The Wardrobe Architect's Juliet Blouse

I have had the Juliet Blouse on my to-make list for over a year and I finally got round to making it. I don’t know why it has taken me so long, it is such a speedy, satisfying sew!

I was sent this fabulous spotty viscose fabric from Doughty‘s. It has a large spot print on a dark black background and it has a slight sheen to it, which I wasn’t expecting but it works really well to make the top a little dressier.

The fabric was a bit slippery to work with and also quite bouncy. It does have a lovely fluid drape and excellent movement. As the top pattern is so simple, with no darts and grown on sleeves, it needs a slinky fabric to allow it to sit right. A stiff cotton would stand away from the body and look boxy.

The top consists of 3 pattern pieces; front/back, neck facing and tie. I found everything lined up as it should and was really easy to put together. Further to this, as there are no darts or sleeves there was no fitting involved. The shape and style are relaxed, so as long as you pick a size based on your measurements you probably won’t need to do any fit adjustments.

I overlocked all my seam allowances, as the fabric does fray a little. I think French seams would be a good option for this top, especially as there are so few seams. To get the neck facing to sit flat I understitched it, pressed it and then handstitched it to the shoulder seams. I really hate facings that flip out and think it’s worth doing the little bit of extra work needed to keep them in place.

I tried tying the bow from the waist ties to the front as well as the back and really like the way it looks.

In the heat this has been a joy to wear as it is so cool and floaty and the ties can be relaxed to make it looser.

The top is really easy to wear. The fabric doesn’t crease too easily so it still looks good after several hours of wearing, which is such a bonus for me! The subtle sheen in the fabric makes the top a little smarter, but it’s not too shiny. I almost wish I’d lengthened this to turn it into a dress, but it is pretty versatile as a top. Maybe I’ll plan a dress one next, I might end up making one in another year!