Rhapsody Blouse in Liberty Silk Cotton

When I visited New York two years ago, I was fortunate enough to have time for a shopping trip to Mood Fabrics.  My travel friend was good enough to accompany me while my husband stayed at the hotel. She was a great enabler because although, I was pretty much  a rabbit in the head lights at the time and totally overwhelmed by the experience of Mood Fabrics, she wandered around and enthusiastically pulled out rolls of fabric that she thought I might like.  Fortunately, I did go in there with a bit of a shopping list or else I may have walked out with nothing.  This piece of Liberty silk/cotton was not on my shopping list but I am always a sucker for silk cotton so even though this was exorbitantly expensive taking into account the exchange rate at the time I bought it anyway.  I only had one shot at this so cost was not going to be a barrier.

This fabric has always been at the back of my mind but I have since not found a suitable pattern to make it in.  I had two yards so could have made a dress, but I have come to the conclusion that I really don't wear pretty dresses enough to justify making such an expensive piece of fabric into it.  I have however thrashed my two recently made Love Notions Rhapsody blouses so this pattern was the obvious choice.

Because this fabric was like working with butterfly wings I opted to use French seams throughout for durability and just for that extra touch of class.  What I didn't take into account was my seams would be slightly bigger than the 1.25cm that is drafted into the pattern and unfortunately the finished blouse is just slightly too snug.  To say I am disappointed is an understatement.  I am however loosing a bit of weight at the moment so there is hope for this blouse, and actually it is wearable.  I did briefly contemplate unpicking the French seams and overlocking them to give a bit more room but knew that this fabric may rip in the process so I am better off to leave well along and just enjoy it as it is.

Because the fabric is slightly sheer I opted to use a plain white cotton for the yoke lining.  This may also have been a poor choice on a light weight fabric because I feel it gives it just slightly too much heft in the yoke.  Hmm I am hoping this will grow on me as I wear it.  I do know that it will give the blouse a little more strength so may not in hindsight have been a disastrous decision.

I feel given the origins of the fabric, I may have just put too much pressure on myself to produce the perfect garment and although I have ended up with something that is perfectly wearable and I would like in any other situation my expectations are overshadowing my results in a more negative way than is realistic.  Time will tell on that one!  If all is in fact lost, I do have quite a bit of this fabric left so can remake this and the leftover into another garment if time doesn't heal.