Dressed Down

I am going to be honest - this blouse is not that holy grail design that I was hoping it might be.

Then again, I really like how it turned out, so all is not lost!

In the end, the garment reminds me a little too much of a camp shirt to be an all time favorite.  But in the weeks since finishing the project, I have worn this top quite a few times.  So I suppose that makes it a success.

I do wonder if a different fabric choice would change my mind (perhaps a rayon, or something with more drape).

For now, I am going to set this pattern aside and continue the search.

But I am not giving up on this one completely.  

There may definitely be another Simplicity 4256 in my future; just not the near future.

Blouse:  Made by me, Simplicity 4256

Skirt:  Made by me, Butterick 4792

Shoes:  Nina

The search for the perfect blouse continues . . .

In my quest to find the perfect blouse pattern, I came across Simplicity 4256.  

I picked up this factory folded pattern at a local pattern swap a few months ago thinking that it might be just right!  Depending on fabric choice, this design has quite a few possibilities.

I managed to squeeze all of the necessary pieces out of a small cut of fabric that was just over one yard.  It was a bit of a stretch, but I really am trying not to purchase new fabric whenever possible.  It turns out that every button, thread, and bit of fabric for this particular project was pulled from the stash.  Hooray!

After a recent tussle with my buttonhole foot, it was an easy decision to go with bound buttonholes.  They have never failed me yet . . . and I don't imagine they ever will.

But this time around, I decided to try something new.  I stabilized the area around the buttonhole with small scraps of fusible interfacing.  My sew in interfacing was stitched to the cut-in-one facing as suggested in the instructions.

I still prefer a sew-in interfacing to fusible, but this is definitely another option.  And since I am only dealing with tiny scraps of fusible there is a very slim chance that the interfacing will let me down.  

After the facing was in place, it was time for some hand basting!

So add three more bound buttonholes to my lifetime total.  I am not sure what that number is, but it is certainly a large one.

And I even managed to find the perfect buttons tucked away in a drawer.  (Actually, the buttons have roses on them, and the fabric is printed with geraniums, but the colors are spot on!)