A Vintage Blouse, plus more!

 

This blouse, which I love, is made with a vintage pattern! I wore it most of the day today and it just felt so comfortable and I loved the way it fit. Let me tell you all about it.

Like many of you, I watch a lot of youtube videos, sewing, fashion, and other of my interests like cooking and gardening and painting. Lately I've enjoyed watching a vlog titled "Cornwall Pocket Farm". While it covers many aspects of living a simpler life, the effort is performed by a very elegant woman of a certain age. She has the wisdom to make her vlogs strictly stick to topic. Therefore, if you watch her sewing videos, that's all you will get and they are worth watching. She has an elegant demeanor, lovely style and appreciates vintage clothing. Nothing about her is "kitchy" or cartoonish. Her fabrics, colors and jewelry are all very contemporary, at least in my opinion. She sews beautifully and her fit is lovely. She is also a great presenter and you will enjoy watching her. Obviously, I was taken by one blouse she wore and was to the point that I searched it out on ETSY and made my own version. I did View A, top left.  Notice the size is Size Ten. It is a basic bodice, no darts and a small shawl collar. The sleeves are a more traditional width which I changed. The cuffs are buttoned and a very different shape than I've run into before. I did alter for fit and will get into that shortly. To see the blouse she made, click the link above and go to 22:25 where she models an entire vintage ensemble while dancing!

 Fabric:

Our Joanns, one of the super ones, now has a long aisle that is just what they call "premium cottons". This is a cotton lawn from that aisle. I have to say it is so soft and lovely to wear, yet lots of thread to the inch. I fell in love with the print months ago and kept going back to it. I finally caved when I saw the Pocket Farm sewist and bought it for that pattern. It washed beautifully and isn't "hard" at all, a really lovely cotton. I know Joanns' philosophy is to appeal to the masses and therefore it seems their product selection can be rather low quality but if you hunt...........I've gotten some really good values there and you know I am picky. I just lost my awesome, fabulous, very high quality quilt store. I know the good cottons and how they feel and perform. I am seeing some from that store in this "premium" aisle at Joanns. It feels lovely on my skin and washed and dried  beautifully with no shrinkage at all. 

Fit:

I've been unable to find a date for this pattern. Based on the $1.75 price, I'm guessing 70s, early. I bought what was available, a size ten, figuring I could adjust and it was easy. The 10 was for a 32 1/2 inch bust and 34 1/2 inch hip. Both bust and hip measured 40 inches finished. I did not bother doing and FBA. 

However!-- I did my normal petiting of removing  a half inch across the bodice in the front and back about halfway between the apex and the shoulder seam. Next I narrowed the shoulders 3/4 inch on each side. As an afterthought, after putting together the bodice, I decided to add a bit of shaping to the waist area. I used my curve and took out a half inch on each side, so total 2 inches all around and I think that enhanced the fit nicely. Next and last, I updated the blouse by making the sleeves fuller. First,  I shortened them an inch and a half as I do for all long sleeves. Then I laid the sleeve down flat and slit it from wrist, which was nicely shaped, to the sleeve cap seam, an inch and a half each side of center, aka, the shoulder seam dot. I cut all the way through. I spread these two slits two inches wide open, thus adding four more inches of fullness to the sleeve. I backed the opening with more tissue taped in place and then cut out my sleeve. I really like the fullness it added.

Construction:

All seams were French seams, including the sleeves. They ended up a nice 1/4 inch wide. I forgot to take pics, sorry. I've begun doing all my sleeves with French seams and it is gotten really easy at this point. Give it a try. They look so nice inside. 

The cuffs were interfaced with a woven fusible. The shawl collar and front bands used a fusible tricot knit, the better for the collar to turn. I veered off the territory and tried a "new" to me way to do this sort of collar, bad idea. I ended up ripping it out half way and went with the pattern method. It came out nicely after that. 

The cuff pattern was in the shape of a stretched out letter H. This allowed for an extended piece just for the button and buttonhole. The rest of the cuff could either lay flat against the wrist, my choice, or be folded back, the choice of the Pocket Farmer. I did 2 rows of basting for the gathering for the cuff, one outside the seam one inside. This made for nice tiny little gathers. Then, once gathered and arranged, I stitched  the cuff to the sleeve right down the middle. I used plain olive green vintage buttons I had from my button legacy for this blouse. As the pattern suggested, I only topstitched the cuff where it met the sleeve. It was an easy nice cuff to do, no futzing. 

The placket was simple, just the "ole" wrap the slit type. I used their suggested size for the bias strip and it made a nice, easy to install placket. It ironed out nice and flat when done. 

In conclusion:

I like that I can wear this blouse, in or out, belted or not. I like the simplicity of the design, particularly the shawl collar that is a small size, great for a petite! It is comfortable and the fabric is so pretty. I know I will get a lot of use out of this and will probably make another one of these blouses. If you can get a hold of this pattern, I think you will really enjoy making it. I also think you would enjoy following the Cornwall Pocket Farmer. I am not into cartoonish, costume-y vintage which is most of what I see people on line doing. That's fine, but definitely not me. What Pocket Farmer does is far more contemporary and elegant. Check it out. 

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I've begun planning winter sewing and have lots of ideas and fabrics. I will leave you with another one I found recently. It is a flannel, already well washed, NO shrinkage!!! I am thinking of making a Pogonip top with it. Happy Sewing............Bunny