Pattern Review: Pussy Bow Blouse by Sew Over It

My last make of 2018 was the Pussy Bow Blouse by Sew Over It. I finished the last seam the day before New Year's eve. And I wore it on New Year's! I paired it with a green velvet skirt I got from the brand where I have my day job. I think they look great together! 

This project started with the fabric. I'd had this gorgeous viscose fabric in my stash for a few years and it never got paired up with a pattern until now. I bought it at Stoff och Stil. Yay for a stash busting project!

I have drooled over many sewing patterns from indie designers this winter. I have been so inspired to sew more finally after a long slump. And I wanted to try a new (to me) pattern company. I have always thought that Sew over it has some beautiful designs. That chic vintage look that I love... I like almost all of the patterns they have in their range which is not often the case for me since I am very particular with what kind of shapes I like. 

I was so excited to find the pussy bow blouse that fits perfectly with this viscose fabric. 

Their website is really good in my opinion. I'm a sucker for a great user experience and beautiful design so it was a pleasant shopping experience. 

I bought the PDF-pattern since I thought there wouldn't be too many pages to print. The perks of sewing tops instead of dresses for a change :)

One odd thing I noticed is these line drawings don't show the center front seam! I was a bit confused at first and a bit disappointed about the seam but it doesn't show on the finished garment luckily. The ties do a great job of hiding the seam!

I decided to cut a size 10, since that was the closest to my measurements. I thought about making size 12 but I was worried it would feel too big and sloughy and I'm not really a fan of that. I decided to make version 1. With the higher placed bow. 

I quickly realized I didn't have enough fabric. Since the blouse has long sleeves and long ties I wouldn't be able to cut out the long sleeves and still have enough fabric for the bow. So I decided to make a 3/4 sleeve and make a new cuff. That worked out so well that I think I might do the same on future blouses! I made a cuff without a button closure to make it easier and I like the look of it. 

The instructions were clear for the most part and they also have a sew along on their blog for this pattern, which is nice! One thing I will change for my next one is how they tell you to make the "collar". I love that the instructions tell you to do some hand sewing here and there. The couture lover in me was really happy to read that step! It keeps the clean look and no visible topstitching really suits these types of fabrics you use for this pattern. However they tell you to slip stitch collar/ties to the bodice neckline from the WRONG side of the garment. I didn't think much of it until I flipped it to the right side to see how it looked. Some stitches showed on the right side, which is a bit of a bummer. I do think that's the best way to slip stitch when working with a heavier fabric. However for this lightweight fabric I would slip stitch in place from the RIGHT side of the garment. That way I have control over what shows on the right side and if a few stitches are visible on the inside - no big deal. I went ahead and used this method for the cuffs and it looks perfect. 

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The size 10 turned out to fit just right. I made sure to try it on every few steps of the process to make sure it wouldn't be too small. It does fit me differently on the shoulders than for example on Lisa in the product photos. On her the shoulder almost looks like a dropped shoulder. I think that's because I have quite broad shoulders for my size and I kind of fill the blouse out. It's not bothering me though. I like the fit. It felt a bit tight on the sleeve though so I might take a look at that for my next make. My biceps are so big you know... haha.. 

I finished the whole blouse with french seams because it really suits this type of fabric. I like how clean the inside looks. 

I predict that I will be wearing this blouse a lot, which is great because that really is my goal for my makes. I love the look of the blouse tucked in to a skirt :)

I like this pattern and I will definitely be making it again. I think I will try a solid colour in version 2 next time! I like version 1 but I think version 2 will stay in place better and might be easier to wear? It seems like version 2 is the more popular one since I haven't seen a lot of version 1 made up when looking through the # on instagram for example. I think I stretched out the fabric a bit when sewing the V-shape at the neckline (very easy to do wit this kind of fabric) because it is bit wonky on that part and doesn't want to lay flat. Good thing it's covered with the bow!  This problem would be easier to avoid when making version 2 I think. 

Have you made this pattern? Did you like it? I would recommend this pattern to anyone who wants to make a bow blouse. Use a lightweight drapey fabric! 

That's it for today. Let me know if you want me to do more pattern reviews 

Happy sewing

♥   ♥   ♥

Josefine

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