From the moment I first opened Love at First Stitch I couldn't wait to make a Mimi blouse. As a complete beginner I took some time to practise my skills first, and eventually took the plunge ahead of the Love at First Stitch meet up at the Knit and Stitch show last autumn. I had my fabric bought, washed and ready to go so it was just a case of getting down to it!Fabric
I spent a while thinking about what I wanted to use for this top... obviously I was tempted to use Tilly's photos as inspiration, and I did wonder if a cheaper plain fabric might be more prudent for my first attempt. In the end I used an Atelier Brunette cotton that had an interesting design to make more of a statement piece. This is the Angele design, with a Gutermann 111 to match. I bought it at Maud's Fabric Finds with a 20% discount code that they had in honour of their anniversary...this made £14 a metre a lot more affordable!
I loved sewing with this fabric because it did everything it was meant to do easily! It feels very comfortable to wear too. As you can see from the photo above, it is ever so slightly see through in daylight, and you can also see where the fabric has more than one layer (I think this shirt needs a vest underneath). I did have some buttons that could be covered in the fabric but once I had made up the shirt it looked a bit overkill so I used another pack from the stash.
I loved sewing with this fabric because it did everything it was meant to do easily! It feels very comfortable to wear too. As you can see from the photo above, it is ever so slightly see through in daylight, and you can also see where the fabric has more than one layer (I think this shirt needs a vest underneath). I did have some buttons that could be covered in the fabric but once I had made up the shirt it looked a bit overkill so I used another pack from the stash.
Instructions and pattern
The pattern is included in a sleeve at the back of the book and needs to be traced off of the paper before using. Being a Tilly pattern it was really easy to trace the size I needed as she keeps everything very clear and simple, with as few pieces as possible.
The instructions are broken down into very simple steps accompanied by colour photos to make it simple to follow. Nothing seemed too complicated even though there were a while bunch of new skills that I was trying to master... gathers, collars, pleats and button placement to name a few! Most of these new skills worked out first time, but I think I deviated slightly when it came to the button placement as my top button is a tiny bit too low. That is more my skills rather than the pattern though!
Fitting and conclusions
I didn't make any alterations as I went along, and the shirt is a pretty good fit. It is roomy enough to move about comfortably and looks best tucked into trousers and skirts. The sleeve and gather details are unusual details that I will look forward to seeing in different fabrics and colours in future. The sleeves are a little tight (but I do have quite chunky upper arms so next time I will need to grade the openings out a little). I'm glad I decided to slipstitch the sleeve openings as well (even though I hate doing it) as they look much better.
I was expecting this pattern to be a lot more difficult than it was in the end. This is mainly because the instructions and pattern pieces are so clear and simple. I class myself as a beginner, but you really need to have had some practice before making this. If you are working through the projects in the book it should be fine though. I also had a brilliant fabric to work with that did everything it was meant to!
I definitely recommend giving this one a go, and will be making another in a lightweight non-patterned fabric that is a little more crease resistant next time (the Angele loves to crease when you've been moving about).
Do you have a Mimi to share?
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