Susan's Sardinia interpretation

Here it is then, a cotton top inspired by the pattern called Sardinia in the Rowan Summer Crochet book, but although I like the stitch and the way it's loose, the drape and so on, I don't like it on me. Mega dissappointed. It's too big and unflattering.

I thought using the pattern sideways would make it more slimming and the steeper neckline would be more flattering to my curvy self, but it hasn't worked out that way.

Could be that I used a thicker yarn? Dk instead of 4 ply?

I do like the shoulder yokes I created. I made it out of 6 panels you see, a back, 2 shoulder yokes, a centre front panel and 2 front-side panels.... All in different directions. The shoulder ones run horizontally, like the centre front. Trim borders of dc(USA sc) also please me, as do the neat side slits and the crab st( USA reverse sc) edges.

Front.

And back.

What shall I do? Give it away? Who would like to have it? Any takers, please?

Or dye it a deep blue and wear it with white top and trousers?

Or frog it and make something else, then dye it? Though I knida like the colour, I'm not sure lilac, even such a nice deep blue-y shade is quite my thing?

It weighs 434 g or 15 oz approx, size probably a 16 or 18 UK size as I'm a 12/14 and it's a bit roomy on me.

63 cm across the shoulders, inc the cap sleeve, 57 cm across the back at bust height and 57-59 cm across hem including the trim on the side-slits.

Back length 56 cm from centre back to hem. Centre front panel is 18 cm by 40 cm.

And on a cheerier note: my first African flower sample, worked from pattern directions found on the AFRICAN FLOWER group on FLICKR. It's such fun to do I'm going to make my sister her wedding present using this very motif but in different colours.