Taking chances can sometimes pay off in a simply beautiful find. The Alabaster Top available by membership to Closet Core Crew, is a good example. The asymmetry startled me at first. Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s beautiful, but just not me.
Closet Core Crew membership
I have been a member of Closet Core Crew for almost a year now. Life has been busier than I expected so I haven’t really dived into the monthly garment patterns as intensely or eagerly as I thought I would. And when I have had the time, I’ve chosen to make other items: a scrappy mat, the Nest Sweatshirt, Jedi Costumes, and one other Crew patter, the Butterscotch backpack. Mostly this is because of different priorities: saving money, needing another sweatshirt, going to FanExpo and my son needed a new backpack. And not many of the Crew patterns inspired me last year. So here you see me, taking a bit of a gamble, a bit of a chance on this one.
Ponte for the win
Part of the decision making process involved a meter of ponte that I didn’t know what to do with. It wasn’t quite enough to try out Crew’s Onyx pants, and I don’t like light colors for pants, and the ponte is a very light grey. So insert the the short version of the Alabaster top! Why not try it out? I don’t normally do a muslin for knit fabrics, so I went for it.
Getting help
My measurements put me in a size 6 for bust and waist, and 10 for the hips. This pattern has an asymmetrical slit at the side and opens up nicely in the hips, so I cut a size 6, and only graded to a 10 on the back seam (I’m sure it can be done at the side seams, but I didn’t want to get too complicated and thought the open slit would account for the extra room I need there. I was right!). I did struggle at the hem, and I suspect I cut the wrong line at some point. But the Crew membership includes a community of other makers to ask questions and get advice from, so I did that, and came out on top 😀 It has a really high neckline that I like, and the slit on the side is parallel with my belly button (higher than I expected, perhaps my torso is on the longer side of life) and I like it!
Not surprisingly, you can see me here, wearing my new top over my culotte shorts! And I can tuck it in because I made the shorter version 🙂 A simply beautiful find.
Happy Sewing!
