navy blouse

So this is it, my Muji-inspired blouse!

My sewing teacher had talked me through knocking off my own version, but in the end, I didn't even have to draft my own top. I found a free pattern online, made some changes and that was it. The navy blue cotton has an embroidered edge, so I didn't even need to hem, which made me happy.

I wore it to church on Sunday, and almost choked when someone came up to me and said that he was guessing that I had made my outfit! It looked homemade??!! But he quickly clarified that he was just making a guess.

Overall, I was very pleased with it. I found the navy cotton at a shop in Chinatown; I'm guessing it's a voile. It sews up very well, runs through my sewing machine and serger so easily. I love it, and I think I have enough to make another skirt!

crossing a line

I think I crossed a line today.

But first, the backstory. There has been little sewing done since the beginning of May. All my energies have been focused instead on learning patternmaking. It has felt like I am learning a completely new set of skills, one that involves more math than I anticipated, but I have found drafting a basic skirt block and a basic bodice very satisfying. I am almost done with the beginner course, and if all goes well with my assessment, I will move on to drafting pants. A prospect that I am ridiculously excited about. (Except for the six pairs of Dockers bermudas that I bought when living in the US, I have never been able to find pants that fit me well.)

A related aside: I learned to put in an invisible zip a few weeks ago and that was also ridiculously exciting.

So back to that line.

Today was the first time that I saw a blouse that I really liked and instead of pondering if I should buy it, I pondered over how I could sew it myself. (It is quite a simple loose fit blouse.) I spent a few minutes studying the construction, noted how the necklines and sleeves were finished, and surreptitiously snapped a photo of the blouse for reference. I feel an overwhelming need to speed down to Chinatown or Arab Street to hunt down some linen with an embroidered border.


Alas, I fear other responsibilities beckon and that fabric hunt will have to wait.