I’ve been eyeing In the Folds patterns for a while now. An indie out of Sydney (tehehe that has a nice ring to it), they’re the creators of the Rushcutter and the Acton dresses, as well as a line of free but straight-sized garments for Peppermint Magazine. I’m a fan of the all the paneling that the designer, Emily, loves.
The Collins Top could prove to be a very popular pattern as the weather heats up for summer (at least in the northern hemisphere). With two views and tons of panels, it’s comfy and breezy with lots of visual interest. For my version, I was inspired by @kelerabeus’s striped version on Instagram.
Pattern name:
Collins Top, View B, the sleeveless top with an all in one facing.
View A- raglan top with full sleeves; View B- paneled tank with all-in-one facing.
Size range:
Size A-K, which corresponds to 30-51.5” bust and 24”-45.5” waist. There’s a generous 7” ease in the bust and 15” in the waist, so the size range is possibly more expansive than it appears.
What size did you make?
Since this is loose-fitting trapeze top, the main fit concern is through the shoulders. I made a muslin of the front and back facings in Sizes E and F for comparison. I liked Size E everywhere but the bust and Size F nowhere but the bust, so Size E was my base, blended to Size F at the full bust.
Volume added from the side panels.
What are your measurements and height?
37” high bust, 41.5” full bust, 32” waist; 5’11” tall
What adjustments did you make?
I did a cheater FBA, by blending to a Size F at the bust portion of the front pieces and adding 1” to the front and back for extra length (and for being super tall in general). Truthfully, I wasn’t sure how to go about doing a proper FBA on the different panels, at least not without having to merge the front pieces together, alter, then separate them back out.
What fabric did you use?
A white and lavender striped seersucker, definitely synthetic, picked it up at the by-the-pound bins at Michael Levine a few years ago. I am not super in love with the feel of this fabric, but it made a decent test run. It was a bit difficult to match the stripes with the stretchy-crinkly nature of the seersucker.
Lots of panels!!
What was the construction process like? Did the instructions make sense to you?
The instructions are outstanding! They are clear, thoughtful, and beautiful instructions. In the Folds walks you through all stages of garment prep and construction. The tons of notches made putting the panels together simple. The all in one facing was also really easy- easier than one other method I’ve used! I opted for a combo of bias-bound, french, and pinked seam finishes. Overall, the top came together very quickly and it was a pleasure to use this pattern and instructions.
Side shot!
How do you like the pattern’s fit? Do you think the design works well for your particular body shape?
A trapeze style that doesn’t have ridiculous tenting from my mega-boobs?! Heck yes! I love this dramatic, architectural silhouette, and it succeeds because all the drama is in those side panels, not front and center.
My cheater-FBA worked reasonably well. There’s a little wrinkling around the front armhole. I should have added even more length in front for my bust and height.
High-low hem + volume!
Will you make the pattern again? If so, what fit or design changes will you make?
I would make this pattern again. I’d add length to the front and maybe try to fix the bust wrinkles. I envision trying this is a silky fabric and maybe lengthening it into a dress, too! Overall, it’s a win from In the Folds! After my experience trying the Collins top, I’d feel confident trying their other patterns styles, too. I’m looking forward to future panel-bonanza releases.
Do you have any advice on this pattern for other curvy sewers? Are there any resources (blog posts, fitting books, tutorials) that helped you sew this piece up?
There are 15 pieces in this top. Save yourself a headache and label them as you cut. I used these two tutorials for a refresher on making continuous bias tape.
Size Range: 4
The size range is pretty expansive and possibly a bit wider than advertised given the ease of the style. It’s drafted for a B-cup; I would have loved having different cup sizes and/or instructions on doing a FBA across the panels.
Instructions: 5
Excellent!
Construction Process: 5
Fun and headache free!
Final Fit: 4
Good fit through the shoulders with a dramatic silhouette, minus a point for the bust wrinkles and front length described above.
Overall Rating: 4.5
So, would you make a Collins top for yourself? Any advice for doing proper FBA with these panels and fixing the underarm wrinkles?
Hi Claire, Thanks for the lovely review! I am so pleased you enjoyed working with the pattern and finished up with such a fantastic top. I am also pleased to hear you enjoy the panelling theme in my patterns… plenty more panel-bonanza patterns on their way!
Thanks Emily!
What cup size are you?
H in RTW and 4.5″ difference (or DDish) between high and full bust for sewing.
Looking good! I like panelled look.
Also for the curious, the freebie patterns from Peppermint mag have started going up into plus sizes from issue 31 onward – I’m working on the slouchy cardi at the moment.
That is the best news! Thanks for pointing out the plus sizes- I love that cardi pattern & was so jazzed to learn it was in my size.
I contacted Emily about the fba cause I had some ideas, you just do an fba on the middle panel and the dart that is created finishes at the seam with the side panel. It’s just a short dart and I think they call it a Dior dart.
ohhhh! this makes so much sense. i was just reading about dior darts and it’d be cool to try one. THANK YOU. i was just totally stumped with those panels.
Emily posted in the comments here that she is working on an FBA tutorial: http://www.inthefolds.com/blog/2017/4/16/new-pattern-introducing-the-collins-top.
Oh, that’s a delightful update! Thanks, Khristina!
The FBA tutorial is up: http://www.inthefolds.com/blog/2017/4/21/the-collins-top-sew-along-full-bust-adjustment
Woohoo! Thanks!
I was eyeing this top myself – love all it’s seam lines and I think you’ve made it up in just the right fabric. Looks lovely on you!
I’ve been looking at that pattern myself. I’d definitely need an FBA. If that angled seam on the front is giving some bust shaping, I’d do the adjustment like I would to an armhole princess seam. If it doesn’t, I’d add a dart to the centre panel, and lengthen the side panel once it’s done so the seam lengths match. If it makes it onto the sewing list, it’ll be interesting to see what works.
Oh, I wish I had thought of that, Birdmommy! The angled seam doesn’t seem to give much shaping. I’d be interested to hear what works for you if you make it up.
Another fantastic post with great links! Thank You!
That top is a winner! Love your stripes which emphasize the design of the different pieces. Thanks for the great review of the pattern! 15 pieces – wow! But worth it for the look!