Pattern Description: Live your best Parisian life with the ‘perfect’ blouse. C’est très Chic! The carnation blouse features a narrow collar, with an optional gathered frill. The blouse features an optional clever hem panel that allows you to create the perfect tucked in blouse, no more bulky scrunching or riding up. Choose between short sleeves with a frill at the hem or long sleeves which finish with a cuff and clever button insert.

Pattern Sizing: Sizes 6-30 with B & D cup. I made the size 6 with the B cup.

Were the instructions easy to follow? For the most part. I did get confused about where the ruffle was supposed to start on the collar stand and had to unpick, but that might have been a me-thing. I am not that great at following directions.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I love that the design is very similar to a popular Sezanne blouse. I've been looking for this type of pattern for YEARS.

I do not like the cuff treatment at all. I would prefer a slit so I can roll up my sleeves. If I were to sew this again I would sub in a traditional sleeve placket.

Fabric Used: Minerva Core Range Stripe Yarn Dyed Cotton Chambray Fabric Black. This fabric was so easy to work with. Very stable but still fairly lightweight. It's a great fabric for a shirt. It might be borderline too thick for this particular pattern because of the ruffles and yoke gathers but I think it still works. I did not try to match the stripes because they were so narrow.

Changes/alterations: I graded to an 8 at the upper back to account for my broad back. I did a 2" small bust adjustment. I had to shorten the sleeves 3.5". I would consider the pattern sleeves to be extra long--I normally shorten about 2-2.5". The pattern sizing would have put me in a size 10 at the hips but the 6 worked fine because the pattern has so much ease. I did not bother putting buttons on the collar stand or at the very top as I will never wear it done up all the way because of my short neck.

Would you sew it again? Possibly. I do think the shirt would drape better in a lighter, more fluid fabric like a rayon or cotton voile. Mine does tend to stand out a bit but after wearing it I don't think I really mind.

Conclusion: I thought I was going to absolutely love this shirt but I think I just like it. It's not terrible and maybe my fabric choice could have been better. Perhaps the design isn't 100% right for me. I'm honestly not sure. I don't hate it and I will wear it but I also cannot say that it's a new closet staple. I guess my final verdict on me would be "Good, not great."

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