 matching set. And I recently completed my latest one using this awesome linen fabric I got in the New York City garment district. You might remember the skirt as you have seen it already. It is the free pocket skirt pattern from Peppermint magazine that we all sewed for Sew Together 21. On Instagram, the monthly challenge I'm running. The skirt is obviously pretty voluminous, so you might be inclined to make something to go with it that's tucked in. But this fabric was way too structured for that, so I decided to make a boxy top instead. The trick with combining these two silhouettes was to find a top pattern that was the perfect proportion of the kind of wider hem, but also cropped length. Enter the Helen's closet Ashton top. The website describes the Ashton top as an all-season wardrobe staple that is easy to sew and style. It has bust darts and a signature A-line shape. View A is a hip-length top, and View B is a crop top ideal for pairing with high-waisted pants or skirts. Both views have the option to finish the neck and arms with an all-in-one facing or bias binding. The hem is finished using a beautiful hem facing. If you haven't guessed, I made View B the crop top. When I was cutting out the fabric, I paid a lot of attention to the placement of the stripes. I was only going to be able to feature one color of stripes in the top, and I decided that I would feature the pink stripes, since that is what is going down the center of the skirt. I think this ties the two garments into each other nicely and makes wearing them together more intentional. I finished the arm size and neck opening with bias binding because my fabric is semi-shear or more than semi-shear, it's just loosely woven and I didn't want the facings to show through. That said, I did stick with the hem band because I love the literal weight it adds to the hem of the top. The extra fabric there helps the hem keep its shape and helps it hang more downward than outward, if that makes sense. I also knew that the hem of the shirt would cover the waistband of the skirt, so there was already going to be two layers of fabric there, so I wasn't too worried about seeing multiple layers in the hem band in that area. I knew I was going to love this top as part of this set, but what I did not expect was to love this top as a standalone piece, but as soon as I put it on, I was ready to make more. It really has the perfect balance of width and length. I find it to be very flattering, even though it's not form-fitting in any way, it just suits my body really well. I do want to try the longer length too for those shorts and pants that are a little less high-waisted than this skirt, but that is going to do it for me today. Let me know what you think of my new Ashton top in the comment section below. If you have made this pattern before, let me know how it worked out for you, but otherwise, I will see you all very soon. Bye!