Making my 40s blouse dreams come true! This is the wonderful Smooth Sailing Blouse by Wearing History. I've made this shirt twice before, both times in a linen with the standard short sleeve. I've always loved bishop sleeves with drama. As I've said before, they are the sleeves that you wear when the private detective turns up at your door with the news your husband is dead. You start crying, quickly drawing one hand to your forehead and the other to your heart. It can't be! What a surprise! Who would do something like this? The PI comes inside, you go to the drinks cart and make yourself a whisky sour. So on and so forth, with lots of sleeve flipping. The dramatic sleeves are from Simplicity 8736 View B/C which I have also made before. There is a lot of possibility in sleeve-mix-and-matching when the sleeves have a gathered cap. I made sure the top gathers sat in the same place as the original Smooth Sailing sleeves - in line with the front and back yoke sections. The sleeves could cope with being longer - I think about 2" would suffice - and with a much wider film noir style sweep. Rest assured I will make those changes on the next blouse. And there WILL be a next one! The fabric is a rayon from Spotlight which was nice enough to work with. You know, it's a rayon. It's slippery and annoying and frays. But that's to be expected! Buttons are from the stash and not a perfect match. Even though the base colour is an off white / cream colour I had to use white thread. This is definitely a self isolation project! At the end of the day I love this blouse, I love this pattern. Even though I have no where to wear it (I'm unemployed) it's nice to be slowly building the wardrobe of my dreams! Blouse: Smooth Sailing by Wearing History
Trousers: Vivien of Holloway Sunnies: Local Supply Bangles: Splendette & Etsy Lipstick Notes: Rimmel - Kate - Retro Red
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This button back blouse pattern has proved itself a strong staple in my casual and professional wardrobe. If you don't have this pattern and you dig 1940s fashion, you should go and get it! Rayon isn't the best fabric to work with, but boy do I enjoy wearing it. It's light and floaty, delicate and soft. What a dream! It gathers nicely too, especially at the neckline in this top. The fabric was wriggly to cut out, so I pinned and pinned. I cut it on the fold because LAZY, but it all worked okay in the end. For the sleeves, I didn't add the gathered binding at the cuff edge. I wanted this to flow and settle over my arm rather than bind it. That means the sleeve hem does droop down a bit, but I actually like the softness and shape that results. Not to mention, I can drive a car without tension over my biceps, and its nice and breezy in the summer. The blouse was paired with a tonal matching pencil skirt which I wore to a job interview. (Unsuccessful with the job, but successful in style!) Now there are three of these blouses in my wardrobe and I think I might be done with this particular pattern. At least for a few months... Doesn't mean I'm done with button back blouses though! I have some of this rayon fabric left over. I wouldn't mind making something to match, like 40s shorts or skirt? If you have any ideas, please let me know! I'm open to suggestions here as my mind is blank. Blouse: Button back hack of Simplicity 1692
Skirt: Simplicity 8652 Brooch: Sarah Coventry, bought at Rock N Roll Markets at Manning House. Hair: Princess Leia on Endor #leiaforever This Halloween, my lovely said to me, why don't you whip up something for the Halloween party? You can make a dress in a day or so, yeah? ... Paraphrasing here of course. But that was the general jist of the conversation. Cue a trip to Spotlight where their Halloween fabric range was on special for $8.00 / m. Sign me up! Bought 4m in total - 2m for the skirt, 2m for the blouse. The fabric was pre-washed and then thrown in the dryer for ultimate shrinkage. I prepped the pattern at about 10.30pm and cut everything out. As the skirt is a collection of rectangles, I didn't cut the fabric but just did the ripping trick. If you have a rip-able fabric this is such a great and quick technique to get on grain rectangles. While working on the outfit, he kept saying this looks like my shirt from London... You know the one? I couldn't remember the one. He kept describing it in detail and I truly had no recollection. Turns out the fabric was a perfect match! Look at him remembering exactly what his clothes are. This is a Vivien of Holloway shirt that was purchased in London April 2019! We were all matchy-matchy for the party. It was fun. The skirt is a basic gathered skirt with side seam pockets and back lapped zipper. The blouse is the button back blouse hack of Simplicity 1692. I didn't use the little loopy ties for the neckline and cuffs. Ain't nobody got time for that. Seriously, I love this button back version of this pattern. I don't like side zippers at the best of times (especially with my shoulders) and invisible zips in side seams for tops is just plain dumb. Why make something so hard to put on with no give through the high bust / armpit to armpit section of the top? Silly. Button backs are great and the spacing of these tops mean I can get fully dressed myself. I'm a regular dressing wizard. As a side note, I also put the grey ribbon on his hat along with a little mottled brown feather for Guys and Dolls in September 2019 - he played Sky Masterson. Grey suit, black hat with matching grey ribbon. Perfect. The plan was that if I made separates then I might be able to split them up and get a bit more wear out of them. And so far, I have! All in all, a very successful hurried Halloween outfit. Please see the success of separates below. Blouse: Salme Patterns Kimono top in silk from Marrickville Skirt: Self drafted pencil skirt Shoes: DSW Blouse: Simplicity 1962
Skirt: Salvos Shoes: DSW Gosh this is bright for me. I'm not usually one to pair bright colours with other bright colours. But I think I am sort of liking this combo? Maybe? The blouse is me made from a vintage pattern, McCall 7265 that I bought on eBay a while back. I don't know the date of the pattern but I suspect late 40s / early 50s judging by the cover drawings. I made it in a 100% cotton from Spotlight in this mad floral print on a dark navy blue background. It's a kimono sleeve / cut on sleeve with a little point cuff to finish it off. I have matching yellow seam binding on the inside of the cuff which no one will ever see. But I know it matches the yellow vintage buttons on the front. Yeah, I know the yellow buttons aren't the same yellow of the skirt. But the buttons match the yellow in the shirt print! Too many yellows for me to match. Marked button placements on blouse patterns are never right for my torso. I never use them. My hot tip - try the blouse on, mark where the button should be at the bust line, and then sort of where the top button will be. Take off the blouse and then evenly space buttons from there. It's a MUCH easier method and suits my ratio better than the suggested spacings. This skirt is a recent purchase from Dangerfield. It's a cotton broderie anglais with a full lining. So... no pockets. :( But it's cute and I dig the rich colour. What do you think of the bolder colour combo? Blouse: Made by me from McCall 7265
Skirt: Dangerfield Earrings: Bow & Crossbones Alternatively named the best blouse ever! This is the Smooth Sailing Blouse pattern from Wearing History. Their website can be found here. Have a look and drool around there. You'll thank me for it later. There are many beautiful and creative finished versions of the Smooth Sailing blouse online only a mindless Google search away. You will be scrolling through awesome projects of it until you cramp or die of dehydration. Wearing History sell patterns in either PDF / download format, or full printed paper format. I went for the PDF pattern for 2 reasons.... 1: I want it now, 2: Australia. Shipping here is slow and stupidly expensive. It didn't take me long to tape together the little A4 bits of paper and trace off the size 36" bust pattern. And I kept the shipping monies in my pocket (which I will surely spend on more fabric). A lot of reviews say this blouse is really high cut in the old armpits. I am broad of shoulder and long of torso, so naturally I was concerned. No need to fear! It's super comfy. Yeah, it's higher than a normal RTW blouse... but I have full range of movement in my arms. I even did my hair AFTER I put the blouse on. That is revolutionary for me. There are no hacks or mods to this version. It's made from a gorgeous soft linen thingy from Spotlight. Little cream coloured buttons with silver edging finish the front. I also did some passable top stitching. 10 points to me. The back yoke is really lovely and it was easy to sew as well. I was nervous about all the little gathers through the yoke but I took a breath and followed the instructions. You could argue that there should be another button at the bust line, but the front falls so nicely without it. I wore the blouse to work and was in and out of the warehouse. Didn't have any burlesque style moments at all. Anyway, shhh. On to the photos! Blouse: Smooth Sailing Blouse by Wearing History
Skirt: Salvos Brooch: Etsy Shoes: Charlie Stone Shoes |
AuthorKnitter. Home seamstress. Dance Teacher. Archives
April 2023
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