Val-d'Or Blouse

(You can see my muslin for this project here.)

I'm still enjoying life here at the cottage in Val-d'Or. We've had such wonderful weather this week. I spend my days mostly sewing, reading, cooking, swimming in the lake, riding my bicycle to town and canoeing. What more could a girl ask for?

I fell in love with this silk from the first moment I saw it in the store. Its quality and colour combination... It ended up being a perfect match for Vogue 1152. However, sewing with silk proved to be more challenging than expected. It's just so delicate. For example, I had to unpick my side zipper after making a mistake, which left holes in my fabric. I thankfully managed to hide the damage inside the seam allowance, but made a mental note to avoid unpicking silk in the future. The fact that my stitch length was pretty short also probably didn't help...

It's funny how a tiny change -- such as elevating the front bands by two inches for the SBA -- disrupted a fine balance in the garment. As much as the bust of my muslin was too big, I think the mock-up looked better than the final garment. The bust should still be altered, but I need to find a way to do it without moving the two bands. The final proportions were a little off. The garment is absolutely wearable, of course, and I love the fabric. But it made me realise how tricky it is to design something that looks commercial/professional, and not home-made. The designer, Rebecca Taylor, and her patternist must have made so many finicky adjustments to perfect this pattern.

In spite of its low-cut neckline, I whole-heartedly recommend Vogue 1152. It is sooo flattering -- especially if you have a pear figure.