First I must apologise for those who have had issues trying to comment on my blog over the last week or so. I won’t bore you with the tecchie issues but suffice to say all is now good at Ooobop HQ! (touch wood!) Thanks for bearing with.
It feels so good to be able to write a post. I knew how much this blog meant to me but didn’t realise quite how much. I found out quick enough when I thought I’d lost nearly 2.5 years of work! I’ve been such a bloomin’ grumpy pants all week, Mr O will tell you for nothing!
I feel like I should be making a bit more of a dramatic re-entrance, but I’m afraid we’ll just have to make do with a humble gingham peasant blouse.
It’s a very nice gingham peasant blouse though. Care of Burda’s June 2011 edition Mag. It’s also available for download here where it’s featured in a sheer fabric.
I’ve made three sleeveless ones before but this one has long sleeves and no elastic. And it presented a fine oopportunity to create some bias gingham binding around the neckline and cuffs which is always lovely!
The fabric was sold to me as Egyptian cotton, which I had no reason to dispute. It is smooth and cool to the touch and feels like fine quality. But the pyromaniac in me is compelled to do a burn test, always. And the little black crumbly ash that resulted, confirmed the fibres as a poly blend, doh! Win some lose some. Should’ve sniffed a rat at £5.99 really!
But not a worry as it still feels nice against my skin and it’s not snug on the pits so remains a good choice for a warm summer’s day or an office with failed air-con.
The instructions suggested a gathered hem into another bias band but I was nervous about too much poof around my middle and given that I almost always tuck in my tops I just did a standard hem. But, note to self, I didn’t increase the length enough to compensate, and with one wave across the street, it comes untucked, whether I’ve tucked it in my pants or not!
It’s very quick to make if you can even up your gathers quickly. I faffed a bit too much with my gathers as usual, but it still got completed in an evening.
I love the raglan sleeves and the boatneck. So easy to wear. Great with a pencil and equally a circle skirt. And the plan is to make some capri pants one day, just like Burda’s styling, to come somewhere close to that retro Brigitte look.
Peasant blouse: Burda pattern, handmade by ooobopSkirt: self-drafted & handmade by ooobop
Belt: H&M
Shoes: Rocket Originals
Photography: © Daniel James Photographic
I’d never have looked at that rather limp looking blouse over on the Burda link and imagined it in a gorgeous, fresh looking gingham – I must give my imagination a bit of a stir. It looks great with a skirt and will look very Bardoesque with capri pants.
Nobody would know a bit of poly has snuck in there but, I’m intrigued, what is the test you did to produce the crumbly ash?
lol! I know what you mean. I’d like to think it was because I saw past that one but there was another version in black and white gingham, just cant find it online and didn’t get round to scanning the mag. I too need to try harder to see past their styling because i’m sure there is lots more I’m missing out on!
Re burn test: I cut a small strip of the fabric and lit the end using a lighter. I let it burn about a third of the way and then drop it into a flameproof dish so I don’t burn the house down, and then study the result. If its a fine ash or dust it is a natural fibre, if it is crumbly, its usualy a blend and if it doesn’t crumble at all and stinks to high heaven, you can bet your life its synthetic!
I’m going to do that test right now – just for the hell of it.
Obviously I will take all safety precautions but, in the event of a hideous mishap, I wonder what the insurance company would make of the explanation that I was lighting bits of fabric.
You take care now! Some of those synthetics are like flame-throwers!
Oh wow! new to your blog but loving it…..your images are so fresh and that Gingham is fab…off to check out that Burda Mag
bestest daisy j
Thanks Daisy. That’s very sweet of you. I was quite shocked when I realised it was 3 years back. Time just whizzes by. Must be having too much fun!! 🙂
Very Cute. The whole ensemble looks great, well done. Glad everything worked out ok with the computer.
Thanks Veronica. Feels good to be back on track 🙂
You have made gingham (which I love) look very chic! This is a beautiful blouse and beautifully styled! Now I know why I have not been able to leave a message for you! I have been trying to let you know that I nominated you to partake in the “writing process” blog hop that is slowly making the rounds. Please go to my blog for details – and of course, you are under no obligation to participate, but I hope you will.
Thank you, Karen. I’d wear gingham every day if I thought I could pull it off! Thank you for the blog hop nomination and the kind mention. I don’t often partake in such things but it felt good to write after a hard weeks work! 🙂
Love how it turned out, very pretty! (I might have to make one myself now…) Where does the time go? I have a to make list the length of miles and I still only find more and more to do! Can’t keep up 🙂
Techie note: Get a wordpress plugin that automatically backups your blog in whatever interval you want (Mine is set for once a week) and you won’t ever have to fear not being able to get it all back!
I backup all the posts and have them emailed to me, then i have the pictures in an external drive, my flickr account and my photobucket account (yes, I’m paranoid)
Thank you Ireth. And thank you for the tip off about backing up. 🙂