Birds of Parrot-ise Revisited

I was inspired by PR fellow sewists who previously reviewed Butterick 4685 using view C with the ruffle neckline. I have had this view already cut out and has been in a "Zip Lock" bag with the pattern envelope for 7 months, one of my UFO's. Just after reading Bonnie D's and GodsGirlT's  reviews and admiring their lovely tops, I took out the Zip Lock bag from hiding.

Pattern Description: "MISSES' TOP:  Pullover top has sleeve and neckline variations.  A, B, D:  lace trim.  C:  ruffle neckline  D: casing and elastic waist."

Pattern Sizing:
Misses' 8-10-12-14.  I sewed a "12" at the neckline and shoulders and a "14" elsewhere.  I think a "10" would have been better for me at the neckline.

Fabric Used:
A Liberty of London cotton lawn purchased from emmasonesock.com called "Pauly's Parrots", which has been sold out for some time now.  My first project was my daughter's romper/jumpsuit from a Simplicity pattern, which also had a flounced neckline.  This was my first LOL (what an acronym) fabric that I purchased and used, and it is not like your typical cotton lawn fabric.  Go ahead and indulge yourself at least once and experience the difference!

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?  Yes.

Could Butterick 4685 be a reincarnation of the bodice portion of a Butterick 6069 dress from the 1970's?

Were the instructions easy to follow? Yes, although I did not use them much.  I relied extensively on the diagrams as visual clues.

Favorite Features
*Fairly easy to sew.
*The boho/peasant styling

*Ideal styles to showcase many types of fabric (wovens, cotton knits) and prints.


Other Features
Although I like the overall style, I don't think it is the most flattering on my figure.  I might have been able to pull off a similar style two decades ago, but am not sure about it now.  Due to the billowy back, I cinched the top with a belt.  Fellow PR sewists Bonnie D and GodsgirlT used an elasticized casing at the waist for their blouses and obtained terrific results.


Without a belt:

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:
*Performed my usual petite alteration (1") at the waistline. Despite that, there was still some "puffing" at the back.

*For a more polished finish at the neckline, I used Pam Erny's ("Off the Cuff" blog) tip to topstitch the upper edge of the neckline.  Although including this step in addition to finishing the seams removes the "fast" from the pattern's "fast & easy" label,  I notice that there is a remarkable difference in comparison to the typical topstitched hem (without the topstitched upper edge)!

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
I would probably sew it again in a less sheer and solid fabric after a few adjustments to the pattern pieces, but still recommend the entire pattern for its ease of construction and endless style possibilities.