What year WAS that song written?*  Why does it feel part of my era?  Whenever I hear the name Ricki it’s the first thing that I think of.  Now I can think of the Style Arc Ricki top instead.

This is my “wearable muslin”. It is so wearable that I am wearing it right now as I type this blog post.l I made straight size 12, no alteration. It’s roomy, which I think suits the style.  At first glance the primary appeal of this pattern was the back.

The two back pieces wrap over one another beautifully, and don’t actually seem to gape open during wear (although I think that your fabric choice would influence that). They do however create more weight at the back of the top than at the front and tend to pull the neckline toward the back, which can make it a little high at the front. The sleeves are slightly bell shaped. I was concerned that the wider hemline could be annoying during wear, but that hasn’t worked out to be the case.

The pattern drawing and description from the Style Arc website are as follows:

RICKI TOP: This back wrap top is perfect for a weekend project! The back is fully wrapped and is designed to cover the back but retaining the look that is so popular at the moment. The long sleeve is slightly belled or make it with the new longer short sleeve. This top is perfect for the new Scuba fabric but can be made in almost any fabric be it woven or knit.

FABRIC SUGGESTION: Knit jersey, Crepe, Ponte, Scuba, Linen

This version was sewn in striped french terry from Clear It.  It was very easy fabric to work with.  Construction was on the overlocker as per usual, with hems secured with Vliesofix tape then twin needled.  I did pay attention when cutting to match the stripes as well as possible – and think that I did a pretty good job!  I’d like to try this again in linen for summer with a short sleeve.  I think it would be lovely and cool to wear, with the added interest of the back wrap.

* yes I googled it – and was reminded that the song I was thinking of – released in 1982 when I was at high school – was Mickey.  Ricky was the “Weird Al” Yankovic parody.  It’s a bit worrying that I remember the parody as well as the original…