This summer I’ve been living in my silk crepe de chine Style Arc Dotty blouse. I’m sure it’s terrible to admit that I do this, but I’ve learned that if I stick it in the dryer for a few minutes on the lowest heat setting, then it comes out nice and bouncy and wrinkle free. I then want to wear it as soon as it comes out. So, when I saw this sold out Helmut Lang top, I realized it was time to make another.
This time though I wanted to try it out a different fabric – one that was a little more friendly to tiny, sticky hands – so I went for Mood Fabric’s light and airy cotton voile in a classic navy.
What do you think? The Style Arc Dotty blouse with its sleeves rolled up is a pretty good match to the inspiration without my having to resort to anything in the gray area of copying a designer piece. It’s too hot right now to wear skinny pants like in the inspiration image, so you get my blue on blue on blue look.
To get the sleeves to roll up, I added the simple bound sleeve placket from my Grainline Archer. But, because the placket was a bit of a last minute addition, I didn’t think through how I was going to button up the little cuff that comes with the Dotty blouse. So, for now the cuffs have no closure.
And, even though both the Dotty blouse and the inspiration called of gathering the back into the yoke, I decided to add a pleat, another element taken from my Grainline Archer.
This voile was very nice to sew with. Since the voile is fairly translucent and since the sleeve seam shows when the sleeve is rolled up, I used French seams for all of the main seams.
The hem and the neckline were finished with a tiny machine rolled hem. When I think I’m going to want to add a machine rolled hem to a garment, I typically save a scrap of fabric to get the feel for how the fabric wants to feed through my rolled hem foot. Thankfully, this voile fed through very fluidly, so it was a breeze getting a nice, even hem.
I’m excited to have another Dotty blouse that will carry me through this summer and into the fall. My friends are excited to see me in something new. My husband is excited to see me in something blue. It’s a win-win-win!
What’s your favorite summer top these days?
This post can also be found on Mood Sewing Network. I used my MSN allowance towards the purchase of the fabric.
Sew Well 
Your top looks pretty and cool for summer. Nice pattern!
This looks chic and effortless! Love it!
I like your version better than the designer inspiration that you had posted on the Mood blog.
🙂 Chris
Looooooooooove this!
This is beautiful. I haven’t got around to blouses yet but have the Archer pattern waiting. I figure that would be a good one to start with. But your dotless dotty really suits you!
Amy, I love your dotless dotty! And I love that dark blue on you also – you could wear that blouse anywhere, very caz to very uptown! Gotta mention your adorable little one – she looks like she has quite the personality!
Cherie
Love this. I need to make one. 😀