I’ve been hunting for an opportunity to sew some lightweight wovens lately. Just like most of the fabric world, I’m tiring of the warmth and clinginess of double brushed poly, even though I still love it. It’s just cloying to wear in this Texas heat, is all. In fact, one of my goals for 2017 was to beef up my woven sewing output! So when Love Notions previewed their new Rhapsody Blouse, I just knew I had to get in on it!
Here’s the write-up from the listing at Lovenotions.com:
The Rhapsody Blouse is the perfect top for your summer wardrobe. This blouse is meant for lightweight and drapey wovens. It features eight sleeve options, a flattering curved hem, gathering at the yoke and french seams so the inside looks as nice as the outside! The v-neck line is bound with self-made bias tape and can include ties to give it a beachy feel.
A full bust piece is also include for ladies with a 4-6″ high bust to full bust difference– no need to do a FBA! The Rhapsody Blouse has a relaxed fit, with some shaping.
See the size chart and fabric requirements in the tab below.
This pattern is rated intermediate for the small bias binding and working with drapey wovens.
In addition to the print-at-home file is a large format file for copy shop printing. This file will print on 3, A0 size sheets. Be sure to instruct your printer to print actual size in black and white on their cheapest paper.
My take on it:
The blouse has a great blousy look with figure following lines – it’s not cut straight up and down, which is really pretty for most bodies. I’m more of a rectangle now, post partum, but still made a straight size XL. Tami (the designer) thinks I could even size down to L at the bust and then grade up to XL. I’d love to explore that in future.
The bias binding is self made, which means a lot of starch and a lot of ironing. Now my fabric was terrible with fraying, just looking at it made it fray. I’m serious. So I had to unfortunately forego the lovely french seams and just serge instead. The fabric didn’t even let me enclose the 1/8″ seam, the fabric frayed so fast that by the time I was done pinning, the seam allowance was gone. I used a stitch very close to a rolled hem (2 on my machine) to make sure I had enclosed and protected the edges nicely.
I’d made a couple of muslins before this final, and made sure to follow all the steps exactly, including the french seams and gathering stitches for setting in the sleeves. I personally do like the clean finish better esthetically, but there’s nothing wrong with serged seams for convenience and speed.
Construction of this lined yoke style is simple. Once you’ve done it, the whole “burrito roll” part of it just comes naturally. What made this top an intermediate level is the 1/4″ bias tape.
As we all know how fragile my fabric was, I didn’t fold and starch the bias binding at all. I just lined it up, clipped it to the neckline, and sewed it with a precise 1/4″ seam. I couldn’t chance the “press it up away from the bodice” part either, so just folded it over with my fingers and finger pressed it and pinned it in place.
Oh, the horror. Sewed it down with a minimum of cursing, and voila! I’m definitely an intermediate sewer 😉
This pattern was rigorously tested, and I alone made three versions. I just have to bind the other two (I hate bias binding with a passion) and I’ll share in the future. All in all, I think this is a really great summer blouse that is great with 100% rayon fabric which I used for one of my muslins. Although I was planning to make sleeveless tops I’ve decided to add sleeves to both my muslins and actually wear them throughout the year.
Again, get your Rhapsody Blouse while it’s on sale for $8!
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