Well, today is the day! I’m thrilled to report that our spring patterns have arrived. And I’ll be introducing them to you one at a time, starting right now!
There is something just so appealing to me about a simple oversized blouse. I love its minimal design, like a blank canvas to build on, by which I mean that it can serve both as a basic sewing pattern to be used in a variety of ways (I have ideas–stay tuned!) and, once it’s sewn, as a wardrobe basic that can be accessorized and worn in multiple ways. It’s a little bit like a basic T-shirt, but much better.
And that’s why I’m thrilled to introduce our new Norwood Blouse!
This style has been on my pattern development wish list for quite a while, and it’s finally here. I hope it will become an essential for you. I think it’s a great style on it’s own, and it’s also got lots of customizing potential. But first, let me introduce you properly.
This is a boxy style that’s intended to be quite loose and relaxed, so you don’t need to worry much about fit. All the same, I’ve included cup sizes to help, because the key to a good fit is through the bust. As usual we also included two views because I like to give you options. View A is a semi-cropped blouse with two-piece long sleeves (the two pieces help to save fabric and they give a better fit) as well as a jewel neckline (are we still calling it that? I can’t think of another way to describe it) with a button/loop keyhole opening in the back to make it easy to get on and off. View B is a longer version, a tunic, with a V-notch at the front and with short sleeves. As always, you can mix the two views to get more versatility out of the pattern.
The Norwood Blouse is also very easy to sew. The neckline is finished with an simple facing, so it’s quick to make, without many steps. To save on fabric, both the back and the long sleeve are cut in two pieces so you can make better use of your yardage–or meterage if that’s how you roll.
The pattern is designed for drapey fabrics like rayon/viscose, satin, tencel, and crepe, but it’s versatile enough that you can use many other types of fabrics as well. For View A I used a drapey rayon satin, and for View B I used printed lawn, which is less drapey, so it works well for a casual tunic. I also used lightweight open-weave cottons when I was developing the pattern, and fabrics like that would be wonderful for summer. You could also try shirtings, printed broadcloth, flannel, voile, eyelet, or just about any mid-weight woven fabric. More structured fabrics won’t be as drapey, but as you can see from the tunic I made from voile, it just gives a different look. I’ll talk more about fabrics for this style in another post, too.
Another detail to call your attention to: I added a very easy button-loop feature to this pattern so you can cinch up the long sleeves. After all, there are times when a full sleeve can be bit problematic, and with this feature you can close them up and get them out of the way without compromising on style. The button and loop are almost invisible when they’re not fastened, plus this detail is much easier to sew than a traditional sleeve cuff. It’s also more minimalist, which I love for this design.
There are so many directions you can take this pattern, and I’ll be back to show you some of them, as well as how our testers sewed this pattern. In the meantime, you can pick up your own copy of the Norwood Blouse sewing pattern in both digital and paper format. Obviously I love to see what you make from our patterns, so I hope you’ll tag us #lieslandco and #norwoodtop in your posts.
Happy sewing!
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