Origami Top – a Bit of a Disappointment

When I went to London for the GBSB Live, we, me and Gemma, tried the Origami top workshop.

The pattern used during the workshop was the Origami Top by The Maker’s Atelier.

The pattern seems nice in the pictures. I have not seen many versions of this pattern before. I even tried to ignore Lisa Comfort’s negative review of the pattern, thinking she did it to put her own patterns in a good light, though I knew better as she has done other reviews of Indie patterns which were quite positive.

I think the workshop was overpriced for what we got from it. The workshop ran for 3 hours, but we finished our tops in 1 hour. The advice was rushed and wrong both in my case and Gemma’s. The edges were left unfinished, which is something I hate in my garments. Both of us went against the advice and added length to the bodice. Still, we felt the finished tops were too small. I am so disappointed with my make that I don’t want to share it with you. What a waste of fabric is what I think of it.

The only good thing from this workshop was that I fell in love with my new BabyLock Enlighten overlocker – Baby – with I purchased on the day.

However, I decided not to give up on the pattern yet and made another version with a viscose I got from Abakhan Fabrics. For this one, I chose the long sleeved version and lengthened the bodice by a total of 8 cm from the original hem if the pattern (which was already lengthened by 3 cm at the workshop). Also, I shortened the sleeve by 5 cm as well as adding approximately 2cm ease as my fabric had no stretch.

The first thing I did before overlocking the centre seam was to do a rolled hem on the neckline. No garment of mine should have an unfinished edge!

The process is quite easy. It took me about 2 hours in total to make it from making the adjustments to having a finished garment, including me matching the stripes of the fabric.

I found that the twist looks from the front, but looking form the side, it makes look like you have one breast bigger than the other and one is higher. This is even worse when one is gifted with quite a large bust.

The back is too long whereas the front is too high. I think the front bodice is drafted worn. Even the designer used in the pictures the top tucked into the skirt so that one cannot see how bad it has been drafted. Surely not worth the money they are charging for the pattern.

And those drag lines! Just proves to me that this pattern, if it works, it is only suited to a limited type of fabrics in solid colours. If I am wearing this top will only be around the house as I do not feel confident to take it out into the world. I also decided it totally give up on this and not try to fix it to make a better version of it. I am only disappointed to have wasted my fabric on it.