Flutter (crazy eyes) Flamenco

This is truly a French make: the pattern is the latest release 'Flamenco' from Delphine et Morissette and the fabric, 'crazy eyes poplin' from Wear Lemonade.  (This fabric came from France to Canberra in around a week!).  Turn away now if you are sick of ruffles because this top has the best ruffle ever! The perfect match of fabric and pattern. 

There really isn't much to say, regarding construction. It's a straightforward make with binding at the neck and no sleeves to set it. The neck scoop is larger than I would have preferred but I've grown used to it.  The back piece is cut in two but next time I think I'd just cut on the fold as most fabric would be wide enough to cope with the pattern size.  There are no ruffles on the back.

For close observers of the real pattern you'll note that I added an extra bit of sleeve. The original pattern has the ruffles and the sleeve ending just at the elbow... which I don't really like on me. So I added the extra bit and I really like the extra design detail this provides.  The bottom has a curved hem (which requires a tiny hem), but for me it needs to be tucked in a bit so sorry - no photos of the hem. :(

So a very quick post on a favourite make which has already been worn heaps! Long like ruffles and crazy eyes!

FINISHED! Blouse Pierrot

I am quite smitten with the patterns of Delphine et Morissette and after my last make la brune, I quickly jumped on the release of their latest pattern, la blouse pierrot. Yes, as the name suggests this is blouse with a rufflle neck, or as has been coined by the Canberra Sewing Crew, the neck peplum. There aren't any line drawings available, so the picture from the Delphine et Morissette website provides you with the best view of the lines of this blouse.

I made up mine in  Liberty but as the fabric hasn't photographed so well, I have included a richer photo below. The print is Opie (thanks Michelle for recognising the print), which I bought at Addicted to Fabric during their December sales.  Opie is from the Fall/Winter 2014 collection.

I originally bought this fabric to make la blouse dahlia by Dessine Moi un Patron, but was too impatient to wait for the paper pattern to be sent from France (and the price in Australian dollars was a bit high) so settled instead on the fun pierrot. 

  

As I said yesterday on Instagram, I acknowledge that a ruffle neck isn't exactly for everyone, and as I was making it I was mentally thinking that I could just leave the neck off, but once it was done I couldn't resist it. I adore it.  And while I think that I partly look like I'm wearing a 60's maternity smock I can't wait to wear this to work!  It is quite an Autumnal look so will be better with a change in season. 

Despite having some basic French, and a French husband, I paid no attention to the instructions. They were a bit beyond my French and there is a lot of explanation so I just winged it. There is a 'pas de pas' on the blog, some photo instructions, but again I only referred briefly to these.   

Partly because I was winging the instructions, partly because I could hear Amanda calling 'pirate shirt' but mainly because I prefer the silhouette of less flared sleeves, instead of staying with the puffier sleeves with the button cuff, I simply slimmed to arms down to the wrist.  Certainly made for easier sewing!  The blouse is quite airy, with a gathered front. The back is not gathered.

I had a little bit of trouble getting the sleeves in but I think that might have been related to my tracing of the pattern onto paper as the pattern was partially layered.  I hand stitched the binding onto the neck and the back of the neck is closed with a self covered button. 

So there we have it. La Pierrot. I don't think I'll have a lot of these in my wardrobe but I'm very happy with this one.