Spring is around the corner and not a moment too soon! I whipped up this cute little top in spring-appropirate fabric and I can’t wait to wear her more! Let me tell you all about the pattern, first.
This is the Morningside Top from French Navy. I just love Sarah’s designs and honestly I could make all of them and they’d fit right into my wardrobe. But, I chose this top for my first mostly because of the ruffle sleeve. You guys know by now, I cannot resist a ruffle!
The pattern is described as both a dress and shirt style with the option of two sleeve variations: a classic, cuffed sleeve for a versatile wardrobe workhouse or the flounced sleeve for a more whimsical silhouette. All views feature a narrow collar, concealed places, and slightly dropped shoulders. Both dresses have a roomy fit, in seam pockets, and a curved high-low hemline. The shirt has a boxy cut.
I found the instructions to be incredibly thorough and easy to understand. But, the concealed placket is a bit tricky especially with the shifty fabrics recommended for this top. It’s not difficult to do, just a little fussy.
And, with the dropped shoulder sleeve, you get all the benefits of some arm coverage but without the trouble of a set in sleeve. The hem is a little decieving as most of the time, hems are no big deal. But this one is curved and has a small seam allowance. Again, not super difficult to execute on it’s own but with the slippery fabrics, it can be tricky.
The hardest part of this pattern has to be the collar, but isn’t that the case with all collars? They are just tricky by nature. I will say the collar pieces are drafted really well which makes them trickier to sew but the results are so much better.
If you can take your time with the placket, hem and the collar, I’d say a confident beginner can tackle this pattern.
Getting a good fit on this pattern is pretty straight forward. There is so much ease built in that it would be hard to make this too small. And, with the drapey fabrics that want to fall toward the body anyway, it would also be difficult to make this too big. If you follow the size chart exactly, you should be fine.
As for the fabric, I used a box plaid rayon twill for this top. I got it from Joann a few months ago and grabbed it without having a pattern in mind. The drape is great for this pattern, but the twill is a little bit heavy making details like the placket a little bulky. You’d probably never notice it if I didn’t point it out, but it’s something that stuck out to me as I was making it. I don’t even notice that when I’m wearing it, but I do want to mention it in case you’re considering a heavier fabric.
One thing a heavier weight rayon is good for is a great collar! And, I’m so happy with out mine turned out.
I did end up using a lightweight cotton for the yoke facing to not add any more weight to this garment than necessary.
I took great care cutting out the fabric turning the pattern pieces on the bias at the placket, collar and sleeve. That one little change creates so much visual interest and prevents you from having to match the plaid across the entire garment. Win win.
All in all, I really love my Morningside! It’s just the right piece to transition the seasons but also transition out of this quarantine! I hope you guys like it, too! If you want to make your own Morninside, you can find a link to the pattern in the description box. I’ll also have a link to the French Navy First Impression Friday video I did so you can see all of Sarah’s designs.