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Simple, Pretty Vintage Blouses

By on August 6, 2011 in Inspiration Files, Mise en Place Project
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After sewing a second test of the Sencha pattern, I’ve decided to pass. Even after going up two sizes, the issues in my original muslin are still present, only in larger proportions. Shoulders oddly tight, too much bunching around the armholes and an unreal amount of billowing below my chest that would take too much work to adjust.

There are some lovely Senchas out there, and I think it looks good on certain figures but has the potential to be sloppy-looking on others. I mean no offense by that; it’s not for everyone! I feel perfectly happy breaking up with a pattern; why wrangle it down to something it’s not?

So I went back out on a pattern hunt. Basically, what I am looking for is a slightly loose, 40s-style cap-sleeve-ish blouse pattern with tucks or multiple waist darts. It can be buttoned either front or back–that part is easy to change. There are a motherload of vintage or repro patterns with almost identical shaping as the Sencha–and a few neckline variations.

First up is my favorite from Decades of Style:

I love how older patterns include illustrations of the pattern pieces–you can get a better idea of the shapes and tune into subtle differences. For instance, this blouse has a curved petal-like sleeve opening. It has similar tucks as Sencha, and there’s a back shoulder dart. What say you about shoulder darts? There are a lot of those in vintage patterns, and I wonder how they help fit.

Another from Decades of Style, the Girl Friday Blouse:

Double-tucking on front and back, which I like, a front shoulder dart, and that gorgeous triple collar! I won’t need the collar for my project but it’d be fun to try this out some day.

A McCall’s pattern, almost identical in shaping, but adds a bust dart (which might help with fitting?):

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Another McCall’s, with lovely shoulder gathering and optional cut-on sleeves. I wonder how those fit:

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More ideas:

{Credit: McCall’s 7231, McCall’s 6749, Vogue 6749, Simplicity 4987}

Are you bloused out yet? I think I know which one I like best style-wise, but am more concerned with fit and hope one of these patterns might have better proportions for my body. Which one would you pick? I’m pretty new to sewing 40s patterns. Perhaps it’s time to pull out my old attempts at bodice blocks and draft my own. Either way, starting another blouse will have to wait for fall!

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Sencha for a Small-er Bust

By on August 1, 2011 in Mise en Place Project
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Finally, after a week or so of pattern tracing and cutting I started in on a few muslins over the weekend. (My multiple-pattern project is going great except–big except–I have little piles of patterns everywhere–which could make things get chaotic fast. I really need some hangers or clothespins because I don’t want to fold them up.)

First up is the Sencha blouse by Colette Patterns. Here is what could happen when one picks a sewing pattern by bust width:

Hilarious, right? I’m sure there’s some sort of style in this. (I had no one to help me pin the back, but I don’t think it would’ve pinned shut anyway!)

Many patterns recommend picking a size based on bust width, and according to Colette Patterns that would put me at size 0, their smallest. I knew that was silly as I was tracing it, but I decided to make a muslin out of the 0 just to see what would happen. (My Lady Grey coat started out as a size 4, with some bust alterations.)

It’s a good example of how picking by bust width might get one into shoulder trouble. I’ve read on blogs that Colette Patterns are based on a C-cup. That tells me that a 33-inch bust would correspond with a 30-inch upper bust (mine is 32). What I don’t know–outside of measuring the pattern itself–is the shoulder to shoulder width for each size. Obviously my shoulder width is at least two sizes larger than Colette’s proportions for my bust size–I can’t even tell you how painfully small these cap sleeves are–hard to see from the photos but they barely go over my arms.

As darling as they are, it’d be awesome if Colette included more measurements in their patterns. I’m sure larger bust ladies need them, too, because not every larger-busted woman has large shoulders. The only patterns I’ve used that do include more than the usual bust/waist/hip (and sometimes) back length are Burda and HotPatterns. Hotpatterns really goes into detail, which is very helpful when picking out sizes.

So back to tracing another size, most likely a 4 to fit my shoulders and chest, and doing an adjustment in the bust area. I’ve got some big plans for this pattern if I can get it fitting correctly–a top secret design I’ll share soon!

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