Smile for the birdie button-back blouse and the giveaway winner announced!
First up my giveaway!
Let’s announce this bad boy. Random number generator has chosen…..
Congratulations!! Send your postal address to me at almondrock.wordpress@gmail.com and I’ll arrange delivery.
Moving on. My love affair with New Look 6808 continues.
I cooked up the idea of adapting it to use buttons at the back quite a while ago but couldn’t wrap my brain around the logistics of the conversion.
I finally figured it out last week and realised I’d been so silly over thinking it!
To adapt the back bodice pattern piece I traced a copy, then extended the fold line by about three inches. Then I added the marks for my buttonholes where the original fold line had been, marked a new fold line and I was all set. I also did away with the darts as they would have messed with the fabric pattern.
I used a gorgeously soft, grey rayon I bought at the Harrogate Knitting and Stitching show. It has lines of different bird cages with birds on it! It is rather see through though.
I didn’t line it other than the sleeves which is a feature of NL 6808 I love.
This top uses 8 buttons. It felt like a lot! I made contrast covered buttons from a black twill I had in my stash. It needed to be twill because the white of my button base kept sewing through. Can you get black ones?
The first time I wore it a giant German Shepherd dog slobbered on it so I know it’s popular with the animal kingdom!
What do you think? Hope you like it!
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It’s really pretty, and I LOVE the fabric. I’ve just bought NL6808 too as I needed a good top pattern and everyone seems to be raving about it on pattern review. Going to start on it this weekend – hope it turns out as nice as yours!
Awesome! It is a great staple. Make sure you do a muslin first though. Read my pattern review… it took me three times to crack it. Phew. Thanks for the compliment. Have fun!
Love the top, also love that Newlook patterns are on sale at the moment £2.95 each. I once used a black permanent marker to colour my white self cover buttons before covering with a thin fabric. It stopped the white showing through for me but may depend on the material I guess. Only found your blog a few weeks ago but have really enjoyed reading it.
Ooooh that’s a good idea!!! Thanks for reading. Much appreciated 🙂
Oh, your blouse is gorgeous! Designer quality. Congrats to the winner.
Wowzers! Your top is fab! You did a great job on drafting the button placket.
Rats! Xx
Gorgeous! More birdies coming your way in April!
I love your blouse! And yay for figuring out how to add the button band. That is very cool.
Gah! This is too cute! I love the button modification- it’s subtle but stunning! Rad work 😀
I was going to suggest black marker pen or black nail varnish but I was beaten to it. I really like your fabric choice (see through or not!).
Thanks very much 🙂 Nail varnish might be a winner!
This is brilliant! I wanted to adapt this very pattern to be button back so was delighted to find you’d done the same and it looks awesome! Did you interface your button band at all, or was the fold of fabric sufficient to hold the buttonholes?
Yay. I recommend adapting it this way! As this was rather drapey rayon I decided to use a strip of iron on hemming web to stabilise the button holes and craftily stick the front and back of the fold together which massively helped sew the buttonholes but I wish I had used interfacing on one side of the fold to stop the weight of my buttons making the fabric sag which happens a little.
That make sense? I can explain further if it helps