Bellavista by Itch to Stitch

I finally made this pattern!  I have had it printed for some time and finally taped all the pieces together.  I am normally a "Team Trace" for pdf patterns because I like to pin fit patterns and copy paper does not work well for this fitting technique.  I decided I would go with the finished measurements for size 10 and 12. 

That worked pretty well, however, I think I probably could go with an 8 in shoulder/upper chest area.  ended up shaving off 3/8 inch from shoulder width and I think I could shave off another 1/4 inch.  My back is fairly narrow and with all patterns-indies or Big 4, the back is always too wide or full.  I ended up shaving off a 1/2 inch from each back side seams which makes it about an inch reduction.  This worked well for my back fitting.

I used the size 10 for upper chest and shoulder tapering to size 12 from underarm to bottom. I think I that worked well for bust area and after reducing the back piece as noted above, the fit was good for that area.

My DH helped with taking pictures but I did not like how they turned out so I took the bathroom mirror photos.  Not the best photos but better than what he took.

Here is a side view with a comment.

What drew me to this top originally was the cowl neck.  When I started with this fabric, I thought I had enough to make the cowl neck. Unfortunately, I did not!   So I used the view with neckband.  I have used a neckband attachment method that I saw on Threads Insider years ago and it has served me well most of the time.  As you can see in the above I have gaping at the center neckline. I reduced the length of the neckband and added width before attaching.  I basted it first and decided I did not need as much width and reduced that by 1/4 inch.  I think the gaping is more of a fabric issue than the pattern.  I also think if I had kept it at its original width it would have been better.

Other than tweaking the size a little, I really like this pattern.  You can not see the front seaming with this busy floral print.  It is a nice design feature and does allow for tweaking if you find it too full.  I think you could also do some creative seaming with this as well as color block with the centerpiece.

I like the bell sleeves. I think the sleeves are a little full in the bicep area and might reduce that fullness with the next top.  I have pulled out a solid knit fabric from stash and will measure to make sure I can cut out the cowl neck before cutting into the fabric.  Or back to the stash I go.

For full disclosure, I am an affiliate of Itch to Stitch and if you think you would like to try this pattern, you can click on the link in the left-hand column which will take you to the site for purchasing. I would receive a commission.  My opinion about this pattern is my own.