This post is written by Erin of Erin Always.
I’m so excited to share this beautiful rayon chambray fringe blouse today! As I have said before, even though I sometimes start with a picture in my mind of how I want my garment to look, I often tweak things here and there as I go, and so the final result feels a bit like a surprise.
And I looooove this one! I sewed up the Women’s Fringe Blouse and Dress Pattern by Chalk and Notch in this stunning black rayon chambray, and the two couldn’t be more perfect together. Read on for the details on the fabric, and the changes that I made for this look.
First up, the fabric.
This Robert Kaufman rayon is an absolute dream and I literally squealed when Rachael got it in the shop. Though it is listed as black, it obviously reads gray since the horizontal threads are black and the vertical threads are white. I LOVE this about the fabric because it gives a rich color with a beautiful texture. It’s perfect.
Also, since the fabric is 100% rayon it has an incredible fluid drape, however it is slightly more robust than the some other rayon (such as the printed Art Gallery Fabric rayons), which makes it slightly easier to cut and sew. It’s a great mixture of being a slightly heavier rayon, but still very cool and comfortable to wear.
To be totally honest, as soon as this was listed in the shop I bought a few yards of the black and denim colors, and now that I have finished this top I plan to buy the indigo color as well. It’s just one of those fabrics that is so wonderful to sew and wear that you always want to have some available in your stash. Truly.
The only downside to this fabric has an easy fix. The chambray weave means that the edges can start fraying quickly, but luckily that isn’t much of an issue with this pattern in particular because Gabriella does a fantastic job of walking you through a beautiful finish on each step of the garment as you go.
But if you are working on a project that requires several steps before finishing, you might want to start off giving your pieces a quick run through the serger to nip that in the bud.
The pattern.
There was never any doubt given the general fanfare surrounding the Fringe Blouse and Dress Pattern that it was going to be a beauty, but I was so happy once I finished this because I know I’m going to wear it a ton! It’s beautiful, comfortable, the fabric helps it feel a little bit special, and I can easily nurse it in- which is high on my priority list at the moment.
I opted to make the blouse view, with the button up front, and cuffed sleeves. I have sewn quite a few indie designers’ patterns by now, and I have to say that Gabriela’s pattern comes together like a dream! There are small details, like different pattern pieces for the facings and the interfacing for the facings, which results in a beautiful clean finish that is easy to iron and easy to assemble.
Furthermore most of the sections of the garment you finish as you go, so it just kind of looks beautiful the whole time! :) There are so many times that working on a pattern feels like putting together some strange puzzle, and I don’t feel like I really see it coming together until it’s almost finished. But not with this garment. It was a dream.
My Changes.
First up, I have a slightly long torso, so I added 1.5 inches of length to the bodice, reduced the skirt length by 2 inches, and lowered the neckline by .5 inches. I made a few small changes to the pattern as I went, mostly just to see how they would work out, and because I have a tendency not to leave well enough alone. :)
I opted to make the front a full placket instead of just having buttons on the bodice. This was a relatively easy change. Instead of cutting the front skirt on the fold, I cut two separate pieces, and extended the middle by 1.5 inches for the placket.
(For the sake of full disclosure, I had intended to make a dress with a full front placket, sort of a Fringe Dress meets Shirtdress… but I lost one of my second packets of buttons. :( So it became a blouse!)
That said, the top of the blouse does have functional buttons and buttonholes because I need to be able to nurse my little one, but the buttons on the skirt portion are just for show. Because nobody should have to sew buttonholes if they don’t need to sew buttonholes! :)
After looking at many examples of the pattern, I decided to cut out one size down in the bodice to get a slightly more fitted look. However, once I tried on the bodice I decided that I actually preferred a bit of a boxier fit, so I removed the back darts and left the ties off completely.
Even though this was not my original intention, I’m still really happy with this look! The front waist darts to the bust still give some shape, and the back still looks beautiful without the darts. I also finished the hem with a permanent hem tape because I was having trouble getting that beautiful curved hem to stay in place, and gosh it just looks so clean!
Next time I might finish the hem with a wide facing to avoid any unnecessary time at the ironing board. :)
Overall, this rayon chambray fringe blouse is a major win in my book!! I’m already on the hunt for fabric to make a Fringe Dress; although this time I will remember to keep a closer eye on my buttons. :)
Have you made the Fringe Dress? If not, grab a copy here, because you are in for a treat!