at waist, and two ruffles at bottom edge." I sewed View B.

Size
Misses' XS -XL. I referred to my bust size and sewed a "M". I find that Kwik Sews have been generous in their sizing. I even find the "M" a tad roomy overall!


Fabric
What seems like a medium weight, mixed woven, "The Road to Sao Paolo", from Gorgeous Fabrics. It seems to be already sold out.


Favorite Features
*Very easy to construct

*Few pattern pieces involved: upper bodice, bias front skirt, bias neckline, sleeve, and back.

*I was hesitant to purchase this due to the empire chest which has in the past made me look as if I am expecting. Hopefully the bias front skirt below the bust coupled with the lower empire styling minimizes that.

*Puffed sleeves

*Scoop neck

*Bias finish at the neckline

*5/8" seam allowances included


Other Features
*Neckline scoop came lower than represented by the illustration on the envelope.
*Needs to be adjusted for sway back.
*The sleeves puffed out more (gathered quite a bit at the sleeve caps) than those featured on the envelope.
*Length of top appears shorter than expected


Directions
Clear and easy to read with very helpful illustration as what I typically expect from a Kwik Sew.

The finishing of the neckline is interesting in that the method described drifted from methods with which I am familiar. Instead of pinning the bias strip (sewn at the ends, forming a loop), right sides of fabric together along the neckline, I pinned it from the inside of the top or right side of the bias loop to the wrong side of the fabric along the neckline, ensuring that the notches align with the shoulder seams. I sewed the recommended 1/4" from the raw edges (could have sewn a little more to reduce the width of the binding) and turned the strip to the outside and press. Then I topstitched the binding, close to the encased edge.

Modifications
*To lower the empire seam, I extended the upper bodice by adding 1/4" along the lower edge and the bias skirt by adding 1/4" along its upper edge.

Conclusion
I highly recommend this pattern if you want to create something that does not require a lot of time and that is easy to sew with minimal adjustments. The Kwik Sew website states that this pattern is already discontinued and will soon be on PR! I wish I had purchased this pattern sooner! I plan to make a few more tops with sleeve variations.