StyleArc Clementine

 When I saw the Clementine Dress & Top from StyleArc, I bought it immediately. 

The drop waist dress is something I would have worn in my younger years, so that is a pass for me.  But the top.  With the square neckline and the puff sleeve?  Oh yeah, that's me all the way!

I was at Walmart recently (a rarity for me, it's not convenient for me to get to) and I keep seeing everyone on Instagram talk about all the fabulous deals they get on inexpensive knits for test garments. Well, I didn't get that lucky, but they had a pretty cotton that wasn't a quilting fabric for $4 a yard, so I decided to pick some up to try out this pattern. I'm a curvy girl and I wasn't sure where the darts were going to hit or if this straight cut was going to work for my body shape. 

For a StyleArc pattern, I thought the minimal instructions were good.  I did make sure to stay stitch my neckline and finish all my seams, including the facing, but I suspect they expect you to know those are standard things you do when sewing a garment. 

I need to figure out the lighting in my office for photos because it's never right!!  This photo is a little over exposed so the fabric looks washed out, but you'll see below, it's really not.

First and foremost, let's talk fit. My standard adjustments are to add at least one inch in the torso for length and an FBA.  And I'm not at all confident in doing FBA's yet, so I tend to gravitate to patterns that have cup sizes. I also tend to widen at the hipline to accommodate for my "I've had four c-sections" tummy.  I'm not at all wide in the hips, but that gut is a trouble area!!

I did NONE of that for this pattern!! This is a straight size 18. Based on the measurements of the finished garment, it appeared that it would fit me right off the cutting table. And I'm not going to lie, after my experiences with the Big 4 that never fit me right and take a ton of adjustments, I wasn't all that confident that this would either, although StyleArc is one of the indy pattern companies that tend to fit me better than most. But since the fabric was $8 for a test garment, I figured it couldn't hurt to try. I'm really glad I did!!!! What you can't see from the line drawings is that it does naturally flare out at the hips because this is the same bodice you attach the skirt to. So the longer length for the drop waist ends up being perfect for me as a top (and now I want to try it as a dress since it wouldn't really be drop length unless I added inches).

And this square neckline.  I'm obsessed!!! I really think that staystitching the neckline and understitching the facing, as well as ironing the bejeezus out of it made this top. I readily admit that I KNOW I shouldn't take shortcuts in ironing...but I do sometimes. This is a perfect example of why you don't!

I will say, if you have narrow shoulders, this might be very wide on you. I'm pretty standard and this fits absolutely perfect. But if I was even an inch narrower in the shoulders, it would be close to falling off. 

When I tried this on without the facings, to see where the darts hit, I realized the fit was going to be excellent and decided to add a pretty facing.  Because why not?

As you can see, I serged my raw edges before I topstitched them down. Finishing the seams wasn't mentioned, so I feel like this is something they expect you to know.  And because this is meant to be topstitched around the edge of the facing, it stays down perfectly.  I'd like to try it with the facing on the outside with the contrast, but I'd probably increase the facing by at least a quarter inch so that I could fold it under and stitch it down. Definitely, something to consider for a future top.  I'm also contemplating one with sheer sleeves (just to torture myself!).I definitely plan to make a few more of these feminine blouses to add to my wardrobe.