I am a shoe-in for a novelty print and fell in love with this crisp 100% cotton from Fabricland at £3.99/metre. It called to me to be made into a blouse with shirt-tail hem.  

Many years ago I hacked the blouse pattern from Style 1441 to remove the yoke and bodice gathers. I converted to a straight shoulder seam, added bust darts and a shirt tail hemline. Since then I have made up the new pattern several times and always enjoyed the end results.

But not so this time. The blouse is lovely and though I say it myself, beautifully made, but I am not in love with it.

I don’t understand it and cannot put my finger on the why I don’t love it. Perhaps I have been spoilt recently with all the easy jersey knit makes. To return to the precision needed when sewing woven fabrics has been time-consuming and at times, traumatic as I tried to get the collar and revere of the blouse to sit just right, not to mention easing in the sleeves.

Having made the collar and a pair of epaulettes at the beginning of the sewing session I was enthusiastic and stitched a double row of top stitching which then had to be repeated on the sleeve hems, pocket tops and down the front of the bodice. A very time-consuming accent.

I have continued with the project which has taken at least 3 sessions of sewing and about 6 hours to complete which if one was to calculate costs based on the minimum wage of £7.50/hour, fabric, thread and buttons – this blouse has now cost in the region of £57.00! I may come to love the blouse but if not then I shall offer for sale on eBay – but at a fraction of the true cost.