Perfecting a Belcarra

Did I mention I have a current fixation with sewing tops? No? Well I've been at it again, this time trying out a pattern I've had for a while and attempted once with quilting weight cotton. It didn't go so well.

This is yet another Sewaholic pattern (I haven't taken out shares with them, honest), the lovely and drapey Belcarra blouse.

I mentioned that I have already used this pattern, about a year ago. I wanted to make a muslin type thing as I had never sewn a raglan sleeve before, so I dove into my stash and pulled out a cute patterned cotton. Wearable muslin was my thought, and off I went.

I just stuck with a very simple view A. and it looks pretty good. In fact the fit is pretty sweet for what it is intended to be, which is a loose drapey blouse, the kind you may wear with some skinny jeans. Making it was really easy, Sewaholic patterns come with great instructions and are usually a fun project to work on. The flaw in this top is the fabric that I chose to use. I will admit that it's experiments like this which have helped me learn loads about fabric types and what they are suitable for.

This cotton is actually a vintage one, I know this because I stole it from my Mums fabric stash many years ago (sorry Mum), and she had this for a good long while. This means I have held on to the top since making it but only ever worn it twice.

It feels tight over the bust and shoulders and when I sit down it kind of lifts in the same way I would imagine an armour breastplate lifting. I felt quite disappointed with the pattern because of this, but really on reflection, this was probably misplaced.

So I decided to go back and make another out of the right kind of material. I bought a blue/grey crepe a while ago with the intention of making a t-shirt shaped top with an exposed zip on the back. But when it turned up it just kept whispering to me "I wanna be a Belcarra". So I caved!

Oh come on woman... Crack a smile once in a while! 

This version, while made up exactly the same as the last one, managed to come out bigger! No idea how this happened, I guess I can only blame the crepe. I really love this though, it's big, it drapes beautifully, it's got shoulder pleats... Oh did I not mention the shoulder pleats...

Boom!! 

I thought it would be nice to make this one a bit more interesting, so I made up version B. with cute little pleats sewn in. I was nervous about this as I've never pleated like this before, but they work and I am sooooooo smug... Not even sorry.

The rear view really shows how loose it is. I might use the neckline adjustment which appears on the Sewaholic blog as a little tutorial to narrow the collar next time, it does sometimes wander, but really not too badly. The crepe doesn't come out well in these photos, but it's really a double shade kind of effect which makes me think of tv static.

So the Belcarra pattern may have sat in my pattern box for a year, but after success with the right kind of fabric I will most likely be bringing it out again to make more of these beauties.

Sorry... Gratuatous pleat photo