Well I must say that I am pleased to get that blouse finished!
Currently I am struggling with sewing woven fabrics and having recently ‘acquired’ some extra weight, find that I need to make a few new blouses and tops, especially as the days are getting warmer.
I was browsing through my cotton fabrics when I came across this 2 metre length of the Chicken and stripes print that was purchased from Fabricland in Salisbury some time ago, (does this count as using up some of my stash?).
The previous ‘Chicken’ blouse had a classic revere collar which I found was ‘fiddly’ to stitch, so this time I opted for a shawl collar which should be less time-consuming.
I retrieved the McCalls 6438 (out of print) dress pattern envelope that contained a revised tissue for blouse-making.
However, I discovered – too late – that it is not long enough in the front. It definitely needs another 4 inches to account for the extra fabric taken up by my bust.
Apart from that, the construction was fairly straightforward. I ignored the shaping of the collar and included some Dark Red satin piping from my stash. This was applied around the collar and also on the sleeve hems. The front and back facings have been top-stitched which will prevent them from ‘popping’ out. The hem is shaped and top-stitched.
I used five 5/8th Rusty Red buttons from my stash which were applied using my new button application machine foot.
New machine foot
The blouse is very loose so should be comfortable to wear when it is warm but it will never be a favourite. It will probably lurk at the back of my wardrobe for a long time!
Back view – for the back of the wardrobe!