Every summer for years I try to make one essence of summer blouse or dress. They are always white. Last year's white blouse was this eyelet number. As I was contemplating the smocking for the oxford cloth shirt, I realized it was time to make this years Great White Shirt and canned the oxford cloth idea.
After some scrounging thru the pattern stash and mags, I decided on BWOF 05-2009-110. I like the raised waist and tailored collar. I will change this a tad to accommodate some heirloom work. Linen is just so wonderful to work on. It responds so well to whatever the machine throws at it. As per usual I'll some samples first. This design will develop as I go along but I foresee piping, smocking, and pinstitching.
Another part of the decision to start this new project is coming up short with the black toile I need. It is still available and I just need one full yard more but until I have that in hand I need another project to keep my sanity. The GWS is it.
The pleating is done and blocking as we speak. Now I am searching out the proper plate, something simple, geometric and maybe a mirror image or such.Also ready to go is the pattern for Carly's bishop. It is all traced and waiting for that extra yard of toile.
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I am so excited. Hydrangeas, particularly blue ones, have evaded me for years. We've lived on too acidic soil for them to turn blue. This year my Endless Summer hydrangea is 3 years old and finally loaded with blooms. It got all the right chemicals to turn blue and they worked! This is a big garden deal for me so I had to share. An expert nursery woman told me a week ago to put the blue chems on it every two weeks. I am using an organic product so don't worry. When my daughter lived in Connecticut many had dark dark royal blue hyrdranges. Only in my dreams.......
I clicked on the link to your last years blouse, and drooled all over my computer! That was a knockout! I know you'll make something equally as loveely for this years's white shirt.
ReplyDeleteLast year's was very nice. This year's sounds awesome with all of the special details. I love the raised waist.
ReplyDeleteThe #1 item on my sewing wish list for fall is a white button down! I'll be following closely, but know mine won't even compare to yours!
ReplyDeleteActually, hydrangeas are blue if the soil is acid, or low ph. High ph, above 7 is alkaline, and the hydrangeas are pinker the higher the ph. The northeast tends to have acid soil. Endless Summer is a good hydrangea for you, you're in a fairly cold area I think. It blooms on new wood, so if it dies back in cold weather it will still bloom. Keep deadheading, or cutting flowers for the house and you'll get even more flowers until a hard frost, unlike old style hydrageas. The darker blue of your dd's hydrangeas are most probably a different cultivator which is darker. There are red and pink hydrangeas available without resorting to lime in the soil.
ReplyDeleteOoh, looks like another beautiful project from Bunny...
ReplyDeleteWhere will the smocking be? I love linen too!
ReplyDeleteI've made this one - it's a nice comfortable shirt, and relatively easy to make. Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteI like this pattern very much and I can see how it will become something extraordinary in your talented hands!
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