Prudence Crop Top

This is a pattern hack project--I made this crop top using the bodice pieces of the Prudence dress pattern from Colette.


I sewed the bodice as directed, shortening it by about 3/4" at the indicated lengthen/shorten line for my shorter torso. I did not construct the skirt. Instead, I cut a rectangular waistband to match the circumference of the waistline on the bodice, plus ~8" to create the ties, at ~6" wide (for my waist circumference, given the small amount of material I had, this was cut as two pieces and seamed together at the center back). I also cut a small, rectangular facing to finish the front center of the waistline, where the waistband/ties are not attached to the bodice piece.


To construct the ties/finish the waistline, I first sewed the facing to the center front of the bodice (right sides together), then turned it to the inside and pressed. Then I folded the waistband piece in half, with ~1/4" turned under on each of the long edges and pressed. I pinned and stitched one long edge of the waistband to the bodice (right sides together), starting and stopping my seam 2" inside each front waist dart. Then, I folded the waistband at the press line (wrong sides together), tucked 1/4" of the short ends in (to close later), and pinned the other long edge to the inside of the bodice. From the front, I edge stitched from one end of the long edge (part of the tie, not attached to the bodice, up to the point where the waistband attached, and then continuing just underneath the waist seam, making sure to catch the inner edge of the waistband all around, and then following down the second tie. The last step I took on the machine was to run another edge stitch from one front waist dart to the other to keep the facing in place.


As my final touches, I closed the short ends of the ties by hand using and invisible stitch, and I used a basic hook & eye closure on the neck so as not to detract too much from the tie detail at the waist.


I made this top using 1 yd. of 56" wide, 100% cotton lawn. It's very lightweight and breathable and has some crispness for structure, though it is very wrinkle-prone. It did require some care around the neck--the crispness of lawn is not so forgiving and will show any puckering on a curve.


I was able to make the size 20 bodice, plus the additional waistband and facing, out of 1 yd., BUT, only because I had shortened the bodice pattern pieces by 3/4" each--when I laid the pattern on the fabric, I was edge to edge along the fold. If you were wanting to recreate this look, 1 yd. would be fine for smaller sizes, but you would likely want to go up to 1 1/8 or 1 1/4 yds. if you were making a larger size or wanted to add any length to the Prudence bodice.


As pictured, I'm wearing my top loosely tied to show that little keyhole between the ties and bodice edge, which is what I was going for. If you would prefer to have the ability to really cinch the waist, depending on the fabric you're using, I might recommend cutting a wider waistband and stitching it further up the bodice to allow the ties to sit over the fabric when they're pulled tight, and you might also sew the waistband in further than 2" from the front waist darts so that there's less excess fabric at the center front that's not sewn into the waistband. On mine, if I really cinch the waist, the bodice edge gets kind of folded and bubbles outward from the body.


I personally like the look of the baby knot on the ties, but you could, of course, always make them longer if you wanted more drama or the ability to tie a bow. I imagine this would also be cute with a gathered or pleated peplum rather than a waistband/tie situation!


Additionally, if you're larger in the chest like I am, especially if you're planning to wear the top loose like I am, you'll need some kind of bra to prevent nip slippage! I don't usually wear bras, so I opted for something with a really soft amount of support--I'm wearing the Seamwork Dana bralette in a size 2x as my undergarment in the picture (which I also made myself), and it's working great! If you wear bras with more heft to them, make sure you take your measurements with your intended undergarment on.


And lastly, apologies for the wrinkly images! I couldn't wait to wear this once I finished it, so I've been wearing it all day and untied/took it off right before taking this pictures.