A blouse of agreement



With the change in seasons and the associated clothing it became glaringly obvious that Miss Tilly has grown like a bean over the last year. There was very little left that fitted and it was time to sew.



I love corduroy fabric, particularly the finer, lighter weight cords and luckily my local tiny fabric shop seems to love it too. They keep an array of gorgeous colours and it is perfect for children's clothing. In fact it is just about the nicest fabric they sell.



As my little girl grows older her clothing likes and dislikes are becoming more defined, in other words it is becoming harder to dress her as I would wish and the time has come for me to accept that I need to step back a little and take on board her wishes.




We sat down together with a pile of Japanese sewing books and the Mini-Boden catalogue and worked our way through, thankfully there was as much agreement as there was disagreement, long may this balance continue.



This blouse was a definite success for both of us, made from the pattern in
ISBN978-4-579-11194-7 . I made only a couple of changes, adding bias binding at the neck and redrafting the sleeves to be slightly narrower, finishing with two rows of shearing elastic.




It has turned out to be a useful and flattering piece, it can be layered over a long sleeve tee or worn under a cardigan, is perfect with jeans or skirts and I think it may very well be essential to make an apron dress like the one in the book - providing Miss Tilly and I can reach an agreement that is....




Comments

nicole said…
It turnout out beautifully. Oh, those Japanese sewing books. So lovely, aren't they? I have a bunch of them, but I have yet to sew anything in them. I guess I'm a bit intimidated... I don't have a ton of sewing experience.

Tell miss Tilly that I deeply covet her hair!
It's beautiful and I love the red as red corduroy.

I really must make a start on the Japanese craft books - I have a stash, but so far I've made nothing.

Nina xx
Bethany said…
I wish I had a blouse just like that! I'm also glad to hear that I'm not the only Mom who has a daughter with her own opinions. Luckily I think that daughters of artists tend to like to dress more individually themselves, which is much better than only being asked to shop at the mall and look like everyone else! Red corduroy... I think I need to add that to my list of favorite fabrics!
Dawn said…
Ilove those soft cords too - Clothkits has some great colours.
Cybèle said…
Beautiful! We reached that stage a while ago and it took me a while to accept it also. This year, she bought her own wintercoat. Not something I'd ever have chosen for her, but it does suit her, and I was glad I could knit her an Ishbel that went perfectly with it. In a way I wish I could still dress her in dungarees dresses, on the other hand it's fun to see what she chooses herself. And with it she has developed a very useful skill: she's turning out to be very good at judging what I wear. She's the only one I can rely on to be honest when I ask her how something looks!
kristina said…
Oh I love fine corduroys, too. How lucky your local shop has such a nice selection.

And I love the sleeves! I'd quite like a top like that for me...

K x
Charity said…
This is really lovely! :o)
Love that colour and I agree with you on the fine corduroy, it's sooo comfy. I, too, am completely hooked on Japanese sewing books, and your blouse is gorgeous.

Kate
The blouse is adorable and so is she :)
I wish I could wear red as well as she does and I'd love to have hair like hers too :) tehee
Jane said…
I always enjoyed making clothes for my girls but finally the day arrived when they openly express their preference for shop bought with much apology. So i gave in with good grace, at least I am allowed to help my younger one pick out clothes and i am praised for finding "cool" items! i still enjoy sewing but these days it is for myself or the house. Jane
Shelley in SC said…
Loved this! With a 17 yog and a 7 yog, I can definitely attest to the thrill it is where there is "fashion agreement"!!
There is something magical about needle cord isn't there? What a beautiful blouse. As the mother of two very young daughters I really enjoyed your words about stepping back. Hopefully it will be a while yet, it surprises me how much I enjoy dressing them.
Miriam
x

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