‘Jacket’ blouse
I got this idea from someone who was on my trip to Gujarat last year. It was just a long sleeved cotton blouse with a bit of room for warm weather, and importantly, had panels. I’ve been looking for a pattern with the required panels, that would come out of 3m x 45″ fabric, which I bought in Gujarat. But I couldn’t find a pattern that would fit the bill.
So I bought K3732, which is a jacket pattern, with the intention of turning it into a blouse that I could pull over my head.
Given that my Indian fabric is not easy replaced, and that I am hacking a pattern, this seems to call for a toile – preferably wearable!
So £2 / metre polycotton from the market seems to be the order of the day.
The result:
Despite there being many a plain neckline garment on this blog, I don’t particularly suit a plain neck, so I plumped for the collared version. All I changed was to sew a seam down the lower front sections and shorten the front facing. And then reduced the buttons to one – the first one stitched on my new sewing machine!
Actually it will do the job I want it to do – cover up on a hot day, and provide a lot of modesty cover in countries that prefer it that way.
But I won’t be making a version from my precious Indian cotton fabric. There is just too much facing and far to much interfacing. This is particularly so where the collar joins the facing. The back collar seam consists of four layers of fabric and two layers of interfacing. This reduces flexibility and demands much trimming of fabric and shaving of interfacing. That might be fine for a jacket, but its not brilliant for a blouse, especially a blouse that might be rolled up in a bag for part of the day, to be brought out when the sun gets too hot, or begins to set.
But this version only cost £6, so will remain my only ‘jacket’ blouse. You never know, despite a wardrobe full of jackets already, none of them are like this pattern, so maybe I will make a jacket, including lots of interfacing, one day!
And the hunt for a good pattern for my Indian block printed fabric continues!
One Week, One Pattern
Me Made May 2016
Me Made May 2015
Simplicity Competition
Sew Over it Patterns
all my own work by ann 