New Look 6091, Gathered Blouse

I picked this pattern up from the pattern swap at this years' Sew Up North event in Leeds. What drew me to the New Look 6091 was the 60s style sleeves and neckline. The pattern can be made into a top or dress with a tie belt. Though both were tempting (even more so when I realised I had somehow WAY over estimated on fabric), I thought I was likely to get more wear out of the top.

My fabric find was this John Kaldor crepe from Hillsborough Fine Fabrics. I'd all but given up the hunt when I discovered this and the crazy paisley I made my last Simply Sewing Mia Blouse from right next to each other. Another bold paisley affair, I fell in love with the 60s vibe and knew it could start a harmonious relationship with the New Look 6091 pattern.

Loving sleeves this season I was well excited about making these! The pattern in wide at the bottom of the sleeve, which is then gathered into these cute little cuffs. I love the effect! I cut a size 10, despite some of my measurements matching up with a 12 as I thought the 12 looked massive. It's really hard to tell before you've done all the gathering. The cuffs on my blouse are fine, but could have got away with being an inch or so smaller and would still have been able to get my hands in. Also I think the band could have got away with being a little wider, but I think different widths might be more effective with different fabrics.
The sleeves are raglan so easy peasy to attach. At this point I was really pleased I'd found such a random design fabric that I didn't have to pattern match!!

The hardest part of this pattern I thought was getting that neckline spot on. It's gathered just like the sleeves so should be easy as you've already had some practice at this point! I matched the dots on the neckband to the sleeves as the pattern says, but I seemed to have LOADS more gathers in the back than the front. So I detached and had another go, pinning as I went. The bottom line was that even with all necessary gathers the head hole was just too big. I knew I would forever be hoiking the sleeves back over my shoulders. At this point the only way to fix a massive head hole was to create a centre back seam and take the necessary amount out there. It was about 12cm in total!! No wonder it wasn't staying put. I could have got away with taking more out but decided not to risk it. the fit was 100x better. If I make another I would spread this out, maybe taking 3cm from the centre front fold (6cm) and the same at the back. I made the neck band smaller to match, and the rest of the gathering process was much easier. The sizing on this pattern is all over the show! If I'd have cut a 12 like it suggested it wouldn't have even touched my shoulders!!

Next steps were when I started freestyling a bit, which is always a bit of a gamble! The pattern says to cut a length of bias tape and attach to the inside of the blouse as a channel for elastic. Elastic in no one's favourite notion and it was a little late in the day to even contemplate making some bias binding. The bottom of the blouse was quite billowy though, so I had two options- chop it off and make crop top (forever a favorite option), or play around with some elastic to draw that waist in.

I had a play and realised I did really like the way the gathering from the elastic complimented the gathering at the neckline. Still not sold on making some binding that I just KNEW I would stith on wonklily, I decided to make a channel bu pinching in 3cm to the wrong side of the blouse and stitching round. Its a little lazier, but I genuinely think this is better as you can't see any of the stitching from the outside. I had a further mess around with the elastic inside the channel and came up with another two options. Option one- more honest to the pattern, insert my elastic and sew up the channel, then hem the bottom. The effect would be the top of the blouse creating a lovely drape over the elastic, the elastic pulling in at my waist, then the bottom of the top gathering back out if you like, to my hips.

My second option- cut the bottom off. Ha! So I'd already decided I really liked the effect of the elastic at my waist, but the extra bit underneath wasn't really doing it for me. If I folded it in and under it was like a cute little gypsy croptop that was both baggy but flattering in the right places. Who doesn't love a crop top!

Probably the best thing to do would have been to take out my channel, cut the bottom off, then reinsert the elastic into the hem. Lazy and a bit nervous to lose my perfect elastic placement, I didn't want to unpick my channel. Instead I did a bit of option 1 and option 2! I cut down the flappy bit at the bottom to about half the width, overlocked then hemmed. I loosened off the elastic as too tight and my new shorter bottom bit was just flipping up all over the place. The elastic is now only slightly pulling it in, but enough to create an 'in' and 'out' shape where it needs to be. Well pleased with my winging!! The only other change I made was I took a couple of cms out of the side seams so there was a little less fabric to be pulled in by the elastic. Honestly, this pattern was not a size 10!!!

All I had to do was sew up the gap in my channel, and suddenly it was finished! There were a few dodgy moments but overall pleased with the outcome. Still in love with these paisleys!

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Location: Bole Hill Quarry, Derbyshire
Currently listening to: Stripped, Depeche Mode