Mushroom Tencel Florence Blouse

I must admit that I wasn't sure on this top when I first made it. I finished it back in February and I must have been trying it on with the wrong trousers or skirts when trying to make it work for winter because I put it back on last month with some slimmer fit jeans and sandals and have been wearing it on constant rotation ever since! That age old story of putting something away in the wardrobe for a little while and coming to it with fresh eyes strikes again. 

Recently I have actually been doing a fair bit of revisiting garments I've gone off of. I've never been one to enjoy alterations but I've discovered the satisfaction of a quick half hour spent making small tweaks (improving fit, changing buttons, adding a little detail) then falling in love with a garment all over again. I definitely find myself making more adjustments in the process of making something from scratch nowadays too. I'm really determined to make each project a success and not waste either the fabric or my time. One of the joys of dressmaking is making something exactly how you want it isn't it? Anyway, that's a post for another day.

This is the Florence pattern from Merchant & Mills. I've had my eye on this one for a while - then a few attendees of my Fabric Masterclasses have worn them and seeing this made up in person made it an absolute yes for me. It was, surprisingly, my first time using a Merchant & Mills pattern. I like that their designs are quite clean, wearable and appear simple but actually have really interesting and well thought out details. I'd also heard that the drafting was good and I wasn't disappointed on that front.

I was hoping to make a top that could be worn all year round so whilst the obvious choice seemed to be a summery linen I opted for something else. I noticed one of the pattern samples was made up in a tencel twill so decided to go for that too. This mushroom tencel twill is from The Fabric Store. I love that the colour has a little bit more warmth to it than a white or ivory. Their tencel seems to sell out quite quickly and regularly and now I can see why! This is described as a slubby twill and oo the texture is beautiful! It is both heavier and less shiny than other tencels I've worked with before and the weave is quite pronounced which gives it a lovely hand. Tencel is an airy delight to wear so I'll definitely be getting more in other colours if I can.

I cut the straight size 10. My measurements placed me between the 10 and the 12 but I could see from the finished garment measurements that there was a lot of ease and I knew fit across the bust was most important with this style.

I usually jump straight in and shorten a top pattern by about an inch nowadays but I'd read some reviews of this pattern which suggested lengthening for a little more modesty so I cut it with no adjustments (I'm 5ft 3 and fairly short in the torso). The length is pretty spot on for me, although definitely works best with high-waisted trousers as obviously that wide gathered bottom tier blows up now and again! I think the hem hits at a good height and love that the hemline dips down towards the back. 

It sits really nicely and doesn't want to drop forward or back throughout the day as some of my other tops and dresses in this smock style do. I think that is to do with the balance of the design being drafted well and also the fit around the shoulder. I love the little darts in the back of the shoulder seam. 

My one frustration with the pattern is that it said I needed 1.3m of fabric in the requirements so I had to order 1.5m. Now my fabric was quite wide at 151cm but I easily got this out of a metre. I don't mind having some of this lush fabric in my stash but it is an awkward 60cm piece which I don't quite know what to do with and feels like a waste of both fabric and money. I'll remember next time that Merchant & Mills seem to be quite generous with their fabric requirements.

If you're going to make this don't skip the step to reinforce the bottom edge of the top with either stay tape or stay stitching. The curved edge is very likely to stretch out as you add the frill. I opted for a narrow stay tape as my soft and drapey tencel is more prone to stretching out than something like a stable cotton.

I did originally sew on buttons that sort of blended in but I decided I wanted a contrast and changed them...I'm not actually sure on these ones either and think I'd like a wooden button instead but I was trying to use buttons from my stash!

I do have plans to make a dress version of Florence now but I'd make it out of a really lightweight and airy cotton or linen I think. The slightly heavier weight of this bouncy tencel gives the top great volume but the gathers are a bit bulky because of it. I think the weight of the fabric is what put me off this top at first. Plus the slight summer tan is helping with the colour!