Thread: DIY Melo style twist top?

A long while back I bought some Melodia pants, love them to bits. At the time, I bought a twist top, but I am far far far too busty for it to fit. I was wondering if anyone had any pattern recommendations (or basic instructions, I'm a pretty good seamstress) to make something similar. It's sleeveless, but on me appears cap sleeve since I've got narrow, rounded shoulders. squared off back, v-neck front, with a twist in the center. Slips on like a small, cropped tee.

Any ideas? I just want easy workshop wear - I defaulted and wore a t-shirt to my workshop last week and felt weird since I was the only one not wearing some sort of cute, cropped top!

PS: I sold it, otherwise I'd have just deconstructed it and re-sized it to fit me. I am trying to go off memory.

I was looking for a twist top pattern a couple of months ago, and I really liked this one. rostitchery: twist top with a twist It will probably need some adjustment if you want to shorten it to expose the belly, so it doesn't ride up the breasts.

I've seen that top before, I nearly made myself one when I was still nursing! Never really thought of it for this purpose...

The difference between this one and the Melodia one is that this top has 2 pieces in front that twist around one another - the Melodia one is one piece of fabric twisted (I think) 180 degrees around itself. I just don't know if it's a rectangle piece, or a shaped piece (like bowtie pasta?).

Edited to add: I totally suffer from the boob-ride-up problem. That comes with the 10 inch difference between the bist and the ribcage.... but maybe if I hid elastic along the bottom edge, and cropped that twist top just under the twist bit? *wanders off muttering to herself about geometry and knitwear*

I have a melo twist top. The back is one piece, pretty square. The front is definitely shaped I'll try to describe it the best I can (I can't sew to save my life). The front is one piece, sewn on one side, then folded over itself from the bottom and sewn up the other side. When the top is laid out flat each side is cut with a gentle curve swooping from the inside shoulder to the bottom of the opposite side. So if you were to deconstruct it, I think the front piece would look like a rectangle (the size of two back squares put together) with the top left and bottom right corners cut out in a curve that to me resembles a pants crotch. Oh and the whole top is 2 layers thick but you could probably do one layer and hem it well. Ok that probably didn't make any sense but I hope that it helped. ..c::

Originally Posted by raniraqs

I've seen that top before, I nearly made myself one when I was still nursing! Never really thought of it for this purpose...

The difference between this one and the Melodia one is that this top has 2 pieces in front that twist around one another - the Melodia one is one piece of fabric twisted (I think) 180 degrees around itself. I just don't know if it's a rectangle piece, or a shaped piece (like bowtie pasta?).

Edited to add: I totally suffer from the boob-ride-up problem. That comes with the 10 inch difference between the bist and the ribcage.... but maybe if I hid elastic along the bottom edge, and cropped that twist top just under the twist bit? *wanders off muttering to herself about geometry and knitwear*

OK, I looked up Melodia's top. I would just try to model it on fabric scraps (you know, scale it down).

Yes, I would say either crop it lower or draw the initial under bust curve lower. Also I'm not sure I would want it to be a curve. I mean, she connects two points together: point A - 4 inches below the arm pit and point B - in between the breasts, on nipple level. The top will ride up by definition. So I would try and lower point B to point A level, or maybe even lower both for another inch. But still it's something that should be modeled first on scraps.

I forgot to add that another way to create a twist top is to twist tie an envelope top. I keep getting compliments and questions regarding the knot.

I did a sketch of what I thought the construction might be a while ago (never got round to making it though) I'd be interested to see how it turned out -or if Michelle A this is the shape you came up with??

Ooh, topological geometry! I have some scraps of panne velvet left over from another project, I'll make a Barbie sized one and see if it works...

Yeah Firefly that's exactly what I was trying to describe :)

Yay! I'm happy because I figured it out from looking at photos of the finished top, I haven't been able to get my grubby hands on a real one yet!