Stella blouse in stretch silk

This Brilliant Abstract stretch silk charmeuse was seriously calling to me from the Britex website, so I chose it without a clear plan or pattern in mind.  Which, if we're being honest, pretty much describes 95% of my fabric acquisitions.

In the hunt for a fabulous top pattern to go with it, I kept coming back to the Stella blouse, by Pattern Runway.  I've adored the Coffee Date dress pattern for years (don't ask me why I don't own it), sewed up the Scalloped Hem of shorts (my version here), and have just generally liked the slightly more complex designs of PR.  Given my lovely drapey silk, this softly pleated peplumed blouse seemed a perfect match.

The one thing that made me hesitate before pressing "Buy" were the triple-layer sleeves, though. They was just a little too much for me and my broad shoulders.  But you know what?  Therein lies the beauty of making your own clothing; I could just leave off the top, ruffly layer on my version!  Done.

My favorite feature?  The tiny band of trim around the waist.

The pleats around the waist aren't super flattering from the side view, I have to say. But the blouse pulls in at the sides nicely when viewed from the front.

The hem dips in the front and back--so feminine and adorable!

I made a 1" reduction in the bodice length for my petite adjustment, sewing a size 36 in the bust and hips and grading to 38 in the waist.  With those adjustments, I was super happy with the final fit and didn't have to make any "post-production" changes.

I used a combination of French seams (side and shoulders) and serged finish (waist and armholes). Probably not the classiest look inside, but I didn't want to mess with Frenching all the seams, especially with the trim at the waistband.

The neckline is faced and I finished the raw edge with rayon seam binding, and there's an invisible zip at CB.

Definitely a top that can be worn with jeans or a pencil skirt (like this one!  Too matchy-matchy?)

Resewlution 2015: February garment #1

Thanks to Britex Fabrics for supplying the lovely and decadent silk fabric!