A Matchy Matchy Skipper Top

I recently signed up to be a tester for a new pattern by the Matchy Matchy Sewing Club. I haven't done this kind of thing for ages, but I thought that their new Skipper Top & Dress pattern was really cute -- and it's available now on their website!

This is reminiscent of their very popular Collage Gather Top, as it's also a panelled boxy top with gathered sections. The Skipper has gathering on the central panels, though, not the outer ones like the Collage, which appealed to me a little more. 

There are 3 views in this pattern - a short top, a mini dress/tunic, and a midi. I just tested the top view, but am planning on making the short dress as well in future. The patch pockets on that view are very cute. 

The style of Matchy Matchy is quite patchworky and quirky, with many of the samples on their website made of patchworked gingham. The patterns lend themselves to this kind of sewing, with their multiple panels. They also lend themselves to using small pieces of fabric, because of that panelling. 

I went to the other extreme with my version - I did an all black top! I had a small, lightweight greyish-black piece of cotton poly that I picked up at the thrift store a while back, because I liked the weight and drape of it. It was just perfect for this top. I decided to use the flat front view (there is also the option to gather the front panel as well as the back). After tracing and measuring, I also decided to add 3" to the length, as I'm not a real wearer of cropped items. The pattern has been adjusted in its final form to have a bit more length on the top and mini-dress views, so I probably won't have to make this adjustment on any future projects and neither will you if you make it!

The neckline is finished with a bias facing, and unfortunately my fabric didn't press as nicely as a cotton would so I did end up with a few bumps in my neckline finish, but that's a small issue. The fit on this is perfect for me, and I really enjoyed making it. The mini-dress has fun pockets and I'd make that with the gathered front panel. The midi has a side seam pocket option. I think that this is a quick and straightforward make and would be a good addition to the collection for newer sewists, due to its easy construction. But it would also be a good one for anybody who likes to use scraps, colour block or pattern block their projects. In basic black this is going to be a go-to for me.