OOP McCalls 2695 Blouse for Tilly

Don't you love a sewing a favourite pattern again?
I do.

Especially this one.

I love this style so much!
(I fold the dress back to blouse length)
The puff ball sleeve cap, the fitted arms, the wee neck ruffle...

And those lovely seams that allow fitting.

Tilly asked me to make this one very fitted.
I pinned in the seams quite dramatically but left the original arm as it was.

Tildy still has a wee bit of a pot tummy (adorably so) so we shaped but left her ease.
I then stupidly set in a two shorter length zipper and had to unpick and replace it with a longer one, after I had finished the blouse facings and all.
Unpicking the zip was not much fun.

The sleeves are a work of art.
The fabric I used (a linen remnant from Spotlight) looks gorgeous but was horrid to sew. It was loosely woven and frayed badly. I had to neaten all the edges before I handled it.

The fitted blouse looks so beautiful.

The birds details, purchased here, were Tildy's idea.
She felt like it needed a little colour.
The patches iron on but then I machine stitch over the different sections, in matching thread, to keep it in place.

We positioned the birds so they are covered by her 'Sarvi vest' if she wants to wear pastel colours.

Gorgeous knitted vests from Aunty Sarvi.

Against my better judgement I did make the blouse very fitted.

It looked amazing and Tildy loved it but I knew the fabric was too delicate and fragile.

This photo was posed, no Matildas were harmed.

Unfortunately, it didn't survive the playground after netball.

~My Verdict~
Why don't we listen to those little voices in our heads? 'Bad fabric choice for a 10 year old' ... 'You are over fitting that bodice'... 'It will split, split, split....'
Oh well, it happens.
I can fix the blouse and re-inforce the seams with some webbing behind them.
Tildy loves it so I shall make her another in a light denim or chambray.
I do love this look, there is something very unusual about it and I  wanted to recreate it ever since this pin.

Image from Pinterest

Now I need to make the puffy shorts.

~Tildy's Verdict~
I love the puffy sleeves and the little birds, 
the fitted bodice is amazing, I am so, so, so sad that it split though.
I should have listened to mum because she had said that I should save it for going out.
It works perfectly with my blue denim skirt.
I love how the bodice goes in then out again.
It work with every thing and I just love it.

Skirt is O+S Music Class skirt.

That is the beauty of sewing, I can make her another.

Thank you for reading.... xx N