This article may contain affiliate links*.
A touch of vintage with Now and Then* got me back to sewing. I couldn’t resist making this bow blouse named Clara*.
- Clara*
- Poplin, shirt fabric, etc
- Suitable fusible interfacing (mine is G700 for poplin)
- Buttons (number and width are up to you)
Clara Bow Blouse
Now and Then* have patterns for lovers of the Roaring TWenties down to the 60’s.
These are paper patterns that are now available through Minerva*.
“Paper pattern”, but not “tissue paper pattern”! That paper is nice and thick, making tracing so much easier. The instructions booklet has a bit of a tendency to tear at the center though.
The Clara blouse is a fitted blouse with double darts at the bust and at the waist (front and back).
You can choose among 3 types of cleeves (short, cuffed and gathered, and long) or go sleeveless.
The neckline sports an added yoke with a bow.
The blouse is buttoned at the bottom left.
Spring fabric
This crisp cotton had been sitting on my shleves for a long time. It was from the late Fabric Baron website.
But, firt, I cut a muslin in size 12.
A quick glance at my muslin underlined the need for a sway-back adjustment and a low-base adjustment as well.
I cut a sleeveless version because I’m really low on woven summer tops.
How was the process?
Pattern and instructions
Instructions are…OK, nothing more. They are not meant for beginners. I even thought that they had been translated from another language than English!
Pattern pieces are nicely drafted and it was rather easy to sew them together.
The seam allowance is 1.5 cm i.e.perfect for French seaming the whole top!
What I will change next time
I could shortent the back a bit more.
I did the exact same low-base adjustment, but my left shoulder needs more. It’s still a bit too high.
It’s a short blouse once sewn. If you have a longer torso than mine, check the finished length.
This is a very fitted top. You may need to wiggle your way in and out or check the finished measurements chart before cutting!
In the end
Apart from the instructions that I didn’t really enjoy, the whole blouse is cute.
