Simplicity 4124 – Done!

by Diva Phyllis

Truthfully, I spent more time on the embellishment than I did on the sewing, although attaching the placket with the completed beading & embellishment was pretty challenging. The fabric is a fine poly 4-way stretch knit.

One interesting aspect to this technique is the individuality of each interpretation. Kenneth King, who originated the technique, has a broader color palette and his examples are much more heavily beaded.

The placket went on last. The neckline as first machine stitched, and then I flipped the placket to the front and fell stitched it by hand to the bodice.

This pattern is harder than it looks. You’ll need to use a regular sewing machine in addition to a serger. The ruching around the placket, and attaching the placket, must be done with a regular sewing machine. There are also no match points for the bust seams on the placket. Sizing can also be a challenge due to the placket – it’s supposed to hit right below your breast bone, and of course you’ll need to take your individual cup size into account. For a size other than a B cup you really should do a muslin because in addition to an FBA you’ll need to modify the placket pattern piece as well.