Dear Reader
Please excuse my absence from the blog these past few months; our transition to life in a new land has been busy. That said, I have completed a few garments: another (unblogged) pair of Anima Pants and this gem, the Pauline Alice Carme blouse.
Made from Merchant and Mills’ “hand spun, woven by hand, using no harmful chemicals and barely any electricity” 100% cotton Indian Handweave Round Tree fabric, this proved an interesting make. Firstly, although gorgeous and earthy, block print fabric and I cannot be friends due to their down hill tendencies. I know that now. So I live with unparallel-to-the-ground round trees and wish for a steadier stamping hand for the artisan. Secondly, the slubby fabric caused my machine to stitch unevenly; cranky number two. However, both of these issues are minor and I can live with them in this garment.
The pattern came together easily except for the front placket. For some reason, it does not overlap in my version and this irritates me to no end. For this reason, I was unable to use buttons/buttonholes and looked elsewhere for a fastening solution. Little black press studs did the trick nicely. One feature worth checking is the bust dart placement as going by the photos, it would appear that I am optimistically reminiscing. Must check this. Size wise, I melded together a number of lines. For the shoulder seam and neckline, a 38. For the armscye, a 34. For the sleeve, a 38 and for the side seam, a 34 under the arm grading out to a 38 at the hip. A hot mess really but a reflection of the way my body chooses to present itself. As I said, a hot mess really 🙂
Worn here with some Gap khaki cords, a Fossil watch and my latest shoes from Massimo Dutti, this top is easy to wear.
And, in an attempt to link title to text, here is an action shot of the shirt. As I said, back in the saddle.
Until next time, chat quietly amongst yourselves.
Feature Zip 