Gertie's Portrait Blouse

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Difficulty:

Category: Sewing

Type of item: Clothing

For: Women

Style: Romantic, Classic, Retro / Vintage, Funky, Hipster

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What was your inspiration?

I really like the patterns in Gertie's New Book for Better Sewing, they have a simple elegance. I'm also looking to find a good reusable/adaptable top pattern so this little portrait blouse seemed just the thing.

I cut pattern size 12 ( I think^) from the book and am so pleased that I didnt' have to adjust anything... with petite shoulders I usually have problems with gaping backs or saggy shoulders, but this pattern was perfect for me. I think the drape of the fabric helped.

What are you most proud of?

I'm proud I finished it after the struggle I had with the fabric. It's a very slippery soft fabric with a tendency to fray horribly quickly. However, it drapes and hangs beautifully so it follows the lines of the tucks very well.
For hemming I just used my overlocker to tidy up the edges and then hemmed that seam. I intend to wear this under a jacket or cardigan so I wasn't too concerned about the roll of the sleeve hem too much.

What advice would you give someone starting this project?

I didn't insert a zipper as the top had give enough in it to pull over my head (and my choice of fabric for this project would have rendered that a nightmare to insert).
I also hand-basted my seams before stitching on the machine, purely as the pins were not holding the fabric sufficiently.
Next time I will definitely make it longer, as the short length is a little too short for my taste and high waist^