Mathilde Blouse pattern testing
You've seen the gorgeous Mathilde Blouse sewing pattern released by Tilly and the Buttons yesterday, right? Well, don't be too jealous, but I was one of the lucky pattern testers!!! I was so shocked when Tilly asked me, but I was determined to nail this sweet little number and I'm really pleased with the result.
The pattern itself was lovely to work with and came together fairly quickly and easily - thanks to the most comprehensive instructions I have ever had the pleasure of following. Tilly has outdone herself regarding the quality and the detail of her instructions which actually felt more like a sewalong - in fact I think she's planning on using them as a bit of a sewalong here. Unusually for me, I didn't have to make any adjustments to get a great fit! I just cut a size 3 for the main bodice and a size 2 for the shoulders, neckline, armholes and sleeves.
Mathilde has a number of dreamy details that are hard to resist - back buttons, front yoke, frothy sleeves and tasty tucks. On the tasty tuck front, there are two rows of three tucks on the front bodice and I would seriously recommend practising on a muslin first if they're a first for you. Don't worry, they're not hard, just a bit fiddly...especially when using slippery fabric. Tilly offers some great advice for handling the tucks with slippery fabric, but I would also add that I pressed, pinned and sewed each tuck individually. This took a bit of time, but worked out really well.
I squeezed the blouse out of some fine, 1960s cotton voile that I bought in Cyprus. It's really sheer and I didn't want to ruin the look of the blouse by wearing a cami/vest underneath, so I underlined the bodice with cotton lawn. Although this compromised a bit of the voile's drape, the result is still lovely...so I think I got away with it. I left the sleeves unlined and I'm fond of how delicate they look.
Just proving that my tucks do really exist!
Normally, white's really not my 'thing', but I'm pleasantly surprised by how this turned out. I've already worn it a couple of times and it's received plenty of compliments, which is always nice. For me, this pattern's a winner and I'd like to make another version with shorter sleeves too. Thank you Tilly for inviting me to be a part of your exciting process!
What do you think to the Mathilde Blouse sewing pattern?
If you need further convincing of its brilliance, check out Tilly's Maker Gallery for more delicious versions...
