A while ago I found this pretty rayon crepe fabric. Birds and flowers against a black backdrop, I just couldn't resist. I wanted to make a blouse that would showcase the lovely drape of this fabric and ordered M6436 during an online sale. It's a loose fitting shirt with front and back darts, front band, pleated two-piece sleeve with cuffs and a collar with collar stand.
I made view D and used the DDD cup size. Although I like the idea of different cup sizes I'm not too keen on the way it's executed in this pattern.
That dart is gigantic! And it's also ending way too close to the bust point. Shortening the dart of course changes the angle of the dart legs, making it even more challenging to sew a decent looking non-pointy dart. It worked out fine with some careful pressing and of course those birds are a big help when it comes to cover up any less than perfect stitching. If I sew this pattern again I will definitely split these darts!
I used lightweight fusible interfacing for the collar to keep that soft look.
This shirt runs very long. I shortened it considerably but can't find the exact amount as my construction notes are missing. Another reminder to blog my projects as soon as they're finished!
Sleeve construction is simple. No placket, just leaving an opening in one of the sleeve seams will do. The perks of a two-pieced sleeve.
The back of this shirt is more fitted than the front. The darts provide nice shaping which of course looks more streamlined when there's not an extra layer bunching up underneath because you're freezing during a misty, moisty morning photoshoot.
The sleeves have a lot of volume, which works nicely with this drapey fabric.
One last picture of the blouse in action.
Can you tell there's a loved one behind the camera? That silly tripod on the other hand never provokes a genuine smile. Oh, and my Ames jeans, as seen in the top pictures, is no longer in one piece. Serious surgery under way! Whether surgery will be successful or not remains to be seen, update soon.
Final thoughts:
It's a dream to wear, mainly due to the lovely fabric. This pattern absolutely needs a lightweight fabric like crepe, lace or silk to gently skim the body. The pattern runs large (and long). If I sew this again I will change that oversized dart and probably adjust the shoulders or add shoulder pads. But these are minor issues as I'm very happy with how this blouse turned out!
