I’ve actually used the Style Arc Bonnie top pattern before, but that was view B, for Stella.  This time around I sewed the sleeveless view A, for me!

Style Arc describe this pattern as follows: This wonderful new pattern comes with two options; A & B. Pattern “A” Features a slightly cropped body length, relaxed fit with bust darts. With a round neck and a functional back opening that can be buttoned this sleeveless top is the up to the moment look. For those that prefer a more covered garment there’s option “B”. Featuring a square shaped body and dropped shoulder line with an optional buttoned tab. The body length is longer and has a buttoned back, round neck as option “A”. FABRIC SUGGESTION: Linen, crepe, cotton, rayon.

I sewed size 12, and did a high round back alteration as per this excellent tutorial on the Oliver + S blog. This adjustment seemed to fix lots of my usual fitting issues with woven tops. I am 52, I spend most of my time hunched over a desk/computer/phone/sewing machine/crochet hook/book, so it pretty much makes sense that I should need to make this alteration! I actually think that this is more important than a traditional forward shoulder alteration for me. Should do it more often!

Oh, look at all the pretty buttons! If memory serves me correctly, they came from Thailand (thanks Gaye). I love using items from countries that I’ve visited in my sewing. My sewing machine was my 21st birthday present, so it does four-step buttonholes. None of that fancy computerised one touch buttonholing for me, I’m afraid! Because I have used this machine so much over the years, I have gained a fairly high level of competence in the four-step buttonhole. See what I mean?

And let’s look at the buttons again. So cute!

In those last couple of photos you can also see the fabric detail well. When I posted this top on Instagram lots of people commented on how much ‘pink’ suited me. Well, it does read as pink in a distant photo, but this fabric is actually a red/white chambray. I did a little bit of googling and discovered that chambray is the name for a plain weave fabric with white threads in the warp and coloured threads in the weft. Most of us think of chambray as being like denim, with white warp and indigo weft threads, but the coloured threads can actually be any colour. In this fabric, they are red. It’s very similar to a shot cotton, although those fabrics have two different colours in the warp and the weft (no white). The two different coloured threads give the fabric a type of ‘iridescence’.

There are french darts to give a little shaping to what is otherwise a fairly boxy top (my favourite type of top). I sewed this as per the pattern length, thinking that it might be worth having a more cropped top than my usual longer length in my wardrobe. I think that it will look especially good with the Bonnie skirt (I have one cut out, but not sewn up yet). I’m not likely to wear it with jeans as in the photo below!

I’m really glad that I gave this pattern a try. The armholes and neckbands are finished with facings that are topstitched into place, which in my opinion gives a nice detail and professional finish. I pretty much followed the instructions for this top, and found that the drafting was excellent as usual and gave a particularly good finish to the back bands and hemline.

This pattern will definitely get more outings over the years. It’s a lovely sleeveless basic.