We’re getting ready for summer at home, and I recently made something for S that I thought I would show. Here’s her new 2+2 blouse with short sleeves.
We debuted this pattern last fall. It appears on the website and on the pattern envelope with long sleeves. Many people don’t know this, but some sleeve shapes don’t lend themselves nicely to shortening. If you take a long sleeve pattern and shorten the sleeve, the finished garment can have a nasty tendency of winging out at the top of the shoulder.
We wanted to make this pattern more versatile for our customers, so we included a separate short-sleeve pattern piece in the envelope as well. The short-sleeve piece is shaped completely differently than the long sleeve, and I love the resulting fit. It’s a flattering shape that stays close to the arm without being restrictive, and it has a nice cap that’s not your usual puffed sleeve. I think it’s sweet and feminine without being frilly.
I used a few fabrics from the stash for this blouse, which is intended to be worn with the chambray/denim Puppet Show shorts we showed recently. (I’ll photograph the two items together one of these days when my model is in a co-operative mood.) The blouse fabric is from Lecien’s Calme collection, and it’s great for summer because it’s lightweight and almost (but not quite) sheer.
Since sewing gives a perfect opportunity for customization, S and I had a little fun with the front of this blouse. We (OK, I) eliminated the ties and added a button loop and covered button. S directed the embroidery of the button itself, selecting colors for the tiny house. We now refer to the blouse as the House Button Shirt.
And at the back, we opted for yellow thread with my beloved mother-of-pearl buttons (in smokey grey this time). The bright yellow is a subtle surprise for anyone who looks closely.
I like little details like this. But you already knew that, I think.