FINISHED! Lyla, Richard and the Mathilde Blouse

Et voilà, my second Tilly and the Buttons Mathilde. 

The fabric is Richard and Lyla, from the Liberty of London SS 2013 Guerilla Gardening theme.

From the Liberty of London website: Richard and Lyla, depicted in this print, met while planting tulips on a London roundabout. The design inspiration was a 1950s archive print which was then re-worked and hand painted to depict Guerrilla Gardeners bringing plants to an urban landscape, creating areas of beauty amongst the architecture. 

I bought this fabric earlier in the year from Addicted to Fabric and started the top in the middle of July in an effort to reduce my projects in time for a shopping trip to Tessuti.  My attention was diverted momentarily while I made up my Boardwalk Jersey top, but I got back to it last weekend.

I was just about to photograph it on Sunday, but put the camera on the top of the wheelie bin for a 'professional' photo shoot, as you do, and it fell off and the lens broke.  Mmmm, one of those weeks.  Ben replaced the lens on Monday and shhhh don't tell him, but I put the camera back onto the wheelie bin on Tuesday to try for another photo and it fell again, but not onto the lens this time. Phew, but needless to say, I've been a bit 'selfie shy' and the photos I did take I was all blurry and the background focussed.  How do you fix that on a selfie? Does a remote help? If so I'll be off to buy one this weekend AND get a proper tripod and get rid of the monkey grip one!  Anyway, I finally got Ben to take a few photos this morning - not the best obviously because he forget to get my face in!!? 

Enough about the photos.

 

I raved about this top last time I made it and I still love it second time around.  It is a bit big, but I just blindly did the pattern without any adjustments given I had made it before.   You can see that it is a bit big across the shoulders, but I'm not too worried. 

Just on the fabric, it was really hard to match as the pattern ran just off horizontal at an angle of less than 10'.  I played around with the fabric for ages trying to line up selvedges.  I finally forced the pattern to align as I thought it would look strange with the 'lines' running ever so slightlyon an angle. Luckily I don't think this affects the drape and the matching is so much nicer.  

I really should make this pattern in a fabric that is less busy. It is almost impossible to see the pintucks in these photos, which is such a shame as they are such a great feature.  The colours aren't my usual style and the pattern is pretty full on, so it does take a bit of getting used to but I think I'll wear it quite a bit especially as we move towards Spring.  I've worn it to work tucked into a navy pencil skirt but I think it will get just as much wear with jeans.

Is that my last Mathilde?  I don't think so somehow :)

Mathilde all tucked in and a bit about the fit

I said the other day that I would post photos of me wearing the Mathilde all tucked in, so here they are.  It looks preeettty doesn't it. (I didn't make the skirt - sadly).

Also I thought I'd take the opportunity to talk about the fit. Morgan from Crab and Bee asked me whether I had to make any adjustments to the blouse, and given I foolishly left out that vital bit of information when I first posted about the blouse, I thought I'd post about it today.

The answer is no.  I didn't make any adjustments, but I did um and aah about what size to cut. Here's where I fell into the sizing:

Bust: 2- 3

Waist:  2 -3

Hips: 1 - 2

Tilly kindly provides the dimensions of the finished blouse with the pattern so that helped a bit and being a person who prefers to wear things a bit looser than tighter I opted for the 3.  Now that it's made up I certainly could have made the size 2 but it's not hanging off my shoulders too much - which was my main concern.  When I make it again, I might make a 2 but maybe not.

FINISHED! Archipelago Mathilde

 

With enormous thanks to Tilly's fabulous pattern and super duper detailed tutorials (of which I used every single one), I present my first Mathilde blouse!!!! What a great pattern.  

The fabric is the Liberty of London I bought the other day from Addicted to Fabric.  It is Archipelago A from the Liberty Art Spring Summer 2013 Tresco range and you can read more about it in my Library of Liberty.  The fabric is so gorgeous.  I had some lovely comments both on the top and on the fabric when I wore it to work today. I just love those sneaky little statues hiding in the garden.

Gathering, pintucks and buttons... These were all a little bit of a stretch for me, but they turned out fine.  The fabric fortunately hides any little imperfections. Buttons no longer seem to be so frightening!  I probably should have thought a bit more about the pattern placement on the front bodice (both pieces now seem a bit matchy matchy - but I think that's just being picky).

I wore it today with jeans (because it's Friday) but next week I'll wear it with my grey skirt all tucked in.  I'm so in love with this top that I'll probably post some photos then as well. 

Mathilde in progress

Today I wore my new Briar, despite the weather being too hot for a jumper for as long as I could possibly stand the heat. Do you do that? Wear something even though it isn't exactly weather appropriate but because you just made it and love it and want to wear it? This photo, my latest addition to Carolyn's Navel-Gazing Fashion Blogger's Society photo collection sees me wearing my Banksia again (photo shows the material slightly better..) and my knickerbockers.  The last time I wore them I said they were on their last legs and now they really are! But they were my small salute to the hot weather.
I also stole a bit of time and worked on my Mathilde blouse.

It is coming together although I did have some problems with the pintucks.  I measured and measured them but for some reason they still turned out wrong.  Anyway, all fixed now and my material is very forgiving.  It's nice to be working with Liberty again.
Shoulders and sides are together and it seems to fit ok, so tomorrow I might pop down to the fabric store and find some buttons.