Itch to Stich Amador Top

When I posted my Islares top a couple of months ago, I mentioned that I was planning on making another Itch to Stitch top pattern. Well, the project I'm sharing today is indeed another Itch to Stitch top, but it's not the one that I was intending to make. I recently rediscovered a couple of patterns that I'd had printed a while ago - including the Amador top, which quickly found its way onto my sewing table. 

The Amador top is a pattern for knit fabrics. It has a V-neckline and dolman sleeves. The top has upper and lower sections, which join with a simple seam at the back and in an inverted V with gathered seams under the bust at the front. My fabric doesn't make the details that easy to see, so if you're interested definitely check out the line drawings on the Itch to Stitch website.

The pattern has regular and full bust options, which between them cover bust measurements from 31⅛" (regular bust) to 63" (full bust).

I enjoyed making my Amador top. It's not the most straightforward knit top pattern to sew, as you do need to be particularly precise for some of the steps. The instructions are very clear though; they have a good level of detail and are accompanied by helpful diagrams. 

I worked through all the steps, taking my time to make sure I was doing everything accurately, and everything went fairly smoothly. If you happen to see me wearing this top in real life though, don't inspect my topstitching at the bottom of the V neckline too closely!

I made the size recommended for my measurements - I used the regular bust and made a size 10 at the bust blending out to a 14 at the hips. I did a tissue fit (not ideal for a stretch pattern, but I didn't have any fabric I could use for a toile) and on the basis of that I lengthened the upper front and back by half an inch (I do usually have to lengthen patterns). I'm glad I did that - if I hadn't, the under-bust seam wouldn't have sat in the right place.

In terms of fit, I'd say the pattern isn't closely fitted, but it does have a nice shape. If you're after a very fitted top, this might not be the pattern for you, but if you want a slightly looser style then the Amador is really pretty. It's a really comfy top to wear, but could also look quite smart depending on the jersey you use and how you style the top.

The fabric that I used is a gorgeous leopard print cotton jersey that I bought from Simple Life Fabrics. It's a really great quality and I love all the colours in the print. It's definitely very "me"!

I enjoyed sewing my Amador top - it's nice to have a little bit of a challenge every now and then. I think it turned out quite nicely too. I quite fancy making a version in a plain fabric that would show the design details off a bit better - I'll have to think about what colours might be useful in my wardrobe.