Self Assembly Required

DIY dressmaking + crafts with Emily

The I AM Juliette Blouse

So I’m back again with a new make for the Minerva Crafts Blogger Network!

I chose the Juliette blouse from I AM Patterns. It’s a simple boxy blouse with cute little collar, short sleeves and a button up back. It only uses a metre of fabric so it’s the perfect make for when you’ve got that little bit of fabric leftover (or in my case, for when you want to use a more expensive fabric!).

I went with the Atelier Brunette Garance cotton lawn (I love Atelier Brunette fabrics if you hadn’t realised – their quality and prints are superb!). It’s tomato red and covered in little white flowers. I chose little white flower shaped buttons for the back which sound a bit naff but they were reminiscent of the white flowers in the print. I thought they’d either blend in perfectly or, at the very least, accent the floral print!

I made some changes to the pattern before I got started on this project. I did my usual fit alterations – grading out at the hip and a big bicep adjustment. I also lengthened it by an inch just in case. I’m always slightly wary when making clothes that hit at this length, though looking at the final garment I don’t think I needed the extra length.

I also made a rather big alteration to the collar. Not that it’s noticeable at all but I ended up redrafting the collar piece. For some reason, they use a combined collar and collar stand thing which I just didn’t understand. I didn’t quite understand the pattern instructions regarding it either…

After a while of puzzling it over (OK, not that long), I decided I’d be better off just drafting a new collar for myself!

It’s a bit lightweight for January in London but it’ll be perfect for when summer comes back!

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8 Comments

  1. I love the shaping on this top, I think helped by the adjustments you made – the collar looks great! The fabric IS gorgeous! some cotton lawns are every bit as luscious as silk which was quite an aha to me. I’m sure you will get loads of wear out it come spring and what a perfect spring flower it is!

  2. I have that fabric too and haven’t used it yet. I only have a small piece too as it is a bit pricey, though as you say, really lovely. This looks like a perfect project! The buttons look perfect too. Maybe I’ll sneakily copy you, heh heh!

    1. Hi! This is quite an old make and I don’t have it anymore to reference. I think I just drafted a new separate collar stand and collar in the same shape as the original. I would’ve used the measurement of the neckline as the base and used the method from the book Patternmaking for Fashion Design to draft it but you can probably find other methods online. Sorry I can’t help more! X

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