Right off the bat when Sewaholic released the Yaletown dress and top, I was intrigued. I love wrap tops and dresses, but I wasn't 100% sold on the blousiness (blouseyness?) of the bodice portion. I wasn't sure it would be that flattering on me, but it sure looked nice on Tasia and on the subsequent Yaletowns I saw on the internet, including the navy one at Two Random Words and the brighter blue version at Sew Debbie!
Obviously, I decided to go ahead and get it anyway... treat yo self, right? I really liked the blouse version and thought, if it worked, it would be a great work blouse for pairing with a pencil skirt.
My hope was that this blouse would be a wearable muslin. The fabric is an inexpensive poly/cotton blend (I think!) with a nice drape. It's from a local store here in Bangkok and just a couple dollars a meter, so I figured I wouldn't be heartbroken if it didn't work out.
Size-wise, I went down a size from what my bust measurement indicated based on the finished garment size listed in the pattern as well as my experience with Sewaholic's Belcarra blouse, where I did the same. I only had 2 meters of fabric, though, so I skipped the self-fabric belt. I made the hem much smaller to keep the length: pressed up 1/4 inch and then 3/8 inch.
My verdict: I think this blouse has potential. I like the wrap-front and the comfy elastic waist a lot. But the blousiness, as I suspected, is a bit too much for me. The bodice seems to fit in the shoulders and across the bust and I think the skirt/lower part fits fine with my length adjustment. But... the amount of fabric between the waist and the bust is outta control! Maybe I need to shorten the bodice to take some of the blousiness out? I guess I am shortwaisted? It's extra baggy in the back, with the fabric hanging all the way over the waistline, but I think that may be exacerbated by a bit o'unaccounted-for sway back.
Also, on the open side of the wrap, there is enough room to store things such as large loaves of bread and small animals... see how it pooches out away from my body?:
I'm hoping the upcoming Yaletown sewalong at Sewaholic will elucidate how to deal with this issue so I can try sewing the pattern up again. Any thoughts or advice from the peanut gallery? Have you sewn up the Yaletown yet? Are you planning on it? In the meantime, I shall be keeping my left hand warm thusly:
Update!! I added buttons across the wrap to keep it shut and now I love my Yaletown (although I think if I make it again I will still try to take some of the blousiness out):
