Sew Over It Pussy Bow Blouse

As a newbie to sewing I decided to sign up for a subscription box to receive some quality fabric and inspiration of what to sew.  I settled on a top quite quickly for this fabric and The Fold Line were featured in my boxes accompanying magazine.  When I saw this pattern I knew it was the one!   The pattern instructions were really easy to follow with clear instructions and helpful diagrams.  That along with my beautiful viscose made for an enjoyable confidence building make.  The only alteration I’d make for the next time I sew this (and I’m sure there will be - a jade green I’m thinking) is to shorten the body so the waist sits on my waist rather than hips.  I am really short so this is a common thing for me and I guess it’s why toiles are used!  I am really looking forward to wearing this to work next week and proudly telling everyone that I made it!

I love this blouse. I'm a (confident) beginner, and instructions ons the pattern were very clear, together with the drawings.

I made a toile, and some alterations. Shortened the sleeves a bit, and made them a bit fuller at the upper arms. The shoulders were a bit droopy, so made them smaller on top. Also made the V-neckline a bit deeper, and the ends of the bows a more diagonal.

I had a very light fabric, witch frayed a lot, so I looked up a tutorial on French seams, ands used them throughout.

Would 10/10 recommend. And I'm looking for my next fabric to make them with shorter sleeves.

This is a great pattern for seamstresses of all levels. The construction is very straightforward and the finished garment is really pretty and elegant, but also really wearable.

I used some really beautiful ex-designer viscose from Fabric Godmother for my blouse. The lightweight drape of a good quality viscose is ideal for this pattern. I had 1.5m and just managed to squeeze my blouse from it, although the pattern on the tie is upside down because that was the only way I could fit everything in!

I had no problems at all with the construction and the instructions were well-written and easy to follow. I wanted to make the blouse with the deep V (version 2), but had read a few reviews that mentioned that the way the neckline is finished is not very neat or strong. I made the keyhole neckline instead (version 1) - this way you can tie the bow at the neck or at the bottom of the V to give almost the same look - win win!

I made the size 10, which fits me very well with no alterations. This is my usual Sew Over It size and although I sometimes find the sleeves on their patterns very tight, I have not had the same problem with the **** bow blouse.

I will definitely be making another **** bow blouse in the future - it's such a great pattern to show off a really special or beautiful fabric. I love how pretty it looks and how simple it was to make!

I've made a few **** Bow Blouses and really like how they can be worn dressed up or down for work, play, or an evening out, depending on your fabric choice. I bought my fabric - a viscose twill - from Stitchy Bee a while back with the intention of making this pattern and when I finally got around to it, I realised I had enough to make it dress-length. I made my usual size 10, graded to an 8 at the waist, then simply extended it down from the bottom of the blouse, creating a slightly a-line shape to allow for hips and walking. I had enough to make it midi-length and, with the fabric being slightly heavier than a normal viscose, but still as drapey, it's worked perfectly for the autumn/winter. Pop over to my blog for more photos and further details: https://norfolkdaphne.wordpress.com/2019/12/01/getting-my-sewmojo-back-with-a-sew-over-it-****-bow-blouse-dress/?fbclid=IwAR05q4huBK-T8qKohzrPyVM7romFNYWkm9ZbcFVtFJgmhkpphrqrFOfswxs

So this is my Sew Over It **** Bow blouse. And I love it.
It is not perfect but I know what I need to do next time.
There were 2 issues.
The main problem was, the pattern didn't advise you to stay-stitch the neckline. Maybe I should have known. I knew as soon as I had ironed the shoulder seams, once I had removed my ironing ham, that I had likely stretched out the neckline whilst doing so. Therefore the notches on the bow didn't align and it is a little lopsided.
The second issue was how to neatly attach the base of the bow at the bottom of the ‘v’. It seems others had this problem too. Do to my fraying fabric there is a bit of a botched job going on on the inside but I know what to do next time. I’ve since read that a solution for this is a small self drafted facing at the bottom of the ‘V’.
I used french seams throughout as this fabric frayed like anything. I would say it was a viscose.
I cut a straight size 10 as according to my bust measurement. Next time I will make a forward shoulder adjustment, but that is due to my posture.
But beyond that, and one slightly rushed sleeve head, it’s perfect!!
For more details and more photos, please drop by my blog and read my blog post. https://lovelucie1.wordpress.com/2019/05/03/sew-over-it-pussybow-blouse/