Summer Blouse, Makes Me Feel Fiiiiiiiiiiiiine

Oh July – she’s a fickle beast. One minute she’s pouring you with rain and the next it is sunstroke inducing warmth.

So for my July Minerva make I thought I better sew something that looks nice and summery but could easily work for those chillier days too.

I used the Mathilde blouse pattern from Tilly and The Buttons. It’s a cute pleated front blouse with button up back. My first version of this blouse (in a polka dot polyester) has never been blogged but cropped up during Me Made May (the polka dot week!) a few years ago.

It was too tight across the front yoke and it eventually ripped at the underarms, probably because I like to talk with my hands and use wild gestures all the time.

The original pattern comes with banded puff sleeves but they don’t really suit me so I swapped these out for straight sleeves. I did this on the first version too. I used the sleeve piece from New Look 6000 which I’ve never actually made because I’m not a shift dress kind of girl.

This bright polyester fabric in turquoise and cream was a great match for the pattern. It’s not like horrible static-creating polyester; it’s quite soft and light. It holds the pleats really well but also skims over your body in a flattering way. And I was sent perfectly matching thread which makes me happy as well.

There wasn’t much fraying to contend with but I French seamed the blouse for neatness and overlocked the armholes once I’d set in the sleeves.

Take a look at that back!

I really had a hankering for some gold metallic buttons after seeing them all over the high street lately. Gold and turquoise just seemed the perfect mix.

I used seven buttons in total but together they don’t drag the back of the blouse down as they are very light.

I can really see myself wearing this all year round as it would be easy to layer and it appeals to my need to dress colourfully even when faced with dreary weather.

Or weather like today where the sun kept disappearing behind massive clouds making my photos look like they’ve been taken on different days.

But hey, no don’t notice that… Look at my shoes! They match my top! Phew, glad I distracted you.