Demure
I’d originally intended for this blouse to be my entry for the Summer Spark Sewalong. I already had the pattern graded and traced, and it took less than a day to cut and sew (do not interface the collar if you make this – you will regret it to the tune of whatever amount of continuous angry swearing as you rip everything out post sewing, top stitching and pressing). I didn’t manage to get any photos however, because daylight never materialised. Melbourne spent the next three weeks submerged in a proper Westeros-style winter (the kind where ‘daylight’ feels like 4 AM and getting out of bed is a chore). Also, life intervened. In various ways. The invisible zipper I’d inserted into the mustard wool pants I made to go with this popped right after everything (including the inner waist facing) had been sewn in. Something cool happened too though.
Carl had to undergo surgery for which they had to put him under (it’s all good, no biggie, he was back to awesome within a day and happily self-medicating with single malt scotch against sound medical advice) and I had to go pick him up from the hospital after (no that’s not the cool thing). I caught the tram halfway there and switched to the 510 bus at Northcote. It was freezing and raining (frozen) quadrupeds and I was standing on the kerb under my umbrella wishing I could feel my extremities/ nose and day dreaming about fried chicken when I heard someone cough behind me.
Assuming I was blocking the footpath I moved and turned to face – a chick that looked just like gingermakes (except cuter-is that even possible? Yes, yes, it is) in an awesome plaid coat with a hood. I said hi and asked if she’d like to get under my umbrella (it being cold and pelting frozen snot etc) and we chatted for a bit. And she was awesome! Her name was Binks (Binxs? Binkxs?) and she was on mid-wifery placement (guts + glory- hey I’m a plant person for a reason. That reason is blood. Also screaming. And screaming while bleeding, which I assume is a big part of mid-wifery). She was waiting for the same bus. Which was late (love you Melbourne!) and we talked about all kinds of stuff. I told her about my work on asexual fungi (that’s right, they have the genes to do it but they just – don’t!) that live symbiotically in ryegrass and give it super powers (like insect repelling + environmental stress tolerance). And she didn’t fall asleep! She’d taken that bus before so knew where I should be alighting etc. I had awesome fun hanging out with Binks (Binxs? Binkxs?)… But.. I didn’t get her details. Or give her mine. WTF facepalm! OMG she is such a cool chick! She’d totally watch Magic Mike with me. We’d’ fast forward through all the boring talky bits. Then we’d have a landing party to celebrate the descent of the Curiosity Rover.
Feel free to commiserate with me in the comments or on Twitter.
Pattern: La Mia Boutique October 2011, blouse 1025
Fabric: 1930s design re-issue by P&B textiles + fine weave Egyptian cotton
Notions: Coconut shell buttons, Gutterman Thread
Modifications: I had very little fabric so I made a short puff sleeve instead of the recommended long version, I also shortened the whole thing to fit me.
Paunnet’s made an un-edited version of this pattern here.
All non self-generated images remain copyright of their original owners and are used here for the purposes of review/ discussion.
What a beautiful blouse!!!!!
I love your’s, and this collar!!!!!Sublime
Totally digging the little pouflet sleeves and the contrast collar. It’s so delicate looking. Love it.
First things first, I love this top! I like it so much more with short sleeves than the long ones in the photo. Cute!! Second, I’m glad I have a doppelganger a world away! She sounds way cooler than me (and crap, her name is AWESOME)!
What a cute top! I love that collar. Good luck finding Binks again. Fungi are cool.
Yes, I love the collar!
Your blouse is so pretty. It has a vintage feel with that gorgeous big offset collar preventing tweeness.
As a veteran of oversized collars in heirloom sewing I would use a cotton batiste as a sew in interfacing for a collar like this – the tiny bit of extra body does help, but batiste is so forgiving and drapes beautifully. The model photo looks as if they really stuffed up the collar to me – IIf I were feeling mean spirited I would notice it sticking up unattractively over her left shoulder so she had to keep tugging at it and flattening it down. Yours looks completely well behaved, so maybe all that ripping was the pattern’s fault.
Thanks! I’ll keep that in mind as I plan to make another one of these. This one was a bit of a practice run for another version I wanted to make with some chiffon my mum sent XD I don’t have any batiste (never seen it in the shops here) but perhaps voile will work?
Also, that ‘thing’ isn’t a collar (it lacks a stand or circular ease for laying downwards XD which is why interfacing makes it worse-i.e. it just stands outwards from the neck, which is what seems to be happening with the model). Luckily the cotton I used is awesome and very tame due the kickass iron I have. I pressed it firmly and used a narrow hem foot to turn in the allowance and sew it to the neckline. So everything stays where it should.
So sorry you didn’t get contact information on your new friend! Love your top, most especially the offset collar. Do you think it would look good without the button placket? Those things scare me.
Thanks. Don’t see why not. The pattern piece in this version is pretty easy actually-placket and facing in one. So just two rectangles basically that you fold together and then fold the seam allowances in, onto the neckline slit.
i love the asymmetrical peter pan collar. totally adds a new dimension to the concept!
It doesn’t seem fair that you keep rubbing my non-perfect nose in the fact that I can’t get my hands on this lovely little blouse pattern. NOT FAIR! And such a sad story about your friend, it’s not often that you find a person who doesn’t get that glazed look when you talk about little professional obsessions.
Any rubbing is/ was entirely unintentional. Once I’ve made up the next version (in the fabric my mum sent me XD) I can swap you the pattern if you like – I’m setting up another swap soon so this’ll give me the initiative to get on with that. I’ve got a stack of vintage and contemporary patterns and pattern magazines + books piled up and waiting to be swapped, just gotta get on with it. XD
It is seriously cute! I’m sending this to my mother, she’s going to love it. Col Claudine/Peter Pan Collars are cuter, IMO, slightly off-center, at least on legal adults. And the red fabric is adorable! (Why am I using child-like adjectives, I cannot tell you)
And what happened to you would ABSOLUTELY happen to me too! I talk to anyone and everyone and I never remember to do the logical thing. I also just got my 1st card at work (after several years there, they finally think I’m worthy, I guess) and it’s sitting in a pile in my desk drawer at the office, LOL!
Thank you! I’m chuffed that you’d send this to your mum (that’s what I do when I come across Classics!). Also congratulations on the card- it’s a nice feeling to be accepted as part of the group even when you know on some level it shouldn’t matter either ways =).
Great top, the fabric has just the right amount of drape to it for this style and the collar/buttons are a gorgeous touch. Re Binks/Binx, maybe you could pop over to the maternity ward at the hospital in a non stalkerish way!
I like your version a lot more than their example. There is all kinds of weird going on with her collar. Well done working out how to make it sit so nicely. It’s a bit extreme but perhaps you could be reunited with your friend by ahhh, umm… Having a baby. Jks!!!
I adore it! Such a pretty blouse….love love love!
Love this. It is my favourite pan collar. Would love this pattern but can just understand English instructions lol
Absolutely upbeat, charming, and chic!
Very cute top. The contrasting collar is lovely.
It’s sooo sweet, the blouse! Love how you chose white for the collar for the contrast. Given the size of the collar and how it falls, it makes sense that interfacing it would cause trouble… but of course I would never have thought about that myself prior to sewing
Thanks. XD It’s not really a collar, more like a flat ruffle. There’s no stand or curvature to help it lay flat so I mod-ed it. I’ve explained how in my response to Kbenco.
The collar does make this blouse sing to me. You’ve done a good job on it.
Another great project! Very, very cute!
Love the off set of the collar and the line of buttons. I have over-interfaced a collar before too so I know the pain you went through unpicking it. It made me look like I had on one of those plastic collars you put on your cat or dog after they have surgery!
woah i LOVE the asymmetrical peter pan collar; what a terrific idea, it looks smashing!
i think it turned out beautifully!! I can totally commiserate with you on the pain of the collar – but i think it looks great now – and the shorter sleeves really do look so sweet as well – i think it probably makes the top more wearable than the long sleeve version
XOXO
Very very cute and sorry about the collar shenanigans! I have made a mental note to double check before diving into something like it.
And fingers crossed you re-connect with Binks too.
Hahaha thanks! I’d suggest just laying it around your neck (/ your mannequin) and if it doesn’t lay flat don’t interface it XD
It’s so cute!! And very shexy with the jeans!
I love that meeting story. I love when that kind of thing happens to me, but I ALWAYS feel too awkward about giving/asking for deets. My husband is great it, though. He makes friends with taxi drivers and store clerks all the time.
So cute! How much fabric did you use? Also, did you draft your own sleeves?
Thanks. No the sleeves are a remnant of knit fabric I had left over from some other disaster. They’re part of the Kurai Muki pattern (see last image right).
I love the assymetrical collar – it may yet bring me around to trying a peter pan collar again. Great combo of fabric and puffy sleeves too.
I had a similar experience in a fabric store recently – I got chatting to another girl scrabbling through the knit fabrics and wished afterwards I’d given my name and contact info for catching up and talking sewing at another time. Ah well. live and learn.
This top is so cute on you! Love the fabric you chose:)
You look adorable!
Really cute blouse. La Mia is not available here, but I’m always intrigued with their designs.
I gasped when I saw this and now I totally want to make one with these short puff sleeves! It’s sooo cute!
Love the collar on this never, have never seen this asymmetric style collar before and I guess it wouldn’t be too hard to replicate on another blouse. Your version is lovely.
Very nice blouse! I like the collar! Should try to make something like this.