Project! The Maiden Blouse with Flutter Sleeves (Stitch Witch Patterns)

Pattern: This top started as my muslin for The Maiden Blouse by Stitch Witch patterns when I tested the pattern back in February.

Materials: The lightweight gingham I used lived a previous life as an apron, which I found at an estate sale for $1! About a year ago, I added "gingham" to my Thrift Store List (anyone else have this list??) and the apron was the first time I found gingham fabric in the wild, so I got excited... and then realized it wasn't really enough fabric to do much with. UNTIL NOW.

Cost: $1 for the fabric, I got the pattern for free in exchange for testing, and the buttons were from my stash. So $1 total. 

Timeline: I cut the bodice in February and intended to go back and finish it for months after finishing my striped circus-y Maiden Blouse. Lately I have been REALLY trying to clear out my sewing WIP's, so here we are! Only took 7 months to make this muslin into a wearable top.

Sizing, mods, changes and notes on fitting: LOTS. After fitting my muslin, I had pulled it apart to make changes to the front bodice piece on my final. So when I picked this version back up, I pulled out the darts and completely re-cut the front bodice. 

Now, Madeline has included a facing in the final pattern to make a sleeveless version of this blouse, but it uses the other, rounded neckline, not this square, Queen Anne neckline. So instead of using the facing for the sleeveless version, I cut the neckline facing as normal and treated it like a binding, sewing it to the wrong side and then folding it under and stitching it down. This worked pretty well! I think it will hold up and keep the square neckline crisp, despite the light weight of the fabric.

The apron also did not provide enough fabric for the epic sleeves included in the fabric (too bad, they would have been awesome in this floaty fabric), but it DID have two very long ties, which I repurposed into the flutter sleeves. Because I am all about SLEEVES. After basting on the gathered sleeves, I used a basic binding to finish them. 

I skipped the boning for this version - the fabric was too light and it was just not what I was going for. 

Feelings about this project: This is so so cute - a little bit Picnic Maiden, a little bit Milk Maid. The light fabric is very wearable for this hot hot weather, while still offering drama. 

If I make this top again, I WILL interface the back button bands. In both this lightweight version, and my heavier version, the button band pulls in a weird way and needs a little extra stability. I love the detail of the buttons, so I wouldn't want to lose that, but it needs some help.

Now, I DO have a larger check gingham tablecloth that I thrifted shortly after this apron, so... stay tuned for my full gingham look (joking... maybe).

Project! The Capulet Dress (Test) by Stitch Witch Patterns

I'm blogging my way through some projects I finished in March and April, right before I got busy and did some traveling. So here we go:

Pattern: Oh yes, it's another lovely pattern from Stitch Witch Patterns - The Capulet Dress! 

Materials: I purchased 5.5 yards of this beautiful rayon from Remainders Creative Reuse for another project, intending to use a stiffer cotton for this dress. I did not read the pattern closely, though, and was only able to score about 3 yards of the 45" wide cotton when the pattern calls for 60" wide fabric, and so I used this backup fabric. It's a different dress than I intended to make, but it still came out gorgeous!

I will take this opportunity to shout it from the rooftops: Remainders is amazing and I am so so lucky to have a craft thrift store here in Pasadena. I try to stay chill every time I go in there, but inevitably I leave with vintage fabric. This is where I got the amazing plaid fabric for my Christmas B6453. And I have 2-3 cuts of fabric in my stash that haven't been sewn up yet. 

Cost: $16.50 for 5.5 yards of rayon. The rest of the materials were already in my stash so we'll say a total of $16.50 for this dress, since I received the pattern in exchange for testing it. 

Timeline: Finished at the end of March, before the pattern release. 

Sizing, mods, changes and notes on fitting: Since this was a test sew, the fit is pretty off. (Madeline has since made changes to the pattern, so go forth and sew it without fear!) As you'll see from my photos, the back had to be taken in quite a bit, so it doesn't have that nice square back. On my next version, I'll be sure to do more extensive fitting. 

Because I am both tall and old, I added length to the bodice and the skirt. I don't think I really needed the extra bodice length, and next time I'll skip it. I also added pockets, because I love snacks and must always have lip balm on me. Since I was sewing with the rayon, I had to make the longer Juliet sleeves! I LOVE them, they're so dramatic and elegant. 

Feelings about this project: I love this dress - it's very romantic and a little 90's when made up in this fabric. This one is on my list to revisit in a lighter fabric with more body in the short sleeve version, so watch out, Summer 2022!