Gingham tie-front blouse

Behold, my second make from Butterick B5895, (my first being the stretch denim Capris). This is a fifties-style tie front blouse with kimono sleeves and some lovely details such as French darts and a cross over collar at the back. Extra shape is given to the bodice by the tie front which clinches in the waist and immediately gives you a more fitted appearance. It's also a lovely, cool style to wear in hot weather.

The one hiccup I had with this pattern was attaching the collar and facing. I won't lie, it was an absolute bugger of a job, not helped by the brevity of the instructions. The underside of the collar still doesn't sit perfectly smoothly but hey, Elvis style collars are just the best for hiding all kinds of puckered seams and other unspeakable horrors. Despite this, I still think this is a pattern I'll be returning to again - next time I'll come prepared for full on combat with the collar!

I sewed a size 12 and the only change I made to the pattern was to lengthen the section above the tie front by an inch. This was because I'd read a few reviews lamenting the fact that the blouse ended up very short. There's a strange note on the pattern saying "No provisions provided for above waist adjustment" (why?), so I had to take a stab at where to add my lengthening line on the front, back and facing pieces. I decided on below the sleeve curve, just above the last buttonhole, which meant I had to re-draw the French darts as well. It's still pretty short, but with a high waisted bottom half, this shouldn't really present a problem. And if, like me, you veer towards vintage styles in your handmade wardrobe, you'll probably find quite a lot of high waisted bottom halves lurking inside. Go and have a look, you may be pleasantly surprised! Here's what I can team it with:

Sailor trousers, 1940's style wide legged trousers (I have two pairs)...

Stretch denim Capris...

Beignet skirts (I have two, both in plain colours), Kelly skirt and Ginger skirts (one denim, one red).

Teaming this blouse with my red Ginger skirt was the surprise hit of the day. I don't actually wear it that much (the crepe fabric's a bit weird to the touch) but after trying it on for my mammoth blouse-matching session, I wore it all day. 

High glamour down at the allotment wearing flip flops...

...and picking cherries!

A tie front blouse and a high waist are a great pairing: all the trimness you'd expect from being tucked in, but without any of the hassle.

My only regret with this make is my choice of buttons. I'd set my heart on some in-your-face ginormous buttons, but I actually think these may be a bit too big. In order to accommodate them, the buttonholes ended up about a foot wide (I really didn't think that buttonhole foot was ever going to turn the corner!) And because they're so big, they're closer together than I would have liked. They look nice and vintage-y though and they certainly won't put me off wearing it. 

The fabric I used was some of the turquoise gingham from my gingham bounty. It's quite thin, so I had to use a good quality interfacing to give the collar and tie some structure. I just love this shade of turquoise though, so don't be surprised if you see me sporting at least two turquoise gingham dresses next summer. I'm leaning towards Simplicity 2444, mainly because of this outstanding gingham version made by Roisin. It's even called the Oh Jane! dress after me! 

Any other pattern suggestions for Jane-friendly gingham dresses would be very gratefully received. Enjoy your day. x