I call his heavy forest green rayon challis Archer old because I sewed it almost 2 years ago, but it’s got a lot of life left in it because I barely wore it in its original incarnation. Why? Because I had the genius idea to add 9″ inches to the bottom so that it could be a dress. Except for it never looked like I was wearing a dress – it looked like I was wearing a nightgown. Not good.
So, rather than let it languish in my closet, I decided to cut off the length that I originally added. And *bam* I have a new blouse. Yay! As you can see, I originally sewed the blouse too large – although the Archer is meant to be loose fit, I have a ton of extra room in the shoulders and bust. I don’t know why I did that.
To give the blouse a little bit of shape, I added small fisheye darts in the front and back. They couldn’t be too large because it would look ridiculous to have the oversize shoulders and bust and a fitted waist, but a little bit of definition helps the blouse to look intentional. Not wanting to rip and re-sew the pocket, I stopped the right dart at the bottom of the pocket and let the left dart go just a tiny bit higher. Shhh. Don’t tell.
On the back, I stopped the darts just above the skirt ruffle. You can see there’s not much taken out of each dart, but it does add up when you multiply “not much” by 4 so there is a bit of curve to the waist now.
I’m happy I finally made these small changes because it’s like having a brand new blouse in my closet and this heavy rayon is so comfortable and a great weight to carry me through much of the year in Seattle (especially with a satin camisole worn underneath!). It’s on heavy rotation right now!
Comments 8
Oh yeah, this incarnation is a million times better. Just more flattering and wearable – looking at the pictures of the old version, you just look more comfortable and “yourself” in it.
Author
Thanks! I totally agree.
It’s a super cute shirt, but I also think it would have been amazing before (with the belt) over leggings and boots. That’s like, the unofficial uniform of winter in the PNW!
Author
I tried wearing it over boots and leggings (and always with a belt!) and it just didn’t work. I agree that it /should/ have been awesome!
Oh, yes, this is really cute with your alterations!
Your shortened blouse looks great on you, and I like the shaping by the darts in the back. However, I don’t care for the darts in the front. I think they come up too high. In the photo, it appears that he dart on the pocket side creates a tuck in the bottom of the pocket, and on the other side, it seem to come too close to your bust line. I believe you could achieve your desired result, if they were an inch or two shorter.
Author
Thanks for the feedback. Looking at photos, I think you’re right about the front darts. In person it didn’t look like it affected the pocket, especially after a good press, but photos always do seem to reveal more than the mirror!
I love this transformation! That heavy rayon looks perfect for cooler weather and is such a nice choice for the Archer. I love the idea of adding a few darts to this pattern, and I always add 2 fisheye darts in the back of mine, although I’ve never tried them in the front. Like you said, the fit will still be loose with this pattern, but I agree that the extra bit of definition from the darts is a nice touch. Enjoy your new blouse!