I liked the idea of the Tilly and the Buttons Mimi blouse when I saw it. It’s one of the ones from her Love at First Stitch book. I love that whole retro vibe but I really didn’t like the sleeve on this one. Sorry Tilly.

I don’t know if it’s just me but I feel the sleeves just look a bit droopy. Which is an odd adjective to use to describe a sleeve but that’s how I feel! I love the collar idea and button up front though so I decided to turn it into a pattern hack and make it into a sleeveless blouse. It’s also less work for me! Haha!

In terms of alterations, I lengthened the pattern slightly at the hem – I like my blouses to cover my (big) butt. I also changed the shape of the collar slightly just to make it a little more individual, plus I like rounded collars a little more. I also (obviously) left the sleeves and planned to finish the armholes with a bias binding. 

The fabric! I got this piece of fabric from Walthamstow market for 75p. Yep, 75p! It was from one of those bargain bins full of offcuts but there was more than enough for this project!

   
    
 I added a piping detail on the front and back yokes in the same fabric as the contrasting collar. It’s not real piping by the way. I couldn’t be bothered to either buy actually piping or find some cord to put in the strip so it’s just flat…

It is, in retrospect, reasonably similar to the blouse in the book’s Make it your own section…   I must’ve been thinking of it subconsciously when I picked this fabric!

With the pattern itself, I graded out a size at the hip. Probably unnecessary but I always think my hips need more ease than they do. I also cut and inch off the shoulder/ armscye. It’s quite a tight armhole so a fair bit needed to be cut away.

I quite like it! My stitching wasn’t the neatest and that’s no ones fault but my own – please don’t look too closely at my topstitching! I think interfacing the full front facing was unnecessary. Yes it adds stability but it makes it too stiff to be a properly drapey blouse. (I used my thinnest fusible interfacing and I still think it’s too stiff) I think the yoke facing could use it but I’d avoid it down the front next time.

How have your Mimis turned out?