I received a color consultation for a Christmas gift last year and have been very intentional about all of my new makes this year being in my “calm summer” color palette. As a calm summer my best colors are cool, light, and muted. When I saw this Atelier Brunette Viscose Crepe in “River” I knew it would fit perfectly into the wardrobe I was creating. I quickly ordered the fabric and was excited to receive it. The color was perfect, exactly as pictured, and even better was how buttery soft this gorgeous fabric felt!

This year I have also been purchasing The Everyday Style School’s seasonal capsule wardrobe guides in an effort to keep my style up-to-date. Jen at The Everyday Style School is often talking about “beyond basic” tops and I knew the Love Notions Rhapsody would be the perfect beyond basic addition to my summer capsule wardrobe. I love the style lines of the pattern and had purchased it on sale last fall, but thought it would be a more complicated sew and hadn’t tried it yet. What was I waiting for?! The Rhapsody looks so polished and put together, effortless style, but is a quick and easy make that can be elevated with different sewing techniques like French seams and bias tape finishes.

I made the size extra small with a cap sleeve and no tassels. I finished the interior with French seams and followed Whitney @tomkatstitchery's tutorial for finishing the neckline with bias tape. In fact, I made my own bias tape out of the remaining fabric and was glad to have bias tape with the same weight. I’ve learned that the trick to making bias tape with a soft and shifty fabric is to spray the fabric with Best Press, a spray starch, and iron before cutting bias strips. I thought this would be the most tedious part of making the Rhapsody and I put it off until the end, but it turned out to be my very favorite part. I made 10 yards of bias tape in about an hour!

I love how soft this fabric is; it has a great hand. I couldn’t be more thrilled with how my Rhapsody turned out and plan to make this pattern at least once more this summer. The pattern has almost endless variations so I certainly won’t tire of it soon. When I do make it again I’m contemplating a small sway back adjustment as I have a bit of extra fabric at my lower back. Is that an adjustment you would make?

Pattern: Love Notions Rhapsody Blouse
Size: Extra Small
Fabric: 1.5 meters of Minerva’s Atelier Brunette Viscose Crepe in River
Time: 6 hours, including making the bias tape

Cost to Make:
pattern - $7.20 on sale, $12.50 regularly
printing - $13 for printing on tissue at Sublime Grafx, including shipping
fabric - approximately $39 value, including shipping (converted to USD)
*thread from stash
TOTAL VALUE: $64.50

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