I’ve been taking the time to sew more lately and I’ve been trying to sew up my fabric stash. I’ve been wanting simple, easy to wear patterns that will work with what I have. So when the Liesl + Co Breezy Blouse came out, I bought it right away. It’s perfect for small cuts of fabric and it has that easy loose shape that I love in the Summer. Boxy but with a little bit of shaping.
I pulled out some of my leftovers and one yard cuts and decided to go with my leftover cotton from this Granville shirt. It’s a little loosely woven which gives it more drape. There are side panels that allow for color blocking and I thought it would be fun to use them to play with stripe direction. I was able to squeeze all the pattern pieces onto the fabric, even the bias binding. I had thought of piecing the front or sides to get a chevron but there wasn’t enough fabric for it.
I didn’t bother to make a muslin since this has enough ease. I made no adjustments, not even my usual 3/8″ forward shoulder. And I’ve worn it twice now and didn’t notice a need for one. However, when I tried the top on before finishing it, it was super tight on my hips. I checked the finished measurements and realized the sweep on my size (14, A/B cup) was actually smaller than my hip measurement. I checked pictures and the introduction blog post. I decided I just needed to shorten it. So I cut off 2″ from the bottom. I think maybe I could cut off even more. Next time, I’ll adjust the pattern at the shorten line.
Other than the length, everything was perfect. The bust darts are right where they need to be and the armhole is high enough to hide my bra without being constricting. Beautifully drafted!
The top closes with a button and thread loop at the back. My hair always tangles in there. The blog suggested putting the button inside rather than outside and it worked perfectly! I love the clean finish outside and my hair doesn’t get caught. It’s just as easy to button and I was able to choose a fun color I may not have picked if it had been visible. (Just a random lonely button in my stash.)
(I know the top looks a little loose in the upper back but it’s needed for range of movement. If I push my arms forward, the fabric goes straight without strain.)
And that’s it! I can see so many possibilities with this top. It could be made a little more fitted by taking in those side panel seams a little. I’m also toying with the idea of slits and the end of the seams. And of course playing with varied fabrics.
Creative mommy at home to two wonderful little girls, trying to juggle family, sewing, exercise, family, knitting, photography, and did I mention family?
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