Choc-Mint Delight

With no outings planned and Mdblm working on Saturday evening, I've managed to get quite a bit of sewing done this weekend. I worked on a couple of annoying UFOs and the 40s blouse that has been testing my patience is now finally finished. Phew!

Butterick 2941

"The bow neck blouse is as feminine as a sigh. We call your attention to the interesting slanting yoke line in front and the placement of the buttons."

This pretty blouse has been demanding to be made for nearly two years now, but despite having found the perfect fabric, I've not been confident enough to get started. Just look at all that gathering and the bow neck was going to be tricky. With all my dreaming of floaty blouses back in June, I decided it was high time to give it a go.

As predicted, the bow neck was confusing but the rest of the blouse was relatively simple; I just took my time and made sure I read the instructions. That said, I did have quite a bit of trouble deciphering this step:

Attaching bow tie yoke to blouse & facing pieces.

In the end, I called in Mdblm to cast his eye over the nonsensical diagram and see if he could work it out. After a fair bit of um-ing and twisting of my fabric, he put a pin in it and said "I think that's how it's meant to go." He was right, clever boy! It sits a bit funny at the neckline but I can't see any way of fixing it, so it will just have to stay as is.

It's been blowin' a gale here today so it was lots of fun trying to get a good photo of the bow. Here I am trying to hold it in place until the wind dies down. It didn't really work.

Note the interesting, slanting yoke line in the front and the placement of the buttons.



I love the double button design but think it may need another set to keep the opening sitting flat. You can also see how the bow is actually attached to the shoulder seam, not the neck opening.

See what I mean about the folded tie bit at the collar bone sitting oddly?

Perhaps I should tack it down? Any suggestions?

And here's my lovely, flat slashed sleeve opening. I'm so pleased with myself; no longer will I fear the slashed opening! Oh, and just look at how well the buttons match! They're a brown and teal tortoiseshell and although they kinda blend in with the fabric, I think they are perfect.

Outfit complete!

- Tamara