This pattern has been a bit of an experiment for a few years. Now that I’m dealing with hot flashes, I need tops that allow me to cool down throughout the day.

I love wearing fitted clothes but that’s on hold right now and I’ve gone back to Butterick 5608 to develop tops and hopefully dress options I can wear during this time of my life.

We decided to spend the afternoon before the Easter break at the Easter Show. This means a lot of walking, hence the comfy shoes and rtw trousers. I used a good quality cotton print that I bought in Brisbane a few years ago on this new version of Butterick 5608.

This version is View D and the seams are all French Seams. I’ve pleated the sleeve gathers on this version.

I’ve made size 12 with the length shortened by 13cm or 5″. The hip width for the 12 is 105cm or 41 1/2″ and that’s plenty for me when I’m trying to cool my body down at various times during the day.

The armholes in previous versions were super high so now I’ve taken the armhole base down by 4cm or 1 3/4″. I don’t use the facings. I use bias stripes made from the fabric scraps.

We got quite a few steps in by the time we left the Easter Show 4 hours later so taking a load off and having a seat was a good way to manage our visit. As you can see, there were no real pre-covid crowds but there were plenty of people around.

My feet don’t touch the ground so I was quite happy to really put my feet up for a bit.

I’m currently working on the dress version of this pattern. I’m adding 35cm or 14″ to the top length for the dress version and I’m using a Minerva fabric remnant from a previous make. Right now I’m adding the cap sleeves and hemming it to wear on the weekend.

Enjoy the long weekend everyone.