This blouse has a faux wrap with lapels and lined front. The pattern comes with two sleeve variations (short sleeves, 3/4 sleeves and sleeve tabs). The fabric recommendation for this pattern are cotton voile, rayon, silk and crepe de chine.
I purchased the PDF version, and I really like Deer & Doe as their PDF patterns print in single sizes. So once you have selected your size in the PDF document, you can select to print only that one size). This really saves time when cutting out the pieces. I have not seen many independent pattern companies offer this function.
The pattern comes in sizes 34 to 52. I made a size 44 and went mainly by my bust size. The blouse is loose-fitting and doesn't go over the hip. But I did have a look if the finished garment would fit over hip, and I had about 1'' spare.
What I love about this pattern is that you can squeeze it out of 1 m as long as the lining front pieces are made from a plain fabric. If you have left over fabrics from dress project, this pattern is a great little stash buster.
For my first version, I used left over cotton voile. This fabric was left over from a dress I made last year. I bought it exactly a year ago during my trip to Australia.
As cotton voile is quite easy to handle, the blouse sewed up really easy & quick. I think I spent less than 2 hours continuous sewing time. For the front lining pieces I used a black cotton lawn from my local shop. I always keep plain fabrics around to compliment printed fabrics.
I really like this version in cotton voile. It is a more boxy blouse and I would wear it over a pair of trousers and not tucked in.
My second version is made from a beautiful rayon. Again, the fabric is a left over 1 m, or so, and the lining for the front is just a plain rayon.
Due to the drape of the fabric, the blouse falls very different. I absolutely love the drape and find the blouse very flattering on me. I have already worn it a few times, and at least once a week (also once during an interview), tucked into a pencil skirt.
I really like using different fabrics for the same pattern to see how the fabric behaves.
The blouse has no darts, and the two front pieces overlap. Overall the instructions are easy to follow and I would recommend this pattern to a beginner, who has sewn a woven top before.
The only point to highlight is when setting in the sleeves, it doesn't ask you to ease in the sleeve piece. It only instructs to sew the sleeve in the armhole. I pinned it initially as the instructions said but had fabric left over. So I would definitely advise to use two long stitches next to each other and gently pull & gather the fabric at the sleeve and then stitch it into the armhole.
Next time I would change the construction slightly, so that the faux wrap is basted after the shoulder & side seams have been sewn together. This way, you could alter how far the wrap of the two front pieces is overlapping. My first version, I would need to wear a vest underneath because the v-neckline is quite low for my liking.
Both versions are a great addition to my wardrobe, and I am looking forward to use this pattern for the many left over meters in my stash.
What's your go to stash-buster patterns?
Thanks for hanging out with me.
Maria xxx
