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Collins top

Regular price $22.00

Garment details

The Collins top is a loose-fitting trapeze-shaped top designed for woven fabrics. It is A-line in shape, perfect for hot summer days. It features a round neck, panel lines, a high-low hem and a centre-back opening, with a button and loop closure. Due to its length, the Collins top is the perfect top to pair with skirts or trousers that sit on or above the natural waist.

View A includes a three-piece raglan sleeve designed with extra volume, which creates a fun and interesting shape. The neckline is finished with bias binding.

View B is sleeveless and the neckline and armholes are finished with an all-in-one facing for a really clean and professional finish.

Difficulty

The pattern is placed at a Level 1.5 on the In the Folds pattern skill scale, and was designed with beginners in mind. If you have mastered straight and curved seams, you’re ready to take on this pattern. Through careful drafting and interesting techniques, this pattern will give you that confidence boost you have been looking for.

By working through this pattern, you will gain confidence in: sewing straight seams, sewing curved seams, piecing panels together, achieving a beautiful finish, working with bias binding (view A only) and finishing a garment with an all-in-one facing (view B only).

 

Suggested Fabrics

The Collins top is compatible with a range of different fabrics. Your choice of fabric will govern the silhouette you achieve.

Consider using light to mid-weight fabrics such as: linen, linen blends, cotton, gauze or chambray. For a softer silhouette, consider sateen, silk (crepe de chine or habotai) or viscose (rayon). Be careful if you are a beginner though, as these fabrics are a little trickier to sew. We suggest sticking to stable natural fabrics that are not too prone to fraying if you are a beginner.

Softer fabrics will drape over the bust (and create soft flowy sleeves), while stiffer fabrics will create a more voluminous and structured silhouette.

Due to the number of panels in the Collins top, it is a great pattern to use to experiment with colour blocking and stripe direction. You can download a free colouring-in template of the pattern if you would like to explore your options before cutting your fabric.

Download the template here (the template is also included in digital download after purchase).

Fabric requirements and finished garment measurements can be found here.

Notions - View A

  • Coordinating thread
  • 1 x 10mm (⅜in) button
  • 1m (1.1 yard) x 32mm (1¼in) single-fold bias tape
  • Optional : 2.5m (2.75 yards) bias binding if you would like to also bind the hem

Notions - View B

  • Coordinating thread
  • 1 x 10mm (⅜in) button
  • Optional : 2.5m (2.75 yards) bias binding if you would like to bind the hem

    The pattern is available in 10 sizes (A - J, which equates to Australian sizes 6-24) and is nested, to make it easier for you to grade between sizes.

    In the Folds patterns are drafted for a B cup bust. Please check the finished garment measurements chart in the pattern, before deciding whether or not you need to make an adjustment.

    Patterns are drafted for height of 170cm (5'7") and include a ‘lengthen / shorten line’ so you can make adjustments to suit your height.

    Fabric requirements and finished garment measurements can be found here.

    Pattern includes seam allowances.

    The Collins top sew-along can be found here.

    Digital product details (for PDF version only)

    The pattern is suitable for printing on both A4 and US letter sized paper. A copy shop version is also included in the file (A0 or US 36" x 48" size).

    Print at home pattern: 32 pages (a printing plan is included in the instructions so that you can choose to only print the pages you need for choice of style and size).

    Print shop version: 2 x A0 pages

    The pattern includes embedded layers. This means that you can select only the size/s you would like to print.

    If you have any questions please see our FAQ and Digital Product Policy.

    Customer Reviews

    Based on 11 reviews
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    S
    Serena Wong
    Easy to use for digital copy

    The digital copy is very easy to use. It allows prints out only the sizes I need and there are not too many pages to cut and assemble. The instructions are clear to follow. I wish the website can provide more users' photos of the finished products.

    Hi Serena,

    Thanks so much for your review. We're glad you found our pattern easy to use.

    With regards to seeing other makers' versions of our Collins top pattern, we recommend checking out the Instagram hashtag #collinstop.

    Happy sewing!
    Xanthe

    N
    Nancy Hanson
    Great Paper Pattern

    This is a great top. So glad I could get a paper pattern. I will not purchase digital download patterns.

    T
    Tessa
    Great pattern

    This is a great pattern - the pieces are quite complicated looking but once they're cut out it comes together easily and is a lovely, versatile top. Looking forward to making more!

    Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review, Tessa!

    S
    Sandra
    A very enjoyable sew

    The Collins top is a very enjoyable sew thanks to the well-drafted pattern - I particularly like how the seam allowances are delineated at the edges of the pattern pieces, it makes it a breeze to know when you've matched them up correctly. There is subtle shaping such as around the shoulders/ high bust in View B that makes this more than just another swingy top. I don't normally label my fabric when cutting out but in this case doing saved me a headache as there are quite a lot of unusually-shaped pieces for a top - it was fun watching them come together especially with the stripe placement I'd chosen. I am a short person and did find that the armhole on View B runs a bit low for my taste, though it's still wearable. I used linen for View B and am now keen to do up View A in a crisp, double-sided gambiered silk (swapping sides for different pattern pieces). I must also add that the print-at-home pattern pages were a snap to put together - I've tried print-at-home patterns from lots of different companies and they are rarely as thoughtfully designed as this one. Overall, I recommend this pattern!

    We appreciate the time you've taken to leave this wonderful review, Sandra!

    J
    Jane Carroll
    So versatile!

    I love the Collins top pattern - not only because it’s such an enjoyable pattern to make but it’s just so versatile. I love buying remnants of expensive fabric (that I can’t afford to buy metres of) and using it as the feature panels on a Collins top with cheaper fabric making up the remainder. Such a nice way to treat yourself to beautiful good quality fabric without the expense.

    Thanks so much for a wonderful review - and such a great tip too!