Guess when I started this project?  February.  And I finished it in November.  Now THAT is what I call rescuing a project from the UFO pile.

The pattern is the Floral Motif Yoke Top from Linda Permann’s book Crochet Adorned. I crocheted the yoke in Bendigo Woollen Mills Cotton 8 ply, colour New Ochre. The rest of the top is an adaptation of the bodice of Simplicity 3892 view D, used to give a little side shaping and help to distribute the gathers. The fabric is Anna Maria Horner voile.

The reason that this top languished unfinished was that once I assembled it, the straps were way, way too long. Cotton stretches, and there was no way that I could wear the top as it was. So it went into a pile in the corner. Eventually I pulled it out and rather than unravelling and recrocheting the yoke, I just folded over the straps to get them to the correct length and machine stitched them into place. Not perfect, but acceptable. Perfect would be great, but sometimes good enough is okay as well! I love the little covered button on the back.

An excellent save! And the top goes nicely with my Kwik Sew shorts.  And the moral of the story?  If you are making this top, try on the crocheted yoke as you go so that you stop the straps at the correct length. Ravelled here.