Silk Organza Wrap Top - By Hand London - Hannah Pattern

You know how spicy food is addictive, and the more you eat it the hotter you need it?
Well yeah, that's what's happening with me and big sleeves at the moment.
And I'm not sorry.

The Pattern
It's the Hannah Dress from By Hand London converted into a top!

It's a wrap dress with no notions or lining (a quick sew!) and has three different sleeve options, short, bishop and tulip. I fell in love with the volume of the bishop sleeves and I knew they'd look fabulous in the silk organza.

The dress comes with a gathered skirt, or gathered peplum for a top, but I chose to add a waistband instead - see 'The Details + Changes' below.

Skirt
Also pictured is my self-drafted Balmain inspired skirt, made in a Japanese cotton and fully lined, and you can read more about it here

The Fabric
For this blouse I used the most beautiful warm chocolate brown silk organza from The Cloth Shop Ivanhoe.
As soon as I saw this fabric I knew I had to make some sort of fabulous blouse with it, and when I spied the Hannah pattern, I knew it had met its match!

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A post shared by Julia Bobbin (@juliabobbin) on Apr 13, 2020 at 1:02pm PDT

Swipe above to see the french seams up close!

The Details + Changes

To achieve the look I was after, I used the bodice of this pattern and added a WAISTBAND.

The top is a WRAP AROUND and I love how it is done up with internal and external ties, so no need for buttonholes or slits.

The ARMSCYE are quite narrow which really appeals to me and my smaller shoulders and arms; I always know I'm going to get a really nice fitted look with BHL patterns. If you need extra room for your arms or shoulders however, you might want to do a toile first before you dive in.

Because this top isn't lined, I FRENCHED ALL the seams, including the armholes (swipe above instagram post to see a close up).

The wrap, SCOOP NECK is flattering and easy to fit, as it can be adjusted as you wear it, which makes this a quick and straight forward make with instant gratification! Most of my sewing projects these days involve slow, hand sewing so this was a real fun and quick project to do.

Instead of ties at the wrists I added elastic for a simple, clean finish.

Final Thoughts

I really love sewing with organza. The body and stiffness, mixed with it's transparency and sheen is such a gorgeous high end mix and will forever be one of my favourite fabrics to choose when I want to make something a little bit 'extra'.

This 'Hannah' is a wonderful, enjoyable pattern, that is both comfortable and glamorous. I'd love to try this pattern again as a dress in a soft, billowy linen and I definitely recommend it if you're thinking about giving it a go!

It's All About The Sleeves - Simplicity 8644 Blouse

Friends, pockets are out.
Over-sized sleeves big enough to carry your whole family is where fashion is at at the moment.

And I'm not mad at it.

The Pattern

Meet Simplicity 8644 in View A.
A wrap around blouse, this pattern comes in four different sleeve options (view A being the most EXTRA) and two different bodice lengths.

The Fabric

I used a light-weight, gingham print cotton from Spotlight, and cut the waistband and ties on the bias for a subtle contrast.

Pattern Details

The hero of this pattern is clearly the sleeves.
These full sleeves are shaped with soft pleats to create structure and volume, and elastic at the wrist for a flouncy sleeve hem.

There are small gathers under the bust and at the centre back of the bodice to add shape.

Completing this blouse are dropped shoulders and a cross-over V shaped neck which closes at the front with ties.

Worn With

I paired this blouse with my me-made Ash Jeans by Megan Nielsen Patterns.
You can read check out all the details on how I made my first ever pair of jeans, over at this blog post.

Take Note

I was a bit cheeky and decided to skip the toile stage and get straight into making the real thing. I figured with dropped shoulders and a wrap closure, most fitting issues would be camouflaged.

That being said I didn't realise just how short this blouse would be; it basically sits just under the bust. This may sit longer on someone with a smaller bust, but in any case it's worth considering adding length to the bodice if you'd prefer it a little longer than under the bust.

Conclusion

Yes, these sleeves are about 80% 'extra', but I LOVE the drama it adds. It feels like a modern, edgy (and more fleshy) take on a romantic, Victorian style blouse.

I'll probably look at this in five years time and think 'oh that's so 2019', but that's what makes fashion fun and exciting and right now it's all I want to wear.