New Look 6808 in viscose challis

When my mum requested a 3/4 sleeved, darted, boatneck blouse, View A of the New Look 6808 top fitted the brief perfectly.

I used a lightweight viscose chosen by my Mum, who wanted something light & floaty, despite the pattern calling for something with a little bit more structure (cotton poplin, jacquard or damasks). Measurements placed my Mum at a 12 bust, 14 waist and 16 hip, but New Look provide 2 separate bodice blocks, one for 8/12/16 and one for 10/14/18, which was rather frustrating.

In the end I measured the pattern and cut a 14, then dramatically increased the back darts and added 2 small darts into the back neckline to reduce gaping – next time I’ll cut a size smaller. I took 3″ out of the bodice length on the lengthen/shorten lines, and I also omitted the side seam zip to reduce any distortion of the fabric.

All of the issues I came up against arose from me having used a significantly lighter fabric than the pattern calls for, although with that said I love the end result and how it falls so beautifully and skims the hips. My Mum is also happy with the end result, and has already requested another two versions.

The pattern itself (aside from the grading difficulty) is well put together, with good instructions and is a fairly quick sew, particularly if you leave out the zip. The sleeve vent on View A is a particularly lovely detail, which I think really elevates the pattern. It also provides 6 different variations, so you can get a lot of bang for your buck with this one!

For more on the making process, a full post can be found at: https://handmadehanne.com/2020/01/15/selfless-sewing-new-look-6808/