Patsy's Sew Over It Viscose Pussy Bow Blouse

Hey there, Sew Me Sunshiners!

It’s Patsy here and I’m very excited to be sharing my first Sew Me Sunshine post with you.

I have had the Sew Over It Pussy Bow Blouse for absolutely ages but never got around to actually making it. To be completely honest, the fact that the pattern calls for drapey (read super slippery) fabrics has been putting me off a bit. I have worked with viscose in the past and it wasn’t as straight forward as I would’ve liked. Tricky to cut, fraying easily, slipping around while I’m trying to sew. It can be a trying experience.

However, I do like a challenge and this Pastel Cracks viscose by See You at Six looked like the perfect fabric for a Pussy Bow Blouse. It’s a subtle geometric print in pink, mint green, orange, light and dark grey. Harriet always has loads of gorgeous viscose fabrics and it’s quite tough to pick a favourite. But I’ve already got some Atelier Brunette lined up for my next one.

I needn’t have worried about how this fabric would behave. It was a dream to work with. Yes, it shifts a little more than cotton when you’re cutting it out. But being just that bit more careful goes a long way. My rotary cutter was a star as well! It sewed up beautifully. Some of the viscose I used in the past frayed if I just looked at it. Not the case here. Turns out that great quality fabric really does make a difference, eh? Who knew?

I chose the keyhole opening version, which has the tie around the neck and I love the way it looks. I think it’s a versatile top and I’ll be able to dress it up with a nice skirt or just pair it with some jeans and pumps for a more casual, day to day look. The fabric is also lovely to wear. It’s soft and lightweight. Great for layering in the colder months and wonderful in warmer weather, too.

The blouse is a very easy, beginner friendly project. There are no buttonholes, no zips nor any other tricky fastenings. There are also no darts since it’s a loose-fitting top. You don’t need to interface anything either, which I appreciate as I find that one of the most boring bits of the sewing process. All of that makes for a very simple sewing project that can be whipped up in an afternoon.

The pattern itself sewed up like a dream. I’m usually a size 10 on the Sew Over It chart and that’s what I went with. I didn’t make any adjustments to the pattern; which was foolish, as I always need to push the shoulder seam forward a little with Sew Over It patterns. Duh! It isn’t a really big deal and it doesn’t bother me when I’m wearing it. But I have already corrected the pattern for my next version.

I really liked the way the cuffs are finished as well. Every blouse I’ve ever made has had a fiddly bound edge around the cuff but that’s not the case here. You just fold the seam allowance over twice. So clever! I picked these little black buttons because they looked cute as a contrast to the fabric and I really like the way they look.

I really love this blouse and I know I’ll get lots of wear out of it. You can find me sporadically at www.patsypoomakes.com or several times a week on Instagram as @patsypoomakes.

***As a member of the Sew Me Sunshine blogger team, the fabric for this project was sent to me free of charge. I chose which pattern I wanted to make and all opinions expressed on this blog post are my own.***

PatsyPoo is originally from Brasil but has been in West Yorkshire since 2002. She has been married for 18 years. She has a sausage dog called Johnnie and a lot more time on her hands now that her 2 children are in secondary school. She spends that time sewing, knitting, reading and baking when she can be bothered with the washing up afterwards. Her favourite thing to sew are shirts and her favourite thing to knit are socks.