Lekala Silk Blouse #4452, True Bias Ogden Cami and Lekala Short Skirt #5430 for Lida

 Have you ever had a piece of fabric that you love but are just too nervous to cut into? This piece was it. A silk crepe that is as soft as cobwebs.

I needed a simple pattern with plenty of ease to accommodate this delicate material. 

I thought Lekala #4452 would be just the job. The blouse has a classic cut front and back with a large, side positioned collar. It does have a bow (Lidia is not allowed bows or ties on clinical clothing as they can be grabbed in a high stress situation) but I had a plan for that. 

The silk was so shifty I had no chance of cutting it out true. I had heard of soaking sheer fabrics in gelatine and then rinsing it out once the garment is finished so I thought I would give that a go.

To do this, I 'bloomed'  (mixed and left for 30 minutes) 2 tsp of gelatine in in 2 cups of cold water, I then added this to 6 cups of warm water, mixed well and then soaked my silk for 5 minutes. The fabric is then wrapped in a towel and the excess liquid gently squeezed out. I dried it on a clothes horse. 

I was making a camisole to wear under the blouse so I treated the satin at the same time. 

I was rather pleased with this method. The fabric softened up quite quickly once I was handling it, I would consider using a stronger bloom next time but I will definitely use gelatine to stabilise again. 

I decided to sew the blouse with French seams as I was worried about fraying. I even did the sleeves which worked surprisingly well, I just had to be mindful when trimming the first pass. My small sleeve ironing board was very helpful with this. 

The camisole pattern I used is my tried and true Ogden cami. I do love the deep (but not revealing) front and back V of this lovely top. It also has a lovely facing that is almost a partial lining. 

A very pretty blouse.

As soft and light as cobwebs, perfect for high Summer days.

I noticed that the sleeve cap was pulling a wee bit and was concerned it was my French seams, however, I re-measured Liddy and discovered I should have done this before ordering this pattern as her Summer of activity and laid down some muscle. She assures me it is quite wearable as silk has a natural 'give'. 

I finished all the hems by hand. I felt it added to the luxurious nature of the material. The collar is self faced so there is nary a raw seam!

After sewing the blouse I made a denim skirt with an equally luxurious trim.

Lidia sent me a Pinterest image of a pretty denim skirt with a lace trim. I had this piece of vintage cotton lace in my stash that I thought would work.

The skirt is another Lekala pattern, Short skirt #5430 

A skirt I had previously sewed for Elsa

I used rigid denim and top stitched with a silky, thicker jeans thread.

At Lidia's request I added extra large belt loops for a special belt she had found thrifting.

This pattern is a bit of a head scratch when it comes to inserting the zipper. Lekala can be a little 'serving suggestion' when it comes to their instructions. It's a bit ugly but it works.

I used Lid's new measurements to make this skirt and it was perfect.

I especially like the way the back is longer to accommodate her full derrière. 

She liked the blouse, she was thrilled with the skirt.

PS I don't have a photo but I attached the bow with a wee clear plastic sew in press stud. It means the bow can be removed in a Clinical setting and you really don't see the stud.  

Thank you for reading, stay safe and well... xx Nicole