You know, I’m really glad I started on my Sencha #2 BEFORE I took these muslin photos or I never, ever would have made a second one.
I started out the Sencha #1, above, with the intention of possibly something wearable, in a layered-work sort of thing. I know my muslin material, a gray, cheap cotton, was a bit stiffer than the Pendleton Cotton I had picked, and in picking Version 2 I could end up looking more Star Trek than architecturally interesting, but what is life without risk?
I really love the lines of the Sencha blouse, and I know Colette patterns tend to run on the loose fitting side of the fence. A bit too much for my taste, but hey, that is why we make muslins, right? I also knew there was no way I’d ever wear something with buttons up the back. Hahahaha…no. That’s way to fussy for my life. So – from the get-go, I know I need to take it in, and we need to hack in a zipper. I *forgot* that compared to Colette patterns, I’m tall. Yeah.
I cut a straight size 10. I should know better, but whatever. I originally left the side seam open to have a side zipper, but it was so absurdly baggy in the back and poofy all over, I moved the zipper to the back so I could hack out more fabric.
Mind you, this final shirt is with a half inch removed from both sides, shoulders and I think I removed 1-1 1/2 inches from the back before seam allowances – more removed at the neck line. Of course I removed button placket when cutting, so that’s already gone as well. The neck is still poofy in the back. and the waist is weird.
Even the shoulders sit weird. I’m sure the combo of the stiffer cotton and the weird fitting, plus my hacking at it is causing this…not to mention, that by the time I hacked it so much, the facing is sewn in wrong.
It reminds me of an Old Navy shirt. Cut sorta boxy and wide.
^ That shot isn’t as bad…and it’s also kinda blurry. And below….it looks like an ok back-up shirt there, I guess.
I top-stitched the darts. Just personal preference I guess…
Anyway, I did have the husband-unit check my fit before I cut the 2nd one out of the prized fabric, thank gawd. I don’t yet know the fate of this muslin. It will probably sit in my closet, unworn, until I need to cannibalize the invisible zipper back out of it.
What I DO like….the zipper hack wasn’t so hard after-all. After getting the waist even close to as small as I preferred, it’s a bit snug to pull over my chest, but it works. I think with my bust/waist ratio, a side zip wouldn’t work in this design and in a woven. Your ratio may be less extreme than mine, so it might work for you. I still like the shape – or the idea of the shape. Husband-unit said to add an inch or inch and a half to the next one…I added 2 inches and at the bottom to keep the waist high, just longer….we shall see.