I like wearing cardigans to work, and I find that it’s easier to wear them with sleeveless tops, so I’ve been pondering making a few in the last few weeks. I’ve only ever completed one Ottobre garment, but I have muslined a few with great success fit-wise so I decided to turn to it again for this blouse. The pattern is #4 from the 02-2006 issue. I cut a size 44 and it fit very well, the only thing that I needed to do was bring the bust line up a bit. I found the armscye to be too low so I just shortened the top there and that fixed the problem. I think in the end the waistline is a bit high, something for which I should have corrected after shortening at the armscye, but it’s wearable.
I found the way the neckline is finished a bit odd for pattern-sewing in that the facings don’t go all the way around to the center back. Instead, they stop at the shoulder seams and the back neck is finished by folding in the seam allowances. I didn’t quite understand how to do that so I hacked it the best way I could and then serged the raw edges. The seams don’t show at all, as the collar is very well constructed, doesn’t gape, and fits well. I’m pretty happy with how the whole thing turned out. All the pattern pieces came together perfectly and I put some decent effort into the workmanship. Ottobre Woman patterns are not fashion forward like say Burda or Patrones, but they are very well drafted and excellent for what they are: wearable every-day clothes.
I love the fabric; it’s a bit chintzy but it’s very me. It is a light, rose print cotton and I bought ten yards of it on sale for $2.70 a yard. The blouse used about one and a half yards, so I still have over eight yards of the stuff. I don’t know what else I’m going to do with it.
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