If you are new to sewing and interested in making a super simple top with a little cold shoulder detail, is a great choice. Simplicity 1618 View C is a basic top with a cold-shoulder detail. It just has a few seams, so it is a great novice pattern. If you have a lot of experience sewing, you can sew from start to finish in an hour or so.

Sewing isn't actually the first step in sewing a pattern! First, you have to have an idea of how the pattern will fit and make modifications, choose fabric, transfer the pattern so you don't cut up the tissue pattern, and understand the instructions!

I will be walking through the pattern and also cutting the fabric. Part 2 of the video is coming soon with the completed look!
The fabric I chose is called Cotton Voile and is crisp but soft. The weave has an open/sheer quality to it, so I removed the Center Front seam in this video and instead cut the fabric on the fold.

The fabric has a fun geometric print and the bright colors just really look like summer to me. The pattern is called Mojave and I got it on clearance at fabric.com. The Yellow, blue, and white reminds me of striped beach towels; I think it’s perfect for the park or the pool for a cookout. Cotton is breathable, so it would be a great top to throw on for a bike ride or beach outing, too.

And now the point of no return--cutting the fabric!
Here are the tools I use to cut the fabric:
Rotary Cutting mat
Rotary Cutting blade
Metal Ruler
Fabric Scissors
Fabric
Pattern Pieces (Watch to see why I transferred them to an interfacing fabric)

And optional items:
Pattern Weights (I use basic washers from the home improvement store)

And to remove the Seam Allowance and Cut Center Front on the fold, I highly recommend:
Disappearing Marking pen
Clear Hip Curve Ruler/Clear ruler with grid

I typically read the pattern instructions at least 3 times:
I read them through and write them out first. Just transcribing them without really processing them.
The next time, I do the sewing mentally, Like if you are learning a new dance routine or blocking out a stage play. That step is really important if you don’t have a serger machine for finishing raw edges, because you think through what happens with seam finishes here and there. You might realize that a certain seam will not work in time to troubleshoot it if you spend time poring over the pattern instructions instead of being stuck with a weird last minute jury-rigged fix.
The final time I go over the instructions is just seconds before I sew. At that point, I am strategizing how to sit and sew for the longest periods of time and sew in batches, so that I can press in batches. I find the fewer trips up and down to the ironing board, the fewer chances to cut a hole in the fabric or burn myself on an iron! This means I am not actually following the steps in chronological order as they are written in the pattern instructions, but I am saving time pressing and sewing by planning ahead.

In my video next week, I will post the finished project with sewing step-by-step!

Let me know what you think and any questions!

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