Rising from the Ashes Blouse

Let me begin by saying how happy and relieved I am that this worked out! This is the story of a girl and a blouse - it was love at first sight. The blouse was white silk, it fit perfectly, could be worn anywhere, with anything, in any season. They one day the girl discovered the blouse was worn and discoloured beyond repair. So, with a nervous hand, she unpicked the blouse, traced it off and cut a new one!

Result! Let's have a look, shall we?

Short cap sleeves, open neckline, ties at neck.

The yoke seams are finished with bias binding on the outside.

Cap sleeves, with just the right amount of fullness.

Looks nice from the back - just enough fullness.

At first I thought I would take a pattern using the rub-off method, but after much hemming and hawing, I decided to go ahead and unpick the whole thing (well, half), to get the sleeves just right. Too much pouf would not have made me very happy, and I didn't want to be struggling with these sleeves. Also, the original blouse is no longer fit to wear, and the temptation to put it on again may have been too much!

Construction was fairly straightforward, the yoke seam binding was the trickiest part. The neckline and sleeves are also finished with a narrow bias binding, and I used French seams throughout. And although they are barely visible, the cuffs are finished with a tiny button and fabric loop.

Pretty fabric, too!

This project was an unqualified success, and has already been worn at least three times. I have visions of a new white one, but I haven't come across the perfect fabric yet.

I'm sure this blouse will make a few appearances in May - I've decided to post my Me Made May round-ups mid-week, so stay tuned.

Happy sewing!