'Try it out' Tuesday

Some might recall my quest earlier in the year for a blouse I like. Sort of disheartening because it still wasn't getting anywhere. The reason I had started a different blouse was because the pattern I had didn't fit in various ways.

Anyway, in the meanwhile, I have lost weight. A few weeks ago, I put on a red blouse I made some years ago and was pleased to discover it fitted better than it did then.
and then I had a moment where things clicked. So, if this blouse fit, why not get the pattern out for that and dispense with getting necks and dodgy sleeve fittings right on the other one?

So, today, I used some lightweight stripe that I seem to have miles of (previously used for DH for pjs). First I sorted the shoulder seam on the pattern - probably the next thing I would have sorted with this particular blouse pattern quest, only I was put off by the blouse being too snug and having no more time because I started teaching.
I cut a 'Try it out' blouse from the stripe just to make sure there wasn't something I had done to the red blouse but forgot. Fits! then put in the adjusted sleeve - the sleeve head was too full for the armscye. and found it works, too!

Here are both blouses...the stripe is only a shell at present.
So now I can go ahead and use that pattern as the starting point for all these other blouse styles I want to try!

and the stripe will continue to be a 'Try it out' blouse. I have an idea for a collar, for one of the mini-wardrobe blouses so I am going to see what happens on this blouse first. I also have an idea for some surface design, so I can 'Try it out' on this blouse to see if it will work.

If it ends up wearable it will be a plus, if it doesn't, it will still be a plus because I have been able to 'Try it out' without worrying about messing up 'good' fabric.

In case you hadn't thought about it, getting a pattern right IS part of design development. There is no point in making something to showcase your work, whether is technique skills or style possibilities or embellishment, if the pattern is going to let you down. In the first place, it will make the rest of your work look rubbish when it is not. and in the second place, you won't wear it or show it (garment or otherwise) because you know it doesn't do you justice.
So, if you do your own patterns or use commercial ones, take the time to get them to look right or check they go together right before you put all that other work into it.

If you are wondering...yes I do save the patterns from previous years. I write the year on them. My weight is often up or down, so it means I can go back to such and such year because I weighed 'whatever' at that time and see if the pattern will work again.


This one said 2007!