Ah, another Lekala blouson.  May I present to you my first make of Lekala 5811 – it is the first make because there will definitely be a second.

I sewed this up as a wearable muslin from a lovely viscose striped knit that came to me from Anna. I wasn’t really sure about all those stripes going in different directions, but the viscose is definitely the right sort of fabric for this drapey top. Both the front and back sleeves are gathered into shaped centre front and centre back pieces.

The front and back pieces are similarly shaped but the front has a small cowl. This is a pattern where you definitely need to keep very careful track of which piece is which and which piece goes where. I laid out the front and back separately like a jigsaw puzzle during the construction process, which definitely helped to keep everything in the correct place.

There’s plenty of fabric in those sleeves! Doing the gathering was a little time consuming, but once it was done I was able to construct the rest of the top very quickly on the overlocker. The sleeve hems and back neckline are turned and stitched in place, and the bottom has the double layer hip band. I was surprised at how well the cowl neckline sat – it really does stay where it is meant to, despite being a relatively small cowl.

While I was at Sewjourn I also made my third Vogue 1247 skirt (also from fabric given to me by Anna). The fabric was a DKNY cotton/silk originally from The Fabric Store, and it was straightforward to work with. However, unlike my previous two makes of this skirt, it didn’t contain any stretch component. This has made the skirt feel much tighter around my middle than the previous two, despite it being cut out at exactly the same size but taking slightly smaller seam allowances.

I lengthened the skirt around three inches, the same as previously, and left off the waistband. I finished the waist edge with bias binding in the same fabric that was used for the inside of the pockets.

The back closes with an invisible zip – matched perfectly at the centre back yoke seam, I must say!

Unfortunately, because I don’t wear anything tucked in you can’t see the yoke detail, the zip matching, or even the clever little pockets! Three versions of this skirt is enough for now, but I don’t think that I have completely retired this pattern just yet. And I will definitely be making the top again.

Another Sewjourn make – need to get them all blogged before I head back there again and sew up another storm!  This one is Lekala blouson 4284.  I figure that blouson essentially means “top” as far as Lekala are concerned.

I used some stretch scraps from stash for this top – it doesn’t take loads of fabric! I’m fairly pleased with the fit, especially around the shoulders and upper chest. The darts are a little too high for my over-40 bustline, but otherwise I am still very impressed with how few alterations I need to make when I order from Lekala. But then nicest thing about this top is the back view.

What a lovely feature! It’s not hard to make, and is essentially an overlay over a scooped back. Which is still very bra-friendly.

Since making this top, I have had a Lekala pattern that bombed. But you know what – it was me, not them! The pattern fitted together perfectly for the measurements that I had provided – but this time I was making a skirt. I allow plenty of ease around the waistline when measuring because I hate to be constricted. However, for a skirt where the waistband actually needs to fit you, I’m going to need to provide a smaller waist measurement. The fit around the hip was excellent! Lesson learned. And luckily for me, it was a free pattern – so I’m going to try it again with different measurements.

Happy Thanksgiving to my friends in the USA! My family will be lucky enough to attend a Thanksgiving lunch celebration on the weekend, as my nephew’s girlfriend is American and is looking forward to introducing her Australian family to the traditional edible delights of the day.