New Pattern Release: The Harriet Blouse
I’m so excited to write this blog post today! A few months ago, my dear friend Mijke reached out to me on Instagram telling me about this incredible project she was working on: her first pattern with the lovely Isabel from @_beletoile_. Now I’ve never met Mijke (@sewitcurly) in person, but I absolutely love her Instagram and got to know her well through that platform. She has a heart of gold and is stunning inside and out. So I was touched that she was sharing this with me. I was so excited for her. What I also didn’t expect was that she wanted me to be a part of this journey with her! This brings me to today and to this blog post. After months of work, and a few delays due to covid, this wonderful pattern has been released into the wild. Introducing the Harriet Blouse, aptly named after Mijke’s mother. She taught her how to sew at the age of 9 and was always cheering her on. If that doesn’t give you all the feels, then you my friend need to check your emotions because that’s the sweetest thing!
I was fortunate enough to help test the Harriet and to also be part of the modeling squad. I don’t know if that’s really what you call it, but that’s what I’m going with. To work alongside Mijke, Isabel and Atia (@thebrightblooms) was a dream come true and it was such a good team to be with. I ended up making two versions of the Harriet. Before I go into the details I would like to make it clear that this blog post is done on my own accord because I truly love what I made and I was in no way asked to blog about this, and all words and opinions are my own. Alright, let’s talk about the first one!
The first was my tester and again I was part of such a dynamic group of individuals. We were all from different countries and all different sizes. It was great to see all the versions and all the chat about what needed to be improved. This is always a fabulous sign that that final product is just going to be so good! For my version I shortened my sleeves and that was a mistake on my part. I’m not the most familiar with high cuffs. So once I put the cuffs on it looked great but I couldn’t reach my hands up! What a silly mistake! So I ended up getting creative and putting ties at the bottom of my sleeve which is such a fun design element. I love how it looks like you wouldn’t even think it came from an error! The only other thing I did was also shorten the bodice but ended up taking off too much length (oops, I did it again). So I made note of those errors to not repeat them! For my tester I used a crisp cotton and it was a magical sew. Everything came together wonderfully aside from my self-inflicted errors.
For my final version I was using this amazing fabric by Atelier Brunette gifted from @ansjehandmade. It was so luscious with the slightest amount of stretch. I knew it wasn’t going to be as easy to sew as the crisp cotton I opted for earlier, but I trusted Mijke and went with it. I have to admit, this is probably the most luscious thing I’ve made. Now I know I make dresses and I know I’ve made things out of other fabrics before, but this fabric in this pattern is pure magic honestly. Was it a little bit of a slog while sewing? Yes. The fabric with the slight stretch meant precision was key. Lots and lots and lots of pins being used to keep things in place. But my goodness was it worth it! It feels unbelievable on my skin and any family members that I showed refused to believe I made it. They genuinely thought I bought a high fashion shirt from a brand name. This will also be a perfect time to mention the concise instructions Mijke and Isabel have put together. There’s even two methods throughout: the couture method and the fast method. It really makes this pattern all that more special. I did the fast method due to timings but I cannot wait to try the couture method for my next one!
Overall, this pattern is very much for the more intermediate sewer and a confident beginner if you feel like tackling something more challenging. The instructions are thorough with pictures all along the way. There’s two views that you can alternate features on. My version was a rounded collar with the invisible placket, gathered yoke at the front, puff sleeves and high cuffs. But you can choose to do a pointed collar, darts at the front instead of the gathering at the front, button placket in view, a standard sleeve and standard cuffs. It’s an exceptional pattern with the finest details which I wouldn’t expect anything less from Mijke and Isabel. I cannot wait to make another and I really encourage you to check out the hashtag to see all the other makes. They’re truly works of art from each individual. So join me in congratulating Mijke on her first pattern. This is just the start of something amazing and I was just fortune to be brought on for the ride!
