peppermint ruffle sleeve top review

Ok, so getting involved in the sewing community on Instagram has really given me the indie patterns bug. There are just sooooo many cool patterns! And I love seeing what everyone is making. So if you haven’t gotten onto Instagram yet, I highly recommend it! It’s a great way to share what you make and get inspired by the community.

peppermint ruffle sleeve top back view pattern review

 

Anyways, I saw several posts on Instagram during Me Made May that featured different versions of the Peppermint Magazine Ruffle-Sleeve Top. And I was very intrigued. I’m not really sure what drew me to the pattern, it’s definitely not my usual style. But for some reason I just had to try it. Sometimes a little style exploration is a good thing, right?

peppermint ruffle sleeve top pattern cover

So I downloaded the pattern and got started! And did I mention, the pattern is free?! You can get it here: Peppermint Ruffle Sleeve Top. I originally wanted to use this pattern to refashion a thrifted men’s shirt, but didn’t end up having enough fabric in the shirt to cut it out. So, I got this adorable non-stretch denim with little embroidered anchors on it from JoAnn for the project. And of course after I finished it I had to take photos by the river!

Sizing

The sizing for this pattern is in letters rather than numbers. The sizing chart is in the instruction booklet for the pattern and I put a photo of it below. The pattern includes sizes A through J. When I measured myself and compared my measurements to the sizing chart, I was really excited to see that my measurements exactly matched up with a size E. So, I cut a straight size E! And the fit is exactly what I expected, so I think the sizing chart is definitely accurate.

peppermint ruffle sleeve top sizing chart

Sewing it up

This was a relatively quick and easy sew. The instructions were amazing and walk you through how to make the top with french seams. Because I was using denim, I chose to do flat-felled seams instead for a more streamlined and less bulky finish.

peppermint ruffle sleeve top inside from back

The shirt really came together well for the most part. And it really looks almost as beautiful on the inside as on the outside. I think next time I will just use a bias binding to finish the neckline instead of using a facing, just because it uses less fabric and I’m stingy. I love the way the facing looks when the shirt is inside out though.

peppermint ruffle sleeve top inside from front

The only other issue I had was the darts. I wasn’t completely happy with how the darts looked on me at first, so I played around with different dart placements. But I really couldn’t find any better dart length or placement so I just went back to the original from the pattern. And once I wore the shirt for a while and the fabric softened a bit, I think the darts look fine!

peppermint ruffle sleeve top closeup of dart

Conclusions

Did it turn out as expected based on the pattern envelope?

  • Definitely! My expectations were more based on Instagram photos of other people’s versions of the top, and it lived up to those expectations as well.

How challenging is it to sew?

  • I think this is a pretty simple project. If you’re an advanced beginner or an intermediate sewist, you can definitely tackle this project! The instructions are great and there are pictures for each step, from printing and taping up the pattern to sewing it up.

Would I sew it again?

  • I think so. I’m still deciding if it fits my style. It’s super comfortable and I like how it looks with tighter fitting pants, so I think I might make it again at some point. I think next time I would use a flowy, lightweight fabric and see what kind of vibe that gives it.

Overall rating

  • I’m going 5/5 on this one! Mostly because I just loved how amazing the instructions were. As someone who grew up sewing big 4 patterns, this kind of thorough instruction is such a great surprise.

 

I hope you enjoyed hearing my thoughts on sewing up the Peppermint Magazine Ruffle-Sleeve Top! If you want more reviews and sewing and DIY tutorials, I would love for you to subscribe to my email newsletter.

 

free sewing pattern review peppermint ruffle sleeve top