Knit tops. Vogue 8634 and Knit & Sew 110B

There are many people who are extremely good at sewing knits and frequently say things such as "They are so quick and easy", "I made this top in half an hour" and "I just whipped this up on my overlocker".
I am not usually one of those people.
However, today, I can show you this headless photograph and write. "I made this top in less than 2 hours"

Unfortunately, although this statement is true, it is not precisely the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
The full story goes something like this:
With colder weather setting in,  I had noticed a lack of long sleeved knit tops in my wardrobe. Naturally I needed to remedy this with a new pattern, having become a little bored with my tried and true Burda long sleeved t shirt with scoop neck at different heights. When it comes to sewing, I am fickle.
I looked at all my patterns and Burdas, then looked at a few hundred blogs. My research is thorough.
I fancied Elizabeth's and Janis' cowl neck tops.
I was very lucky, and received an email from the Remnant Warehouse about a $12 Vogue sale, and ordered the pattern, Vogue 8634.
With quite incredible service, despite the pattern being on deep discount (for Australia) the postage was free. (Just to compare, the BMV postage for one pattern is $ US15 to Australia, so this beat buying overseas for once)
I sewed up version one of this pattern, in the size M, into which my high bust measurement placed me.

This is version one with 5cm removed from each side seam.
I thought this was not too bad a fit, despite my 1.2m of hideously expensive poly knit from Kerryn's fabric world not being sufficient fabric to give me a proper cowl neck nor to cut the upper bodice in one piece. (I was glad to get rid of this fabric - Kerryn is a very good saleswoman, much to the development of my "what was I thinking" fabric stash).
So I made version 2 in some pleasantly stable cotton/lycra knit from stretchtex, using only my overlocker and cover stitch.

I decided that the fit was too big around the neck, despite my side seam changes and square shoulder adjustment.
I thought another pattern might be better. Here is a Knit and Stretch pattern from the op shop for 50c in the same cotton/lycra knit.


I didn't fancy the neckline on this at all.
The instructions had you stitch the self facing to the seam line which looked quite horrid on the right side.


 and the fit through the body was boxy until I took it in about 7cm.  I will use this as a pyjama top.
Back to Vogue 8634, with square shoulder adjustment, cheating FBA (bump out at the side seams at the bust) and in the size Small (Ha, ha) in the same cotton/lycra knit in a different colour. (Vogue describes the top as close fitting, which gives 0-2 7/8"ease according to their fitting information, and this pattern in knit has 2+" ease at the bust for size 12, which I would consider on the high side for a knit top, and is not terribly close fitting IMO, naturally this is compounded by size M having to cover both size 12 and size 14)

I was pretty happy with this.
Naturally, it then looked quite  different in version 4, in merino rib knit, with elastic in all the seams, and sewn on a conventional machine. It only took 2 hours or so.....