Style Arc Blaire in Upcycled Duvet!

 

I'm very happy with my new Style Arc Blaire blouse! I had a lot of fun making this one. It's the blouse I cut out in April intending to make it for the various upcycling challenges that month - but I have just now had the chance to finish it! 

The lines of this boxy blouse are really interesting -- lots of chance to play with colour and/or print. I picked up this duvet from the thrift store a few months ago, finding the print irresistible. It's a lightweight cotton-poly blend, quite crisp but not a heavy fabric. Perfect for this blouse, both for the stripe play and for the double layer required on the bottom part of the pattern. 

I found this a straightforward pattern for Style Arc. The instructions are of course quite sparse, being Style Arc. But they are logical, and there are some illustrations for the more confusing bits, which was very helpful. The most unique thing about this pattern is that the bottom piece is two layers: the inner is a straight bottom band , and the outer has a large U-shaped cutout on the sides, to highlight the underlayer, whether that is stripes in a different direction, like mine, or any colour blocking you might be doing. It's quite fun! I did find the U angle a bit hard to hem neatly, but that could be because my fabric has zero give at all. In a cotton or linen you might be able to smooth out the curves a little more easily. But my fabric is so busy it hides the small wrinkles so it all works out LOL! 

I love the cut on sleeve as well, it's just the right size for my preferences. There is a sleeve cuff, which gave me another option to play with stripe direction. The instructions are to sew the outer cuff, turn it under and stitch in the ditch to catch the inside. With the small size and angles I thought that would be too fussy for me, so I just sewed the cuff on in one go with a zigzag finish and pressed toward the bodice. That was very easy and gives a tidy finish as well. 

I was really lucky to find the perfect buttons in my stash. I had a card of vintage buttons that were just the right size and finish for this blouse. I had another set in mind at first, but found they were too shiny and distracted from the black tones of the blouse. These ones are matte and have just a little extra interest to them. I love how they run down the white stripe on the button placket. 

This is super comfortable - the fit is great. The only alterations I made were just for length - I added 2" to the bottom sections only. I like this length and the whole vibe is a lot of fun. I'm really happy with this one, so glad I finished it :)