HOW TO SEW THE ALMA BLOUSE
It's a brand new year, and I hope it's filled with good surprises and crazy projects! Here at Lemonade Studio, the end of the year has been hectic: the end of pop-ups, new collections to fine-tune, crazy collaborations to prepare, and after a little well-deserved break, here we are again, all ready to crunch 2018 to our hearts' content, with our heads full of ideas. While we wait for you to be inundated with inspiring articles on a theme that's dear to us at the office and that will be the guiding line of our next collection, I present the pattern for the Alma blouse, our alternative to the classic shirt! Its collar and back buttoning will give a twist to your working girl outfits!
For the record, the reception you gave our Gloria wedding dress inspired us to create a blouse version that's easier to wear on the day. We kept the Gloria's distinctive collar, but closed it in the back to make it less low-cut. We've added a pretty button placket for a delicate finish, and don't worry, there's no need to contort yourself every morning to fasten them - this blouse slips on from the bottom, with no need to unbutton! The slightly long sleeves give it a blousant look, and you'll be able to roll them up easily during the day. Despite its sophisticated, couture look, it's easy to make. A word of advice, though: don't hesitate to visit your local dressmaker for impeccable buttonholes! Here's the address of our regular alteration shop: Retoucherie du Passage Prado, 12 rue du faubourg Saint Denis, 75010 Paris.
Some useful information about sewing Alma :
- 1.80m of fabric for a width of 1.45m, or 2.20m of fabric for a width of 1.10m,
- 9 buttons, 9 or 10mm,
- 0.50m fusible web,
- and of course the paper pattern to buy here or download it to your pdf subscriber area!
- For fabric, we recommend the usual shirt materials: poplin, satin, crepe (in cotton, viscose, silk or polyester), but there's nothing to stop you making it, as we did, in fine suit wool (found at Sacrés Coupons) or in lace/crochet/guipure for summer! In the latter case, be sure to use cotton tri-fold for the collar and cuffs.
- This top slips on without needing to be unbuttoned, so take your usual size, according to your bust size.
