Nine non-functional kiwi buttons on a fun yellow and white gingham top.
After working on the Ochre Overalls and using the yellow and white gingham fabric as a lining for the straps, it seemed like a great idea to make a coordinating top. So I looked around and found the Kleinia Blouse by Mood Fabrics. As usual with Mood patterns, there are some sparse instructions and the decisions that are made are very strange.
In this one for example, they want you to sew the yoke and bottom together but there is no shaping whatsoever along that seam, so I just cut it in one piece and sewed a fake seam. It was ridiculously big too. I worn it for an afternoon and then cut it down by several centimeters on each side. It was also extremely long.
I do not understand how they wanted me to add buttons along the back when they barely included enough space to do so. Since the top neckline is very wide, I luckily didn’t need a working button placket. So I sewed it all down and added the buttons. There are little kiwi birds on them, and I love them very much. Even if they dig in to my back if I wear a backpack for a full day. I might make it again, but then reduce the height of the yoke and make it a lot smaller from the get go.
End of January(ish), so yet again time for a new outfit for a ceremony. This time I was very indecisive. I made several plans and didn’t execute them. I originally thought that I would make this dress in a teal-ish fabric. But I never got excited enough and decided that it would probably be too cold. I then looked through all my pattern stash to see if something sparked joy and it did not. So on to the Pinterest journey where I finally ended up on this: Vogue 1645. It’s a wrap jumpsuit and it did give me some brain tingles.
I couldn’t remember where and how, but I thought I’d seen a free pattern like it at one point in time. So more scouring of Pinterest where I found several other expensive patterns and once I’d basically given up, suddenly the Meadow Jumpsuit pattern from Mood appeared. It’s a free multi-size pattern with very limited instructions. I’ve tried some of the Mood patterns before, and I don’t understand their sizing or their fit. However, having a base always helps me to explore options.
The plan was to follow the pattern as is, apart from adding pockets and widening the flap. This is not entirely what ended up happening. First of all, it calls for a stretch fabric and I’d originally found a brown-purply stretch stuff with a shiny and a dull side. Thought it would look fun but it was also thin, and I didn’t trust it in the winter air. Then I found the Redux version of the pattern that specifies you can add a side zip and use a non-stretch fabric. So I grabbed some grey thicker stuff with a woven and a fuzzy side.
I’d already placed all the pattern pieces on the purple, so I just copied the layout from the purple and started cutting. I ended up widening the flap and its facing by a fair bit. To test fit, I basted the pants part together, which fit well enough even if they were a lot long on my short body. For the bodice, I had already sewn the collar and facings in place before truly trying it on. That meant I had to do some alterations after the fact, since I was not ripping all of that out.
This included taking a wedge out of the shoulder seam, cutting at least 2.5 cm off the bottom, reducing the side seams by at least 3 cm and thereby also pulling the armscyes in further. There are pleats on the top of the sleeves for ease, there is a center front zipper in the pants since I didn’t want to deal with side zippers. I did not understand the instructions for the sleeve flounces, so I just .. did something. And I accidentally sewed one of the ties in the wrong side seam, but honestly, I like this better. It now creates a belt effect in the back, so this was a successful design element.
It held up well during the event and the only parts of me that were a little cold were my wrists. I also feel quite fancy when wearing it. It’s a little bland by itself but with a fun scarf, I can almost pretend to be an actual adult.
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