Queen of Dots, an Dotted FO!

For my second item for the Queen of Dots wardrobe, I decided to sew the top from Image Wear 1002.  Image Wear is a printed pattern line by Made by Oranges, who also publish the Image Wear magazine.   I'm pretty sure I got this pattern for free when I bought one of their magazine packs of back issues.

I really like the pattern photograph - bows are still a big trend and I thought it would work really well with the lightweight crepe I had chosen for this pattern.  The pattern pieces are given on a pattern sheet that looks like a Burda Style magazine pattern sheet.  I traced the size 42 based on my measurements, and made my standard adjustments, which are a 3/4" dartless FBA (from the Fast Fit book by Sandra Betzina), a 3/4" swayback adjustment, and adding 1" to the sleeve length. There are no seam allowances included on these pattern pieces, which makes the alterations a bit easier to manipulate.

The bow and collar are two separate items on this blouse, not a continuous collar that you tie in the front.  As with many European patterns, the pieces for the collar and bow are given as dimensions you need to cut out, no physical pattern piece is given.  The layout diagram shows the collar and bow being cut on the cross-grain.  I briefly considered how the collar would look as I didn't think it would drape around the curve of the neckline very nicely if it was cut on the cross-grain.  That being said, I also figured the pattern drafters would know better so I ignored the niggling feeling I had about the collar and plowed ahead.  

I'm pretty sure you know where this is going.  Here's what happened when I attached my collar.  

Not the look I was going for.  I tried folding it under like a facing or binding, but it puckered the body of the blouse like mad.  I unpicked it and restitched it with a different method and had the same result.  So I hacked off the collar, tossed it in the bin and used commercially made single fold narrow bias tape to finish it instead.

The rest of the construction was easy.  Initially, I decided to leave off the bow given the issues I had with the collar but then decided to finish the bow, and attach it with a safety pin like a brooch for a removable accessory.  It gives me some flexibility and I can also use the bow on other pieces of my SWAP if I like. 

If I make this again, I will draft collar pieces either to be cut on the bias or use a facing instead.  I really like the blouson effect that the elastic finish at both the lower hem and the wrists gives.  I think it's a pretty, feminine touch.

This will go well with the remainder of my planned Queen of Dots SWAP wardrobe.  More to come!