The Koi Fish Blouse

 This is my blue koi fish blouse. I was a bit calmer making this version of the Faux Collar  button down shirt. I knew where to follow my instincts and let the pattern directions just go. It made for an easier construction and happy results. 

Pattern:

Once again, this is the Faux Collar Button Down Shirt from Sewing Therapy , aka, Two O Nine patterns. I have seen the Sewing Therapy patterns online and their Asian aesthetic and simple lines really appealed to me. They seemed tailor made for petites but these come in a wide range of sizes. I used the smallest, a size 0, and the finished bust is 45.5 inches and finished waist and hips are 49.5 inches. The Pattern goes up to a size 24 which gives you a bust of 60 inches finished and hips and waist of 64. Obviously there is huge ease here which I did not adjust. I did no adjustments for my petite frame. In my original version I cut the cropped size. In this version I cut the longer version. preferring to adjust the length at the end. I basically took the "tucked" version down about an inch. I definitely want to be able to tuck this one in. 

 I like it tucked. 

Fabric: 

I was so excited about my first version of this top that I had to make another one, quick. I had so much frustration with the directions that I wanted to vindicate my viewpoint and just go straight thru and make this one more "my way". So I dug right in when I saw this just off loaded "premium" quilting fabric at Joanns. It is 100% cotton broadcloth and has been washed on very  hot and dried in the dryer the same heat. No shrinkage! 

The fish are outlined with a tiny line of gold paint, a nice touch. 

I also found that scrunching it  in my fist, both at the store and at home brought about no pile of wrinkles so I felt good to go. It barely needs ironing after wearing it all day. I loved the blue koi fish but it is also available in the classic "gold fish" color of koi. it is part of a grouping of lovely Japanese nuanced fabrics. It was great to work with, no big ravelling. 

Construction:

I double checked all marking again this time and there are still no marks to match up on that collar so be aware of that and how you lay it out on the bodice to be sewn. The meager directions have no illustrations or photos. They do have simple bullet points, my favorites being "Cut the pattern" and "Sew on the binding." 

You are given a pattern piece for the binding which I thought was too wide and it is. But, on my first top my fabric was very thick so I figured all that texture was ok with the extra width of the binding and it wasn't an issue. On this flat broadcloth, I decided to follow the directions and it made for a too wide binding on the neckline, IMO. But I was not going to take it off for fear of stretching the neckline out. It looks OK. I'm just concerned about wear. 

The pattern has a deep pleat at Center Back. I thought a gathered area might be nice there. It wasn't. I ripped it out and put the pleat back in. Somehow, in that process, the neckline got much smaller than the neckline on the first blouse. I can't figure it out. Something either did or did not stretch out despite stay stitching. In the end, my thin, long neck liked it just fine so I left it. This shirt has a lot of fudge factor. 

The print makes it a bit hard to discern but at the top of the band pattern piece you will see there is some shaping. If you put the band  3/8th inch back from the collar as she says in the video (no reference at all in the pattern directions) and line things up with the shaped top of the band you get this nice criss cross at the top with the two button bands. I saw it on one of her garments but on another sample she just stitched straight across. 

Here is a closeup of the button band.  This is where I really veer from the directions. In Sewing Therapy's video you will see, I believe, a maroon dress with a quick closeup of the button bands. She instructs you to  sew the BB to the bodice front RS together of bodice . Then you are instructed to press that seam allowance toward the bodice. The seam allowances  are sticking out into the bodice. Next you are instructed to wrap the button band around and topstitch  and ditchstich. There is no instruction to topstitch on the other side of the button band and it wasn't . The band on the maroon dress looked awful and extremely beginner.  I did my button bands like I bet you and I have done as long as we have been doing button bands. Stitch to the bodice. Trim and press SAs to the band and topstitch both sides. All is internal, hidden and neat , clean and symmetrical. So that is how these were done on the Blue Koi top and I wouldn't have it any other way. 

The sleeve tabs were done differently as well. The pattern, again, has you only topstitch one side of the the tab. I did both. I guess I am just one of those anal, symetrical people. So I proceeded. Next the pattern has you fold the top of the tab a couple of times  and stitch across. I found, even in the organdy of my last top, it made for too much bulk, and when I put the button in the button hole where directed, it caused the top of the tab to flip out and stick out. So, on this top I cut across the top of the tab with my pinkers, folded it once and then stitched across. That was a lot less bulk. I also moved the button hole up a tiny bit. With that the tab does not stick out and looks much better. 

On this top, all of the seams were French seams. I did not face the hem bands, just folded them up an inch and a quarter. 

In Conclusion:

I am pretty sure I will make this again, with the changes I've spoken about today. I might do a faced hem again because it can be seen so easily with the sleeve design. I will definitely cut down the width of the bias binding to the 1 1/4 inch I usually use. I even went looking at shower curtains at Home Goods yesterday! There were some great possibilities there. Don't tell anyone our little secret! Happy Sewing............Bunny