In the search for a neat collared bodice, this time I have hacked together the Violet blouse from Seamwork with my Hyacinth bodice and the sleeves from Sophia by Victory patterns. The Violet blouse is the nearest pattern to what I wanted. The button-front blouse has a gentle, loose fit that’s reminiscent of the 1960s, and looks equally adorable tucked in or worn loose. Violet can be made with short or mid-length sleeves, is shaped with bust darts and has a back yoke with centre gathering. Based on the origins of my design I have called her ‘Flora’.
For this ‘wearable muslin’ I used 2 metres x 110cms wide fabric cotton abstract floral print – total cost £12.00 bought in the sale from New Threads Quilt Shop at Weyhill Fairground. I noticed that the fabric had a one-way design so was careful when cutting out to maintain the correct orientation of the pattern pieces.
Construction: Darts and shoulder seams were stitched.
The collar: Once again, to highlight the collar, I added some Dark Red satin pre-made piping from my stash. The collar was machine basted to the neckline of the blouse. It looked good so continued with making up the blouse. The facings were added and seam allowances trimmed and under-stitched where necessary.
Bodice: The side seams were pinned so that I could check the fit. Hmmm, not too sure about this as it is looking very boxy and too long.
Sleeves: I used the short sleeve from the Sofia dress by Victory patterns but due to shortage and width of the fabric had to reduce the width at the hem. This still made the hem about 20 inches wide so enough for shirring and a little frill, plus lots of ‘puff’ at the sleeve head. They have turned out very well.
Closure: Originally I thought that I would use Red polka dot buttons that I thought would coordinate well with the colours and print design. However after a night’s sleep decided that they were ‘too busy’ and chose a different set that I received as a gift from Rainbow Fabrics. The hem of the blouse was overlocked before turning up twice and top stitching in place.
Conclusion: I am disappointed with the end result. I give it only 5 out of 10. It certainly has the look of the 70’s which is not what I was after! I need to refine the fit of the blouse, adjust the length and maybe another time use a less structured fabric such as a viscose. It may well be that this version finds itself being listed for sale on eBay!
Project #40 completed 31st August 2022.