sewing | starstruck mimi blouse

 

Have you ever opened a sewing book and just knew you had to start on a specific project right away? After Tilly sweetly gifted me a copy of her book, Love at First Stitch, while I was in London I knew as soon as I got back in Germany I needed to make something out of it. The Mimi blouse jumped out at me--I don't have a lot of blouses in my wardrobe at this point--mostly knit tops--and it's a gap I keep meaning to fill but never make the time for. Plus I'm a sucker for a cute collar, so this was a no-brainer choice for me! (Yes, I realize my version looks almost exactly like one of the example blouses in Tilly's book. What can I say? I'm not immune to the power of suggestion!)

I really love the gathered back yoke!

I'm going to be completely honest and admit that this is actually blouse v. 2. Version 1 had some shoulder fitting issues that were totally my fault (not the pattern). I've known for years I really need to pay attention to the shoulder width on bodices, and often just sneak by. But post breastfeeding, I swear that my posture changed to the point where it's become much more of an issue. Basically, I can't do things quick and dirty anymore, and I'm still learning to slow down instead of being caught up in the Excitement of a New Project! Version 1 was just too narrow and I desperately needed to shift the center point shoulder line forward to accommodate my forward-thrust shoulders. I had just enough yardage left to cut out a second blouse, much to my relief.

The fabric is a lovely, blouse weight polyester I bought while fabric shopping on Goldhawk Road in London. The star print drew me in! It was a bit fiddly to work with, but a microtex needle and careful stitching worked like a charm. I used some scraps of lightweight black crepe for the collar and piping (which I hadn't done on blouse #1)--an effect I really love! The underside of the collar is lined in the star print to reduce bulk.

Eventually I want to find some other buttons, but this was all I could find at the local fabric shops after much searching high and low! I am hoping to find something a bit more exciting in my travels this year (I'm envisioning black with rhinestone centers; I have some vintage buttons like this, but not nearly enough for this blouse!).

Overall, this pattern was lovely to work with. I've made up another of Tilly's designs (the Bettine dress), which I will be sharing soon. But I really like how nicely engineered the patterns are, and the possibilities for design variations! This blouse is going to serve me well through the winter and into the spring, layered with a cardigan. 

I have a bunch of other creative projects to show off as well. I have been awful about updating with new sewing and knitting items!