Pattern review

Since I'm lazy, I've just reposted the review of Simplicity 3893 that I wrote for patternreview.com . I haven't worn the top yet but I might wear it tomorrow at a get-together with my sewing friends. I'm going to see how it looks over a long-sleeved pink top. The weather tomorrow should be fairly hot but the gathering is in SF, where it will most likely be cooler.

Pattern Description:
Loose fitting top for wovens or knits. I made view C. There are only four pieces: two for the top and two for the "skirt." There's also elastic that goes in a casing below the bust.

Pattern Sizing:
Two groupings: 10-18 and 20-28. I made up the size 18 with no adjustments.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?
It came out pretty much as expected, based on the drawing. You'll most likely want to wear this with a shirt or camisole underneath as the "V" is very low.

Were the instructions easy to follow?
The sewing instructions were just fine; however, I did deviate from them to use some of my own methods for working with knits.

Since I was sewing with a knit, I used a lot of fusible straight-grain seam tape (I used Design Plus). I used the seam tape to stabilize the long shoulder seams, the front neck edge, and also the bottom hem, since the hem was on the more stretchy, crosswise grain.

Instead of using bias tape to finish the neckline, I turned to the book Sewing with Knits by Connie Long and used her directions for sewing a simple knit neckline. I cut a 1 1/4 inch strip from the lengthwise grain of my fabric. I figured the lengthwise grain had just enough give to curve around the back neck but was stable enough for the front "V." I sewed the trim to the neck edge, right sides together, trimmed the seam allowance to 1/4 inch, and then turned the strip over the seam allowances and stitched it down. For the sleeve and bottom hems, I used the coverstitch on my serger. Side seams and the casing were done with a small zig-zag stitch.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
I don't like where the sleeves hit my arms. In hindsight I should have made the longer sleeves. Also, the front elastic band wants to ride up higher in the front than the back. I don't know if this is the way it should look or if it's just the way it fits my body.

Fabric Used:
A thin, 2-way knit from Emmaonesock. I love the design on it but the color makes me look a bit washed out, which of course would be the case no matter what I made with it. However, the weight of the fabric is just right, I think and makes the top light and flowing.

Pattern Alterations or any design changes you made:
I didn't alter the pattern and only changed how I constructed it.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
I might make it again but I have a lot of patterns for cute summer tops in my stash!

Conclusion
This is an easy top that could certainly be sewn by a beginner, especially since the sleeves are one piece. It's forgiving in the way it fits, which is also good for beginners.