Completed Project: Colette Jasmine Blouse
The Jasmine blouse
I bought this pattern the moment it was released, but I only got round to actually using it a couple of weeks ago. My original intention was to make it in green, and I even had the fabric set aside for it, but for some reason I just never got around to it.
Worn with my Colette Meringue skirt
Then one day whilst in the wondrous Boyes I spied some cerise ‘hammer satin’ and fell in love. I didn’t know exactly what to use it for (another Anna did cross my mind!), but the price was too good to leave it behind and the colour was beautiful. I decided to give the Jasmine blouse a try.
Hammer satin, whatever that is…
Truthfully, I wish I had left this fabric behind. I’ve been working with satin a lot this year, and so I didn’t really think twice about buying this – I thought I would be able to handle it just as easily as the other types of satin I’ve used recently. WRONG.
I will now pretend to be a secretary… Look! I have a pencil!
This satin was sooooooooooooooooooooooooo slippery (that’s a joke for Julia there) – it was just like liquid! When laid out on the cutting table (a challenge in itself), I only had to touch it lightly with my finger for the fabric to actually ripple like water. Out of all the fabrics I’ve ever used, including chiffon, this was the trickiest to handle. It slid and rippled all over the place, and it was impossible to turn out, and it wouldn’t press! The neck-tie/collar took me over THREE HOURS to turn and press.
This piece took me over three hours to sew because of the STUPID fabric!
Seriously. Three hours of my life I will never get back, spent trying to roll out seams on the right side of the fabric. ARRRGGGHH.
Now I’m taking notes, like a real secretary. I just need a pair of glasses on a chain!
I wasn’t even sure if this was going to look good. I was worried that this stupid fabric was actually too shiny for a blouse. The whole time I was making it I wasn’t sure about it, but I carried on anyway because I don’t like unfinished projects.
Mirror view
Anyway, I mainly finished it. It does still need hemming, but I don’t know if I’m ever actually going to wear it in real life, so there’s no real incentive to hem it – especially as I could just tuck it in like I did for these pictures! It does look nice with my Colette Meringue skirt as pictured here, but this isn’t really a practical look for me. I think if I were to use this pattern again, I would definitely use a light cotton fabric for it, then it would feel that bit less formal.
Not actually hemmed!
I can’t fault the pattern, anyway. As with all Colette Patterns, it is well designed, nicely presented and very clear. It was just the fabric that didn’t work for this project.
So, to summarise, this is not my best creation, but *exaggerates northern accent* YER CAN’T WIN EM ALL CAN YER?! EH?!
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I say hem it, put it in “time out”, and then when you’ve forgotten everything you hate about it you’ll see the lovely blouse that it is instead of the spawn of Satan fabric. 😉 Because it does look lovely on you. 🙂
You may be right! One day it just might fit the bill.
It may be soooooooooooooooooooo slippery but it looks sooooooooooooooooooooo nice! The colour’s great on you, if nothing else. You should wear it more often! x
Thanks lovely! I do like the colour xxx
I just got my indoctrination into the world of satin-sewing. I hear ya on the slippery stuff! I’d used crepe-backed satin that looked WONDERFUL in the finished garments, but was SO. SLIPPERY!!! Your blouse is quite lovely – I’d have to agree with CGCouture here – get away from it for a month or so, and when you come back you’ll be in love with it. I just know it. 😆
Thank you. Maybe in the summer I will suddenly want to wear it!
It actually looks like the perfect summer blouse to me. Love the color!
If only it was called MC Hammer Satin! That’s not even a joke, I don’t know why I’m laughing 😂
Anyway, the colour really suits you, it’s a lovely looking blouse and not too formal at all so you should def wear it. Plus you should make it earn the 3 hours of hell it gave you…
Thanks Sabs 🙂
I think it was well worth the time! That colour is stunning on you and the whole thing looks really well made x
Oh thank you – that’s a kind thing to say! 🙂
I’m with Julia on this. As soon as the your photo came up my first thoughts were how much that colour suited you and what a lovely style. Only you know if the effort was worth your time to use the pattern again. I absolutely love the hem on the skirt!
I think I would use the pattern again, but next time in a light and floaty cotton. The skirt hem is pretty cool! Certainly makes a plain black skirt more interesting.
The colour looks very good on you, don’t relegate it to the unworn section! A silk cotton blend could be perfect for jasmine
Thanks. I love the colour too, it’s what first attracted me to the fabric!
I’d scrolled through this post just looking at the pictures before I read any of your comments about it, and I thought it looks absolutely gorgeous. Seriously, I love this, and it looks great on you! Definitely give it a chance, I think it’s lovely 🙂
Aaaw thanks, I definitely will try it again next summer, I think 🙂