Pussy Bow Blouse

I'm not a dress or skirt wearer so my makes tend to be trousers / jeans or shirts / blouses. I have definitely improved my skills in the last 18 months or so but these skills have concentrated on the difficult bits like zip fly, slanted pockets, hidden plackets, cuff and shirt sleeve plackets etc so the finished article is more about the different elements than the actual garment itself.

Now I've totally cracked a well fitting trouser and made several pairs to prove the point it was time to turn my attention back to shirts. Looking at my past makes I realise they've all tended to look a bit military or formal because of my need to execute the parts better. I have perfected plackets and collars with stand etc but at the expense of some softness or femininity.

I therefore set out to leave my comfort zone and found this pattern from Vogue V8772 which was one of two I chose to receive free with my membership to Sew Direct. The other was a coat but I've yet to make that one.

I chose View A which is top right of the small pictures and used a tiny strip of fabric from my stash as the contrast tie and cuffs which was just enough. In fact the pattern should have meant cutting this on the bias but it only fitted along the grain but it doesn't seem to have made a difference to the way the tie sits.

A closer look at the buttons on the front and cuffs.

This was an easy pattern and great for anyone who hasn't got an overlocker / serger as all the seams are french seams including the set in sleeves. I think this may look better in a more sheer fabric but I chose something a little more substantial and that makes the sleeves in particular a little bulky but at least all the seams are clean finished.