Vintage Peasant Blouse: Charm Patterns

I don't know about you, but I hate when I purchase a pattern and visualize it one way on my body, only to discover the garment doesn't match my vision. If  I pay full price for a pattern, then I am very annoyed, which is why I am sometimes leery about purchasing indie patterns.  Maybe it'll work, perhaps it won't but if it does not work than I am $12 to $16 out of pocket.   I purchased the Rita Blouse pattern because I like peasant tops, but unfortunately, I have outgrown the ones I owned.  I thought that this pattern would be an excellent addition to my professional wardrobe pattern stash.  That dream is long gone.  Perhaps it can still be used with a modification or two, but the original design will not work.  

First, let's talk about what I didn't like about this pattern.  My bra straps were showing regardless of the bra I wore.  I suppose I could wear a strapless bra, but I really don't care for strapless bras and only wear them when absolutely necessary.  My dislike of strapless bras is also why I rarely make off the shoulder tops or buy them. However, even after adding the shoulder straps my bra strap still peeked out a little.  I also did not like the placement of the side zipper.  The zipper puckered at the waist when I tucked it in with a skirt, so I wore the top untucked with jeans instead.  

Here's what I liked about the pattern.  It comes in cups sizes which means I didn't have to bother with a full bust adjustment.  I also really like the flutter sleeve and fit in the waist area.  Taping the pattern together was a breeze, and I love that the pattern is set up so that you tape the pattern into sections rather than as one large pattern piece, as a lot of PDF patterns do.  Sometimes taping a PDF pattern together can be a headache if you are working in a small space, so I appreciated the process being broken into sections.  

After taking my measurements, I cut the size 6, cup size C.  Once I finished the pattern and realized I would not be able to wear it on the shoulder without a strapless bra, I tossed it in a drawer on my table.  Yes, I was that frustrated.   About a month ago I decided to look at all the project I had finished but not worn and this was one of them.  I figured to not wear it would mean I wasted a lot of valuable sewing time and I simply was not ok with that. I decided to add shoulder straps to the top, so it would fit my style.  To get the one-inch strap, I cut a four-inch wide rectangle, at the appropriate length and made the strap the same way I usually make bag straps.  The pattern instructions are well written, and Gertie even has a tutorial on inserting the invisible zipper if you are not skilled in that area.  The invisible zipper is in the side seam below the bodice, and you install the zipper upside down so that the zipper pull is at the hem when the top is zipped up.  I made this with a yellow cotton poplin from hobby lobby. All in all, it is not likely that I will make this pattern again this year.  But I will probably pull it back out next summer and tweak it a bit so I can make it without shoulder straps.  Every pattern is not a win, but a new pattern can provide you with an opportunity to learn and grow.