Blouse Marthe & Navy Dots

Indie patterns are my jam, as a mum of small kids it's just so much easier buying a digital pattern & being able to print it without having to leave the house! BUT there are so many great patterns out there that I think sometimes they get a bit lost in the interwebs, and it's easy just to ride along on the wave of new pattern releases (yes, I did just sign up to the Sophie Swimsuit workshop in the middle of our winter!!). 

All this to say, I have loved this Blouse Marthe pattern since its release in 2014, so why did I wait so long to make it? I love it! (I joked on Instagram about my hashtag #justbloodymakeit , which was inspired by the vintage wearing pledge #justbloodywearit . Sometimes I need to just make it, instead of thinking about it and thinking about it some more...)




Perhaps I was waiting for the right fabric to come along, and this is a perfect fabric-pattern match. I picked up the lovely navy silky silk at a recent Brisbane Spoolettes High Tea swap (Thanks Jenny!). I used the matte "wrong side" as the "right side" so I can wear it in my casual mum-life more easily. 




Some notes...
  • Pattern is the Blouse Marthe by Republic du Chiffon
  • This PDF Pattern comes in both French & English instructions and was easy to follow
  • Size made: 40. I made a toile and my changes were only to omit back fastening (it fit over my head) and reduce the length of the ruffle, by about 5cms. I'm a shortie!
  • I made sure to stay-stitch the neckline, and maybe I should have stay-stitched the raglan seams too because my back shoulder seams stretched slightly in this shifty fabric. 
  • French seams throughout except for bodice/ruffle seam which i overlocked/serged.
  • Sleeves - I make them elbow length and added a small cuff.
  • Neck - I used self binding and hand stitched it down.
  • Hem I used the baby hem method as explained on the Colette blog and this worked a treat!
  • I added a little row of blanket stitch along the neck binding at CB in lieu of a tag.



Now I'm wondering which other Indie pattens I need to go back to revisit? Maybe after I make my Sophie Swimsuit, of course :)

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