It’s a pleasure to welcome one of our long-time testers to the blog today. Kiran lives in Singapore and regularly sews for herself and for her children. I asked her to talk about a few of the many Norwood blouses and dresses she’s sewn for herself (she’s made eight already!) since she received the pattern for testing. So here she is, and I hope her ideas will help to inspire you as well.
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Just a few months ago, my brother-in-law celebrated his 30th birthday. To mark the event, he declared a special dress code, and looking at my wardrobe, I realized only at the last minute that I did not have a blouse that would suit the colour theme. Lucky for me, I had my Norwood Blouse pattern in easy reach and a hearty stash of suitable fabrics. An hour and a half later, I had a blouse that was custom-made to fit me and that fell into the colour theme as well. I felt so pleased with myself.
The beauty about the Norwood Blouse pattern is that it boasts intricate details and clean lines all at the same time. While the pattern looks simple, one can achieve outstanding results by playing with fabric and textures. The best part for me is that with the pattern ready, you can have a brand new blouse in no time at all.
From the time the Norwood was in testing until now, I have counted about eight Norwood tops in different fabrics, view options as well as hacks. Owing to the immense heat of my home country, Singapore, one of my favorite hacks of this pattern is to just leave the sleeves off and finish the edges with bias tape.
Amongst the various versions I have sewn, the denim one with the pretty border has got to be the star. It is made with an ultralight weight denim (much like a cotton lawn) and a lace-like border. Perfect paired with a pair of tights or leggings for a casual afternoon out.
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Thanks, Kiran! And although she didn’t mention it, I wanted to show you this terrific version she made as well, where she turned the facing to the outside and used a contrast fabric for both the facing and for the sleeve trim. Terrific, isn’t it? I just love it.
If you’d like to try this style for yourself, the Norwood Blouse + Dress sewing pattern is available both in paper and digital formats. You can read more about it here, here, and here, and I have a Pinterest folder dedicated to it as well. Happy sewing!