wardrobe essentials 2019 - Ngaio blouse

I am slowly getting back into sewing simple clothes. Last weekend, I had another go at the Ngaio Blouse by Scroop Patterns. I wrote about my failed attempt already and won't go into details here. This second version turned out ok and I am almost certain that I like it. I am wearing it today, paired with white jeans shorts. It is warm and I am loving it.

The Ngaio Blouse reminded me of the Polaris jumper I made ages ago, with its gathered neckline. I like this neckline, I find it flattering. The pattern is designed for three cup size ranges with instructions to determine the right cup size for you. I am so pleased that there are now pattern companies that offer different cup sizes, it makes sewing quicker because no boring bust adjustments are needed. The cup sizes for the Ngaio blouse correspond to couture sizes, not the random cup sizes that are the norm for bras bought on the high street. My couture cup measures a C. The fierce M&S woman who measured me last is adamant I am a DD. See, random. Anyway, you may or may not remember that my first version was too small. I was particularly annoyed at this because I did check my measurements, compared these with the size measurements and the finished garment measurements. I even checked if I used the wrong seam allowance and if the pdf pattern was printed correctly without scaling. The finished measurements were just not what they were meant to be. Never mind I thought, must move on. I decided to make the next size up but because I know now that the finished blouse is quite fitted and to accommodate flab, I graded one size up between waist and hip. The blouse is not long, it finishes at high hip.

The construction is simple, as long as you transfer the marks accurately and completely from pattern to fabric. It is not intuitively clear how the front pieces fit together, they look nothing like parts of a top and I can tell you with certainty that without marks, I would have ended with something really frankensteinish indeed. Even with the marks I was scratching my head... The instructions are clear and detailed. I finished the raw edges of all exposed seams with my overlocker before sewing them up. All looks very neat inside, which I like. Funny that, I really care for the inside of my clothes, can't stand messy even though nobody sees it.

Did the blouse fit? Not really. There is definitely something off between the sizes on the pattern instructions and the reality.... My measurements are actually spot on with the sizing and my shape is fairly standard woman shaped. Keep this in mind if you want to make your own Ngaio Blouse. The fit around the bust is fine but the waist was tight, which made the blouse ride up in the back. Not a good lock but fixed easily. The back has two waist shaping darts starting from the high waist to just above the hem. I opened the darts up and restitched the side seams with a very narrow seam allowance. I am happy with the outcome, although the blouse is now less fitted than intended, it doesn't ride up my back. I might actually make another one version with some funky fabric that I have on my shelves.

Talking of fabric, this version is made with a pale pink viscose/linen mix. It feels and looks more like linen than viscose but crinkles a little less. It was good value, I think about £7.50 per metre at Stoff&Stil. The fabric requirements are quite generous, I used less but maybe this is because my fabric is unidirectional, which allowed me to arrange the pattern pieces quite economically.

What do you think? Should I make another one?