A Modern Day Blouse Gone Romantic!

Well, if you have seen many of the garments I’ve sewn, you may realize that I never actually use a “modern-day” pattern – they are all either Edwardian costumes or 1930-50s dresses.  So at the beginning of 2012 I decided I was going to use a real, all-out, modern pattern that I could actually wear today.  No frills or furbelows, just a down-to-earth, pretty knit top.  Ha ha!  It seems I am completely incapable of sewing anything plain at all!

This blouse is about as romantic and feminine as any Victorian gown I ever dreamed of.  With the sheer lace sleeves, high Queen Anne style collar, sweetheart neckline, and double-ruffle ribbon trim, this blouse is elegance let loose!  I used a rayon peach knit fabric that had a lovely sheen to it, and I finished off the hem with a lettuce edge technique.

This lovely blouse pattern (6399 by Palmer/Pletsch for McCalls) has terrific instructions on how to fit your garment before you actually sew it or even cut it out.  I love how this pattern had these unusual diagonal tucks which combine to make a chevron effect at the side seams.  The only main alteration I made to the pattern was taking in two small vertical tucks in the front which I covered with peach ribbon to match.

Due to the coldness of the weather, I had to wear a pair of jeans under this skirt. Hence, there's a lot more bulk than usual in the waist area. Darn!

The pictures taken outside were in below-freezing temperatures, so my teeth were chattering so much I could hardly smile!  But I was nonetheless quite happy to be wearing the ladylike top.  If you’d like to read my review of the pattern you can visit my blog.

Happy sewing!

Katrina – Edelweiss Patterns

www.edelweisspatterns.com