Hey!
I’ve made a new blouse. It’s the Dove blouse by Megan Nielsen patterns, in an lightweight but warm, faux suede from Spotlight. So, the recommended fabrics for this pattern are shirt-weight stuff like voile and crepe de chine and chambray and linen… not a wintery fabric like this. However, when have I ever taken any notice of fabric recommendations? Pretty much NEVER, haha.
And I love it. Very very happy. Look at those sleeves. Oooo yeah.
this is a blouse that demands at least one dramatic arm pose
Now, remember how I mentioned pretty recently that I was looking out for this pattern?? Well, Evie, of Indie Stitches very kindly emailed me to let me know that she had one in stock… and offered to send it to me… thank you so much, Evie! Indie Stitches is an online pattern store with a very nice range of both paper and digital patterns, obviously as the name suggests specialising in small and independent pattern makers like Closet Case Files, Grainline, Sewaholic, Jennifer Lauren Vintage, Papercut, By Hand London, Tilly and the Buttons, Waffle patterns, Megan Nielsen and would you believe this is just a selection?! There are many many more! If you love supporting small independent pattern companies then I highly recommend heading over to the Indie Stitches pattern store and having a browse, at least.
Please note; I did receive this pattern gratis, however there are no affiliate links in this post. I will always notify my readers if there is an affiliate link in my posts. Also on a tangential yet related note, I read somewhere that people think bloggers are raking in the money through affiliate links, well! that may be true for some types of bloggers, like maybe fashion bloggers? but sewing bloggers… NO.
For the sleeves you do a triple-stitched skinny hem… it’s a hem finish I have used a few times before that gives a neat little baby hem but with no rippling or “lettuce-leaf” curling that you usually get with a single-stitched or machine-rolled hem… I think I read about it first years ago in an issue of Threads. I wasn’t sure how it would work out with the slightly thickish suedette, but it did beautifully! and I had a request from my daughter and also from sewnewbee in IG as to how exactly is it done so I did a little sample and took a few pictures for a short tute…
I used a contrasting white thread here because I found you could barely make out a single thing in my pictures with the matching thread! anyway:
First; stay-stitch at a distance of 6mm (1/4″) inside the raw edge, being super careful NOT to stretch out the edge while doing so. This is the 1st row of stitching.
Turn the raw edge to the underside just outside the previous stitching, so the stitching sits just inside the pressed edge, and press.
Stitch again (the 2nd stitching) at a distance of 2-3mm (1/8″) inside the pressed edge, and give it another quick press…
Trim away the raw edge as close to the 2nd stitching as you can.
Turn under this now extremely skinny, double stitched edge and stitch again (3rd stitching) right over the visible (2nd) row of stitching. The first two lines of stitching help keep the hem from stretching out as you sew, so your edge will be nice and flat and with minimal “lettuce-leaf” curl along the edge.
Inside: looks almost like one row of stitching, but it is actually two; one over the top of the other
Right side has only one row of stitching… plus a very skinny, nicely non-curly edge achieved in a difficult to hem fabric 🙂
excuse me ma’am, your remote is showing
Details:
Blouse; Megan Nielsen Dove blouse MN2105, version 2, in petrol blue suedette
Skirt; Vogue 1247, yellow corduroy dyed brown, details here and my review of this pattern here
Tights; self-drafted, black polyester stretch, details here and my tutorial for making your own custom-fit tights pattern is here
Boots; made by me, and my own design, details here
location: South Perth foreshore, Western Australia
Such a great colour on you! Lovely top, and thanks for the little tutorial!
thank you Sarah! and I hope you find it useful 🙂
I just hemmed a gauze skirt with my rolled hem foot, and it ended up with a lettuce edge just as you describe. I like the effect on the skirt, but definitely wouldn’t want it on every project! So I’ve bookmarked this post for future reference. 🙂 Thank you!
You’re welcome! yes the curly edge is lovely in a gauzy floaty fabric but in a weightier fabric not so nice… I hope you find the tute comes in handy! 🙂
Oh Carolyn, I’m so glad you finally got your hands on the Dove blouse! It looks fantastic
thank you Saki!
It is beautiful. Love the teal color and it turned out amazing in the faux suede.
thank you Tomasa 🙂
great blouse and love that color on you.
thanks Beth! 🙂
Lovely blouse! And thank you very much for the tutorial 🙂 I must try that, it looks so neat!
thank you frisfris! I hope you find it useful! 🙂
The style and colour of your Dove Blouse is gorgeous and I am surprised how well it goes with your brown skirt. Your fabric is a lovely choice and works so well! I love the immaculate finish with the baby hem. Thank you for the little tuto!
thank you so much SaSa! I hope you find it useful when you come to make a little hem like this 🙂
I love this look. The blue and chocolate is so pretty.
thank you so much Faye! I love these colours together, I think they suit me 🙂
Yay! You have obtained the coveted Dove blouse pattern! I love how the heavier fabric makes the sleeve style stand out even more. Plus, petrol blue is such a lovely color – nice selection!
thank you so much! Most of the Doves I’ve seen have been in a lightweight floaty fabric, however I think it really suits a suede very well, I’m glad I took the chance with it 🙂
Thank you for publishing the details of the very narrow hem, I shall certainly be trying it.
I hope you find it useful Maggie 🙂
Thanks for such clear photos and instructions for this, I’ll definitely be bookmarking it. I love the effect of these sleeves and it looks great in your fabric!
thank you Kathryn 🙂
The blouse looks lovely on you. And thank you for the hemming tip! I nearly tore my hair out a couple weeks ago trying to baby-hem a shirt. The stretching was awful! I’ve got another cut out though and will try this method.
thanks Masha! I promise this one is easy and as long as you’re super careful to not stretch out with the first stitching, there will be no problem 🙂
Love your Dove blouse (a pattern I’ve been wanting to make for a long time)! And thanks for the tute on narrow hems in difficult fabrics.
thanks Virginie! I hope you find it useful 🙂
Very lovely. The sleeves are so cute.
thank you! 🙂
I’m glad you finally got your hands on that pattern! 🙂 The blouse looks superb! Great idea to make it from a more stable fabric, accentuates the dramatic sleeves even more! 🙂
You certainly have a knack for matching fabric to a pattern as the sleeves in this top look perfect with the thicker fabric.
Thanks for posting this method of neatly finishing a narrow hem! It’s been a saviour to me severals times.