Rachael from Imagine Gnats is joining us on the Pattern Parade catwalk today! Rachael is a busy blogger, fabric shop owner, pattern designer and Mum of two cute little girls but still she, like most of us sewing enthusiasts, manages to find time to sew lots of gorgeous things.
Today Rachael is showing off her new Waterfall Blouse. Isn’t it just pretty? Visit Imagine Gnats to see more lovely photos of Rachael in her blouse.
The only thing I did differently was to bind the neckline as I would usually bind a tshirt instead of using bias binding as the original pattern states.
I found that the shirt was way too long for my liking when made out of knit fabric – perhaps because of the way that it clings to your body more? So I ended up trimming a couple of inches off the length before hemming. I would also suggest going down a size for a more fitted top when using knit fabric. I sewed the same size I wear in woven fabric and it ended up pretty roomy, which is fine for maternity purposes, but I’d want it a little smaller if I wasn’t pregnant.
One of my pattern testers used a knit fabric to test the pattern and she put a fitted waistband on the bottom of the top for hers. It looked amazing and I’m planning on using some of my left-over fabric to do the same once I’m not pregnant anymore to help the top look a little more fitted.
These photos were taken 2 weeks ago…I’m amazed at how much I’ve grown in just 2 weeks – and scared to think about how much bigger I’m going to get with 4 weeks to go!!!
This pattern has proved to be SO popular (especially in the PDF download department) – I can’t wait to see what you sew up with it. Make sure you send me pics or links to your blog posts or add to my Flickr group.
I got this fabric from Spotlight. I know I’m always going on about how dodgy Spotlight is, but I do manage to find a few decent fabrics every now and then. It seems that they do one thing well every season – last time I went in there were some great dress fabrics. This one is a crepe and is really lightweight and doesn’t crush at all – I love not having to iron after washing!
For some more Waterfall Blouse inspiration – check out Ashley’s lovely maternity wear here and a gorgeous Nani Iro version by Miss Matatabi here. Thanks girls – they are just beautiful!
And don’t forget to Show Your Stuff in the competition here – you’ve got 1 week left to enter!
I’ve been getting requests for maternity patterns for years! And I’ve had good intentions to produce one, but I guess it took me being pregnant to give me the motivation to get to work. This top started out totally different in sketch-form and it was a lot trickier than I anticipated to come up with a pattern for a top that would easily suit both pregnant and non-pregnant women. My biggest priority was to make sure that the pattern could be used for all women, not just those who are pregnant, whilst still achieving a flattering maternity-style.
The Waterfall Blouse ticks all those boxes and more! I’ll share some pics in a few days of my (not pregnant) sister-in-law wearing the same top as I’m wearing above to show you how the top can easily fit us both. I’m especially excited about having some tops that I can comfortably wear after I’ve had the baby – ones that look pretty but help to cover the post-baby bulges and are easy to breastfeed in.
If you would like to win a copy of the Waterfall Blouse pattern, simply leave a comment on this blog post!
(Please
make sure you leave an email address with your comment. Giveaway will
close Sunday 31st March and winner will be drawn at random).
SUPPLIES:
Make It Perfect,Waterfall Blouse pattern
Nani Iro, Little Letter Cotton Compass in Blue
Kaffe Fassett, Shot Cotton in lichen
Kaffe Fassett, Shot Cotton in navy
Kaffe Fassett, Shot Cotton in black (hand-dyed)
Liberty of London, Classic Tana Lawn, Ceaser in black
Liberty of London, Classic Tana Lawn, Mitsi in green
Liberty of London, Classic Tana Lawn, Elysian in light green