Butterick 6085 in Robert Kaufman Floral Cotton Lawn

Hello, hello! I'm back (!) with a top for my daughter, Mehetabel. She is the mother of a 3-month old boy--my first grandchild!--and she is in need of suitable/comfortable clothes for breastfeeding. I've raided my own closet for button-up tops for her to borrow, but I thought I'd make something for her. I remember feeling a bit dowdy and uninspired in my clothing choices back when I was in her position, so I thought an accessible top in a pretty fabric might do the trick. Plus, it's starting to get pretty hot here in the high desert, so why not something sleeveless and cool?

First, I tried the Melody Dolman from Love Notions. I just have to do the buttons and buttonholes on that one. I also tried a pattern from my stash: Butterick 6085. This pattern is now out of print--it was published in 2001--but it was in the catalog for many years. It's a classic button up top with a camp-style collar and various options. To see if this would work for Mehetabel, I made up a sleeveless version with darts at the bust. It is a little large, but I wanted to accommodate the pumping paraphernalia. 

The fabric is a Robert Kaufman cotton lawn in a pretty blues/teals/turquoise floral print, purchased from Fabric.com.  I didn't have any coordinating buttons in my stash, so I picked up some white ones at a local store.

I should've straightened the top before I snapped the photo!

The instructions have you clip into the seam allowance on the middle of the collar facing to enclose the neck seam. I've had success with this method multiple times, but I thought I'd try something else. I made a facing piece for the back neckline. I had limited success with this. I interfaced the facing (probably a mistake) and I had difficulty getting the facing to lay flat--but it's good enough.  I think I'll go back to the original method.

The only other change I made was to add three inches in length.

The interfacing I used for the facings and collar is pretty crisp; if I had had something lighter on hand, that's what I would've preferred. 

I thought I'd try using my sewing machine to sew on the buttons as I'd never done that before. I successfully did one, but it was too difficult to continue. I wound up buying a foot specifically for attaching buttons, but by that time, I'd hand-sewn the buttons on the top.

This is a casual top that'll work well with a pair of shorts or jeans. I'll see if she likes this size, or if she feels it is too roomy.

The armsyces were finished with store-bought bias tape. I was planning to make some from the fabric, but since I had a coordinating color on hand, I went with it!

Right now, I'm working on a dress for my daughter using another out-of-print pattern. I've created a center-front seam and am inserting an invisible zip down the front. I'm hoping this will be breast-feeding friendly. We'll see! It might be about time to sew an old favorite which won't be so much of a question mark!

Anywho, that's all for me. I hope you are well and sewing up a storm! ~ Peggy