Pattern Magic vol 1, draped top p.59 + 60

So I decided to begin with the pattern-magic project, not a vintage pattern. And I chose this twisted top.

It's simple enough to appeal to me I guess! Many of them (like the bow ones I posted about earlier) make me dribble when I look at them in the book, but I'm not sure I'd like to actually wear them. So: simplicity first!

After working on the pattern for a while I realised that there are two methods described in the book, the first is a drape without a twist and the second is a drape with a twist (I could read half of the names of the projects in the book, guessed and later asked my japanese colleague if I was right, and I was, shiawase!).

Since the basic pattern is the same for both of the versions I decided to make both to see which one I liked better.

First I copied my basic blouse-pattern. I was lucky, all I had to do was to move one of the darts from the shoulder to the sleeve-opening. A simple cut and close-excersize (look at my Burdastyle-profile if you don't know how to change darts, I've made a how-to for changing darts to princess-seams there, that will explain it).

I decided I wanted the wrap (in both cases, with and without the twist) a bit further down than in the book. I put the top of the wrap-circle 5.5cm's below the chest-line of my basic pattern instead of just below it.

Then I followed the pictures, drew all the lines as well as I could. I rushed it a bit (eager to finish in time to make a toile!) so I had to add some paper I had accidently cut off by mistake a couple of times, but with a roll of stickytape you can always repair the damage!

I turned the pattern to position it the same way as in the book before drawing the lines, since my basic pattern is mirrored compared to the one they use in the book.

With all the lines done it was time to start cutting the pattern.

And to open it up.

Then I cut the original darts, removed the paper in the darts and taped them closed. I think it would be easier to do this before cutting along the lines if you're not used to working with patterns/darts. It wouldn't matter that the patterns wouldn't be flat before cutting along the lines.

In the version with a twist, you cut the pattern in two by cutting along the center ot the circle (where the strips are the most narrow) and then turn the bottom half the other way before drawing the finished pattern. See the picture of the finished pattern below.

There's an indication in the diagram/picture in the that the middle of the pattern should be 18cm's wide, so I drew an 18cm's long line and taped the pattern-pieces flat so that the opening in the middle was 18cm's and the pattern-pieces looked as much as possible as they do in the pictures.

In the picture above you can see the closed dart as a line next to my finger-tips. Notice that I made them fit like a puzzle rather than line up the pieces of paper as I taped them closed, that's how it's done in the book.

These are the finished front-pieces of both versions.
I've marked them as they are marked in the book (but I don't have access to japanese kana-letters so I used the western ones instead).
I've also marked the side-seams and sleeve-openings to make the difference between them more clear.

This is the front-piece for the version without twist. The other one would be folded in the center front. I forgot to photograph it, but I intend to make a new one and include later, it's interesting to see the difference between them. The straight grain is quite different depending on which version you choose. This material is striped along the straight grain (I bought this material only because it was cheap, but I've realised the stripes makes it excellent for toiles, I was lucky!).

So, here are my finished toiles!

They both have their pluses and minuses. I like that the one without the twis is cut on the bias below the waist. It also seems to fit a bit better.

The one with the twist, however, has a more even distribution of the creases in the wrap-front, and it generally just looks a bit better around the wrap.

They are both too tight around the bust, and they are both a bit too loose below the bust. I will have to adjust that before making the final version.

I think that the one without the twist may work better for thinner materials and the one with a twist better for more thick materails.

I will try to evaluate them better before the final version!