Jennifer Lauren Handmade: The Aisling Blouse

Inspired by square-necked blouses of the 1960s, this top has an easy A-line silhouette, bust darts, and long, voluminous sleeves with elastic gathered cuff. View 1 has a center-front button opening and a wide collar. View 2 is a pullover style with a faced neckline. The pattern contains separate pattern pieces for bust cup sizes A to D, for simplified fitting.

• Our tester found plenty of match points, however the front notch of the armhole was off by 1⁄4 inch and the side seams off by 1/8 inch.
• The pattern does not include reference markings for center front, bust point, waist, or hip. Make a muslin to check the fit and proportions, as it is difficult to gauge how the garment could fit from the pattern.
• The sleeve cap has 1/2 inch of ease, which is easy to sew with a single line of gathering stitches, as per the instructions. The sleeves seem long and may need to be shortened.
• Our tester suggests reinforcing the neckline corners if the fabric has a tendency to fray or is loosely woven. She also suggests shortening the stitch length for 1/2 inch before and after each corner while stitching, which creates a crisper edge.
• The bust darts may be low for some people. Check the placement on a muslin and move the darts if necessary.

The sewing directions contain helpful tips on finding your size and making pattern alterations. At points, they advise trimming the seam allowances, but not by how much. For an experienced sewer, this will not be an issue, but a newbie may need more guidance. The blouse works well in voile, chambray, challis, and georgette.

(Sized 6–24 [A-D cups] for busts 29–49.75 in.)

JenniferLaurenHandmade.com

—Tested by Tomasa Jimenez, Lyndhurst, New Jersey

Sewing tip: Stitch the buttonholes after the hem to ensure accurate placement and even placket ends.

This review was originally published in Threads #212, December 2020/January 2021. Have you made this pattern? If so, be sure to share pictures in our Readers Closet gallery.

Illustrations by Steven Fleck.