introducing the positano blouse + dress sewing pattern

Hello!

It’s that time of year, when I have the great pleasure to introduce to you our newest collection of sewing patterns. I’ve already introduced our Prado Trench Coat which we released last month. Now I get to introduce two other patterns, both of which are available in both paper and digital formats.

Here is the first, the Positano Blouse + Dress.

The Positano is another versatile pattern that’s both classic and trendy. Traditionally this style is called a peasant blouse, but I think it really deserves a better name, a little more glamorous, so I’ve named this one the Positano after that iconic village along the Amalfi coast, with spectacular views of the Mediterranean. What could be more glamorous than that?

This is a very easy style to sew, with raglan sleeves and no buttons or other closures. It includes a yoke that lends itself to embellishment if you want, as well as a little V-notch at the front neck. The yoke is shaped with shoulder darts to give a good fit, and with gathering below the yoke to add a little volume and movement.  View A has long sleeves that gather at the wrists, and View B is a dress with short sleeves and on-seam pockets as well as a tie that you can wrap around your waist multiple times–make it as long as you want for extra drama, because I love the look of multiple wraps. More on that in another post.

Your fabric choices will determine a lot about this style, of course. Pick a pretty cotton for a relaxed and casual style, or go with something drapey and silky if you want something more dressed up and more sleek. A printed cotton, like a Liberty lawn, would be so gorgeous, but solids fabrics also work very well. For the photos, I used a chambray fabric with a clip dot pattern that I was thrilled to find at my local fabric store, and you may very well find something similar in your local store or online. Later I’ll show you soon how I also added some embroidery to this fabric, just for the fun of it.

For the dress I used a large-scale printed poly twill. The bold print is definitely not my typical style, but to me it evokes the Mediterranean coast, a late dinner overlooking the water, strappy sandals, and sunglasses. The slow, lazy days of summer, just ahead!

I’ll be back soon to show you some additional inspiration for this style, as well as some ways you might wear it. In the meantime, you can pick up your own copy of this pattern in paper or in digital format. I hope you’ll tag us #lieslandco and #positanoblouse so we can see what you make with it. That’s always the best part of releasing new patterns!