An Olive and Pink Everyday Blouse

I made myself an olive and pink everyday blouse, y’all.  And, it’s ticking all the happy boxes.

Tremendously wearable but not at all boring. Check!  Comfortable but not frumpy. Check! Full of elegant but not-at-all fussy details. Check! Fulfills my commitment to make a blouse for Project Sew It.  Check!    Awesome addition to my handmade closet. Check! Check! check!

I’ve been crushing on this pattern since it came out. The Everyday Blouse was released through UpCraft Club and designed by Rachel, the Brazilian designer and endlessly talented sewist behind House of Pinhiero.

Look at these lovely, unexpected details!  It’s got elastic ruching at the shoulder and a side zipper. It even has a wonderful elbow dart. I mean, seriously.  There are these little hints of Rachel’s love of couture written all over this pattern.

The only thing I don’t love about the pattern is the inside (front and back) facings.  I always find facings add bulk and sometimes show. I will say that considering it has a facing, it is designed really well so it doesn’t show through but I’m going to have to do some sleuthing to figure out how to use a bias binding instead.

I can definitely see making another Everyday Blouse in a silk or other lightweight fabric where a facing would show through.

As it is, this fabulous fabric is an olive linen with hot pink feathers.  It has a bit of weight to it which gives it a great drape. My husband bought it for me from Faberwood a long time ago (looks like it is sold out now).  I have been holding onto this fabric, waiting for the ‘right’ moment for a long time so I was thrilled that I had enough of it to make this blouse.

Speaking of ticking off the boxes, It has occurred to me that what I am really looking for when I sew clothing for myself is a way to elevate basic wardrobe elements.  I am still buying only handmade or sewing my own but I realized that secondhand stores are full of the basics. I can thrift for that stuff.  What is hard to find is something with that little bit more.  I’m not the type to stitch up a retro dress or anything with finicky fitting issues but I want to be sewing shirts like this one that make the everyday a little more fun.

It feels good to be finding that balance between what I buy secondhand and what I sew for myself. Feels like I am learning how to make the Nothing New Project concept more and more sustainable as I ease into my third year.