The Ashton top from Helen’s Closet has been out for a while now and I finally caved and purchased the pattern as a possible replacement for the Cashmerette Springfield Top, which fits great, but is a bit too fitted for my tastes (I want something boxier).
The Ashton is available up to a “size 30″ or a 58″ hip and 58” bust (drafted for a D-cup). Helen splits her cup sizes across her size range, with size 0-22 available with a B-cup bodice and size 12-30 available in the D-cup bodice. This is something I’ve never experienced before (since Cashmerette offers cup-sizes across her entire size range which doesn’t go as low as Helen’s).
Since the D cup option was the only one available in my size, I took it. I cut out my pattern with a size 24 at the shoulders and graded out to a size 26 at the hip. In the instructions, Helen provides lots of guidance on fitting and suggests not grading more than 1 size if you’d like to retain the boxiness. Unfortunately, I’ve got a lot of armhole gaping in this toile- perhaps I would have used a smaller cup-size bodice piece if that was available.
This isn’t a finished garment that I’d wear outside of the house, but I have been wearing it a lot indoors on warmer days. I might try sizing down to a size 20 bust and see if that will let me get away with no doing much editing to the pattern.
