Finished Project: HotPatterns 1169 - Classix Nouveau Refined Peasant Blouse

So you may have noticed that I was wearing a matching blouse to go with my new pair of Burda 6951 pants. The blouse in question is my new HotPatterns Refined Peasant Blouse, and not to brag, but I feel like I completely nailed the pattern/fabric pairing here:

HotPatterns Refined Peasant Blouse

I used a double gauze for this top, which was my first time working with this fabric, and OMG, I think I'm in fabric love. It's super soft, but lightweight and floaty, but not sheer. I think I want to sew all summer blouses in double gauze from now on.

This is a pretty easy pattern to sew, and I do think that it looks quite similar to the drawing on the envelope. The toughest part of this pattern is getting all of that gathering (and there is lots of gathering) even and looking nice before you stitch on the neckband. (I used pieces of Wash-Away Wonder Tape to baste my gathers into place and to stick them to the neckband before stitching.)

HotPatterns - Refined Peasant Blouse

Fabric and Notions Used

 

I used the following fabric and notions for this version of this pattern:

• Double gauze cotton purchased from Miss Matatabi. She no longer appears to have the colorway that I used in stock, but mine was the Kobayashi double gauze that she lists for $5.50 per half metre.
• Pro-weft light fusible interfacing purchased from Fashion Sewing Supply

 

Pattern Sizing and Alterations

 

This pattern is available in HotPatterns sizes 6-26 (32"-52" bust).


This particular pattern is very generously sized. Most women will be able to get away without an FBA on this pattern, and I suspect that most will also be happier with their fit if they go down a size or two than what their measurements would indicate on the size chart.

I sewed a size 18 with the following alterations:

• 1" FBA with the dart rotated into the neck gathers
• Shortened the sleeves by 2" (I'm 5'2".)

Note that I have small hands and wrists (they're the only part of me that are small), and I found the cuffs to be a little snug to get over my hands. I would definitely check the circumference of the paper pattern piece and adjust before you cut your fabric for these.

I did end up omitting the optional hem facing. I pinned the (interfaced) facing to my top but just felt like it weighed the look of the top down too much. Instead of the hem facing, I just did a typical hem where I pressed up the hem allowance and top-stitched. If you're using a fairly lightweight fabric, though (e.g. a georgette or a voile), I think that the hem facing could probably help things drape and hang better.

HP Refined Peasant Blouse - back

Pattern Instructions

 

HotPatterns don't have super detailed instructions, but this is a pretty easy pattern. Trudy also has posted a tutorial for this pattern on YouTube, so there's extra help there if you need it:

Pattern page with YouTube tutorial

 

Final Thoughts

 

I really love how my blouse turned out, and when I can find the right fabric for it (preferably a printed double gauze), I would definitely make it again.

I also think that this is a great pattern for apple or rectangle figures--in a drapey fabric, the blouse skims over your curves but doesn't have a defined waist. It's not tentlike to where you have to worry about a maternity effect, but it also doesn't highlight the lack of a waist, if you don't really have one.