Skip to main content

Made by a Fabricista: Emerald Green Silk Georgette Blouse!

Image
By
StyleArc Dotty Blouse made with a silk double georgette


Hi everybody! I'm back this week on the blog with my first make in 2019: a silk georgette blouse! I just love to make my own silk tops and not have to pay big bucks for something similar in RTW, so I didn't hesitate a second when I saw this silk georgette on FM's new arrivals page not long ago - I knew it would be great paired with a pattern I love, the Dotty Blouse by StyleArc.


I was on tight schedule and this project had to be a quick one: December was hectic for me and I was a bit late for ordering, and on top of that with the Holidays the postal service takes longer than usual, so I received my fabric just a couple of days before my post was due. I don't know if you're like me, but I do have a couple of TNT patterns I have perfected over the years; isn't it great when you know you can just pull a pattern from your stash and whip up a project in a day or two?


Close up of the criss cross front drape


I modified the sleeves and added sleeve tabs


The fabric:

Silk has always been one of my favorite fabrics and Fabric Mart always has a great selection of silks, often from designer closeouts. This one is from designer Halston and is a double georgette (with lycra), which means it has more substance and is less sheer than regular georgette. I use my serrated Kai scissors 7240S to make the cutting easier.

As you can see from the pictures, this silk has a beautiful crepey texture and tremendous drape, which makes it perfect for a criss cross blouse like the Dotty.

As you can imagine it sold out quickly, but if you'd like inspiration for a similar project there is some beautiful georgette on this page.


This silk has great drape!


Details of the back of the Dotty Blouse: soft gathers falling from the yoke and tiny rounded hem


Probably due to artificial light, the colour appears more blue in the pictures than it is in real life. This  silk is a beautiful emerald green - I thought a jewel tone would be great to illuminate the complexion when the skin is light deprived during the short days of January!


A quick word about the pattern: 

If you are interested, the pattern I used is the Dotty Blouse by StyleArc. I made a size 6 and added 1/8'' to the side seams (the back is very straight) and modified the sleeves. I eliminated the cuffs and added a sleeve tab borrowed from another blouse. I like to wear my sleeves rolled, so I finished them with french seams since the seams show when worn this way.




This is the hem in the back of the blouse




The thread I used to make this tiny hem is Gutermann Mara 150. A light thread like this one (Tex 20 , compared to Tex 30 for regular all purpose thread), combined with a fine sharp needle like a Microtex Schmetz needle size 70, allows you to make a no sweat narrow hem in a lightweight fabric like silk georgette. Why not make justice to such a beautiful fabric with the right tools?


My tools: a Schmetz Microtez needle size 70, Gutermann Mara thread 150, and Kai serrated scissors 7240S for cutting 'difficult' fabrics like chiffon, georgette, etc.






I also serged the side seams using this thread - I converted my Huskylock 905 to a 2 thread stitch and finished the seams after having sewn them on the regular sewing machine. This way the seam stays weightless and the thread doesn't make an imprint when you press; a great way to get a beautiful, clean finish.



French seams for the sleeves: look at how the stitches disappear in the fabric!





I will leave it there for now. I will see you again in February and in the meantime I wish you some quality time with your sewing machine!

Virginie
from

Comments

  1. Linda TJanuary 9, 2019 at 8:02 AM

    Beautiful workmanship and beautiful blouse!

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousJanuary 9, 2019 at 9:08 AM

    Wonderful! I would like to learn what method you used for the narrow hem - they look incredibly perfect!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. VirginieJanuary 12, 2019 at 9:34 AM

      Thanks! For the narrow hem, I just sew a straight stitch 1/8'' from the edge, then turn 2 times and topstitch at 1/8''. The light thread (Gutermann Mara 150) and the Microtex needle make all the difference.

      Delete
  3. Ann BrodskyJanuary 9, 2019 at 4:09 PM

    Wow, that is so beautiful! Your narrow hem is perfection! Thanks for the tips on the thread type, two thread serger setting, and needles that you used. I have made this pattern, but have a hard time getting it to not open up all the way to the belly button. Yours seems to be laying perfectly- did you do anything special to get it to do that?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. VirginieJanuary 9, 2019 at 8:45 PM

      Thank you Ann! Of course this blouse needs either a cami underneath or a stud press to keep the front in place. I let it that way only for the pictures, I will wear mine with a cami! :-)

      Delete
  4. KS_Sews (Dressmakingbacles)January 9, 2019 at 8:07 PM

    That fabric is PERFECT for that pattern! It's beautiful and so well sewn!

    ReplyDelete
  5. KarenJanuary 9, 2019 at 10:53 PM

    Beautiful!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Sue ParrottJanuary 12, 2019 at 8:02 AM

    Virginie, this is just so gorgeous! So well executed!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Elizabeth Made ThisFebruary 3, 2019 at 2:01 PM

    Wow!!! This fabric has such gorgeous drape and you picked the perfect pattern for it. Everything is so clean and lovely! I have those same Kais for fabrics like this, and they are a gamechanger!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. VirginieFebruary 12, 2019 at 9:01 PM

      Thank you Elizabeth! Yes, isn't it a real pleasure to work with those Kais?

      Delete

Post a Comment

Thanks for leaving a comment! All comments are reviewed before posting to help us eliminate spam. Your comment will be posted within 24 hours.

Popular Posts You Might Like

Made By A Fabricista: Bold Aspen Dress for Spring

By
 As I write this in mid-April, central New Jersey weather is showing small signs of spring. My neighbor’s daffodils are blooming and our magnolia tree is trying to unfold its vibrant magenta petals. I am in the midst of preparing my wardrobe for the warmer months, even if we are still huddling against windy 30 degree days. For me, warm weather means linen. I love breathable, floaty linen sundresses and drapey, loose linen wide-leg pants. My vision for a spring piece was something bold and bright, inspired by the natural colors of blooming flowers, but also something that could transition well between the warmer and cooler months. When I saw Fabric Godmother’s Apsen Dress, I knew that it had the sensible transitional opportunities I was looking for while also providing a blank canvas for fun prints, patterns and colors. With the pattern in mind, I then turned to the stunning linen collection that Fabric Mart always has on hand to see what colors or patterns would best suit my visio...
1 comment
Continue Reading »

Made By A Fabricista: Celebrating warm weather with Spring sewing!

By
Hi sewing friends! I don’t know about you but boy, was winter cold and dreary this year! The weather here in the Philadelphia area has been slowly improving, but Spring sure did take her sweet old time to arrive. So by April, I was definitely in the headspace of needing to sew up things that were either bright and cheery or meant for the warmer weather I am very much craving right now. I recently purchased a few SewBexx Patterns so I took them on a test run to create some Spring makes. First on my list was to make a top using this absolutely gorgeous ITY fabric I picked up last year. I had two yards which was enough for a long sleeve shirt. I chose the Olivia top, which is oversized with a drop shoulder, has multiple lengths and a split hem. I think the pattern is intended for heavier fabrics but I was envisioning how lovely this top would look with the drape of ITY knit fabric, and it did not disappoint. It came together for me quickly and was a straight forward sew…and I love the br...
1 comment
Continue Reading »

Made By A Fabricista: Stripes For Spring

By
Hi everyone!   It’s finally warming up here in southeastern Pennsylvania and I wanted to make a light, flowy dress for springtime. I snagged a vintage Laura Ashley pattern from Joanns on one of my last trips there. I somehow didn’t have anything in my pattern stash with a sweetheart neckline, so I thought it would be a good addition. The pattern calls for a giant gathered skirt, so I knew I would need something lightweight and drapey for it.  Something like a pink striped cotton fine seersucker. The fabric is light and has a really nice drape, almost like a challis . I knew it would gather beautifully. I  got to work cutting everything out, with help from my assistant. When I say the skirt is massive I mean it.  I ran into an issue right away where my fabric isn't wide enough to cut the back panel without opening the fabric out. And my three yards of fabric wasn’t enough to cut two back panels. I ran into this issue last year when making my pinafore dress . In ...
1 comment
Continue Reading »