Finished: Simplicity 4987 view II - The first of many separates
Yes yes I know, it's about freakin' time I show you this! I had some difficulties with getting proper pictures since I don't have my tripod here and it is so damp in my house that the lens of my camera kept fogging up. I finally picked a good damp-free day, stacked a bunch of boxes on top of each other and managed to get some photo's. (Aside from the first two which where taken at the first attempt.)
Like I said in a previous post, I was sewing two versions of this blouse simultaneously. I couldn't decide whether I wanted to make a short sleeve or a 3/4 sleeve version and then thought to myself; why not both? It also seemed like an interesting experiment to see if it would speed things up since, after all, you are repeating the same action twice. And it did! (Granted, I did use the same color sewing thread for both blouses.)
I actually attempted to make this blouse before, but because I was so consumed with finding a new house in England I couldn't concentrate and basically ruined it. Aside from that, it didn't fit me properly. It was just slightly too big. So when I decided to give the pattern another try I was able to use the monstrosity to test a small size adjustment I read about in my 1940 sewing book. It simply stated that for a small adjustment you can just place the CF of the pattern over the edge of your fabric. To see what the effect would be I pinned out 1/2 inch at the center front of the, now renamed, muslin, put it on and voila; perfect fit! (Sorry if my explanation is a bit vague, I'll write a short 'tutorial' on it some time.)
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| A retarded face for your viewing pleasure |
I made mock french seams in the sleeves and the side seams. I top stitched the neckline but It wouldn't stay down so I also did a few catch stitches to keep it in place. I just did a regular narrow hem and the sleeves are finished with what the pattern calls "bias facing" (just bias strips of fabric pressed like double fold bias tape) and slip stitched invisibly. I also did hand stitched buttonholes for the first time! Very labor intensive but satisfying work (I really love hand sewing). I made my own shoulder pads but they are too thin making the blouse a bit too loose at the shoulders so I will have to make new ones.
This is actually the first time I've sewn from a vintage (unprinted) pattern! The previous ones where all modern reprints. I did run into some trouble with interpreting the sewing instructions here and there, but I can't remember exactly what it was. I wish I could tell you guys more about my experience with this pattern, but I'm afraid all the stress from moving to a different country has punched a hole in my memory.
In conclusion, I am terribly happy with this blouse. I love the buttons on the back, I love the very 1940s silhouette and it looks a lot like the pattern illustration. I am not the kind of girl who likes to wear dresses all the time so I know separates are probably going to dominate my wardrobe. There will be many more blouses.
I still don't have view I of the blouse here, but I will post about that one as soon as it arrives. I didn't construct the blouses exactly the same so I do have more than just pictures to post about with the other one.
A wonderful job indeed! You did a fabulous job on those buttonholes. It's hard to believe you did them by hand. Very impressed. I have a buttonhole tool that I want to learn how to use to make bound button holes. It's just a matter of time of sitting down and focusing how to do it. I would love to see your tutorial on adjustments, I have difficult time understanding instructions on adjustments. I'd love to take a class where I can see demonstrations in person.
ReplyDeleteThank you Joanna! A tool to make bound buttonholes, how interesting! I'd love to see it. I have yet to try my hand at making bound buttonholes, it seems rather intimidating. I'm not very good at adjustments either, but the one I did here is super simple. I'll write a post about it as soon as I can sew again (still don't have a sewing machine here in England unfortunately).
DeleteEen beetje laat, maar het is een leuke blouse geworden. Ik vind je haar ook erg leuk op de laatste foto's. Hoe bevalt het tot nu toe in Engeland?
ReplyDeleteDank je! Het is een beetje lastig te zien op de foto's (en mijn haar is er eigenlijk ook nog een beetje te kort voor), maar het is zo'n jaren 40 kroon vlecht. En ja het bevalt hier op zich wel, alleen ik verveel me een beetje haha. Mijn vriend is elke dag hard aan het werk op de universiteit dus ik zit veel alleen thuis aangezien ik nog geen baan heb gevonden. En ik kan natuurlijk nog steeds niet naaien en we hebben hier ook amper spullen (en geen geld om spullen te kopen). Dus het is op het moment een beetje saai! Maar dat komt wel goed :)
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