FINISHED! An Oxford Blouse

When the Spring Summer 2015 Pictures and Conversations Liberty fabric collection was released I was immediately drawn to the garish colours of Oxford A.  I then proceeded to go on holidays and delay any Liberty fabric buying until I returned. Several months passed and I still hadn't caught up with the latest Liberty release. The shame! But I was quickly kicked into action when I saw Tilly's pussy bow blouse (in colourway B) and Anna's top. Both reminded me how much I liked this print.   

Here is the print story from Liberty:

'What is the use of a design collection', thought Alice, 'without pictures or conversations'. And in another moment she was considering how in the world to create one.'

'Pictures and Conversations' celebrates the 150th anniversary of the first publication of Lewis Carroll's 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'. Both design and colour were inspired by pictures and conversations within 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' and 'Through the Looking Glass' and experiences related to them.

Oxford Liberty fabric is inspired by a trip to Oxford and is created from Liberty scarves from the late 1960s. These have been blended with personal experiences obtained when the in-house design studio were fortunate enough to have a private guided ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’ tour around Christ Church water meadows and the streets of Oxford, lead by expert and author Mark Davies.

'Alice was beginning to get very tired of sitting by her sister on the bank, and of having nothing to do.' – Lewis Carroll

The print is not for the faint hearted, so it wasn't immediately obvious to me what I would make up. My love affair for the Clean and Natural peplum hasn't cooled and I have been thinking for a long time of making the Gathered Blouse from She has a Mannish Style (aka She Wears the Pants) so my mind started playing with the two patterns. I didn't want anything too complicated with this fabric, but I was yearning for a little bit of interest.

Alove child blouse between the two patterns was born. I used the bodice and sleeves from Clean and Natural with the hem line and sleeve cuffs from the Gathered Blouse. I did just a simple pleat on the sleeve. 

The back closes with a self covered button. I think I probably could have provided a little more length, but this seems to be an achilles heel as I'm constantly saying that about the length of my tops. As a result it has a teeny tiny hem.

I really like this and wore it with skinnier pants for work on Wednesday, where I think it was a winner.  A bit short yes maybe, but a winner nonetheless. I just can't get enough of the dropped sleeves and high neckline of this pattern.  But for now I'll have to park this pattern as I have a CBR frocktails dress to dream up.