.Nani IRO Month - Waterfall Blouse.

Hello Nani IRO! If you haven't heard, June is Nani IRO month over at Miss Matatabi. Frances has invited some of her sewing friends to select a favourite fabric from the Nani IRO 2015 collection and of course I accepted that invitation!  

The fabric I choose for my project is a double gauze print called En Garden - So. I've got a pretty hefty Nani IRO stash but find it hard to actually cut into, so committing to participate in a celebration like this is good for me! 

My intentions were to use this fabric to make myself a pair of pyjama pants, but when the fabric arrived in the mail and I took a look at it in person I couldn't bring myself to use something so beautiful for a pair of PJs that no one would ever see. Instead, I decided to sew a new Waterfall Blouse that I knew would get worn a lot.

The watercolour floral print is stunning, and there are little birds throughout the design which are shimmery metallic light pink. So pretty. The quality of my photos just isn't doing the amazing fabric justice...I'm still waiting to get my computer and all the programs recovered and restored so can't edit them as I would like to. I'll come back and fix them up when I'm back on track though!

SUPPLIES
Make It Perfect, Waterfall Blouse pattern
Nani IRO, En Garden - So, double gauze

Straightgrain   ∆   noodlehead   ∆   Ute

verykerryberry   ∆   Make It Perfect   ∆   Groovy Baby and Mama

A Little Goodness   ∆   SKIRT AS TOP   ∆   Cashmerette

Sew Little   ∆   imagine gnats   ∆   you & mie

SANAE ISHIDA   ∆   Miss Matatabi

To help you build your Nani IRO stash (trust me, it's a good stash to have!) Miss Matatabi and Naomi Ito (the genius behind Nani IRO) have put together a massive giveaway...click here to enter. It's pretty awesome!

.MIP Pattern Parade: IMAGINE GNATS.

Rachael from Imagine Gnats is joining us on the Pattern Parade catwalk today! Rachael is a busy blogger, fabric shop owner, pattern designer and Mum of two cute little girls but still she, like most of us sewing enthusiasts, manages to find time to sew lots of gorgeous things.

Today Rachael is showing off her new Waterfall Blouse. Isn't it just pretty? Visit Imagine Gnats to see more lovely photos of Rachael in her blouse.

The Make It Perfect Pattern Parade Virtual Catwalk introduces...

A Happy Stitch // A Lemon Squeezy Home // Behind the Hedgerow

Craftiness is not Optional // Craftstorming // Cut Cut Sew

DoGuincho // Film in the Fridge // Girl Like the Sea

Horris & Deedle // Glitter + Wit // Imagine Gnats

Janelle Wind // Made with Moxie // Miss Matatabi

No Big Dill // Noodlehead // Probably Actually

Sanae Ishida // Sew Charleston // Sewing in No Man's Land

Skirt as Top // Stitched Together // The Drapery 

Things for Boys // Zaaberry

.Waterfall Blouse in yellow knit.

A few people have been asking me if the Waterfall Blouse pattern works in a knit fabric. The answer is yes! I had a go making one when I was just about finished writing up the pattern and it worked perfectly.

The only thing I did differently was to bind the neckline as I would usually bind a tshirt instead of using bias binding as the original pattern states.

I found that the shirt was way too long for my liking when made out of knit fabric - perhaps because of the way that it clings to your body more? So I ended up trimming a couple of inches off the length before hemming. I would also suggest going down a size for a more fitted top when using knit fabric. I sewed the same size I wear in woven fabric and it ended up pretty roomy, which is fine for maternity purposes, but I'd want it a little smaller if I wasn't pregnant.

One of my pattern testers used a knit fabric to test the pattern and she put a fitted waistband on the bottom of the top for hers. It looked amazing and I'm planning on using some of my left-over fabric to do the same once I'm not pregnant anymore to help the top look a little more fitted. 

These photos were taken 2 weeks ago...I'm amazed at how much I've grown in just 2 weeks - and scared to think about how much bigger I'm going to get with 4 weeks to go!!!

.Waterfall Blouse in birds crepe.

I sewed another Waterfall Blouse for myself last weeekend. I love how quick this pattern is to sew up, the whole thing was cut and sewn in a couple of hours - how's that for instant gratification?!

I also love that I am able to make something pretty and comfortable to wear during the last few weeks of my pregnancy that will also be wearable after the baby is born.

 

 This pattern has proved to be SO popular (especially in the PDF download department) - I can't wait to see what you sew up with it. Make sure you send me pics or links to your blog posts or add to my Flickr group.

I got this fabric from Spotlight. I know I'm always going on about how dodgy Spotlight is, but I do manage to find a few decent fabrics every now and then. It seems that they do one thing well every season - last time I went in there were some great dress fabrics. This one is a crepe and is really lightweight and doesn't crush at all - I love not having to iron after washing!

 For some more Waterfall Blouse inspiration - check out Ashley's lovely maternity wear here and a gorgeous Nani Iro version by Miss Matatabi here. Thanks girls - they are just beautiful!

And don't forget to Show Your Stuff in the competition here - you've got 1 week left to enter!

 

.Waterfall Blouse.

 The Waterfall Blouse - a brand new maternity-friendly pattern from Make It Perfect!

 

The Waterfall Blouse is a flattering and comfortable top to satisfy all body shapes.

 

This versatile top is suitable for all women - including those who are pregnant! The Waterfall Blouse is a maternity-friendly, loose-fitting top that leaves ample room for your expanding baby bump.

 

And with soft gathers above the bust, the Waterfall Blouse promises a flattering fit whether you are pregnant or not!

Wear the blouse loose fitted for a more relaxed look or add your favourite belt to give your body more definition.

 

You can choose to sew this top in a single fabric or two contrasting farbics and with options to include fold-up sleeve cuffs and elastic casing at the hemline, you can easily fill your wardrobe with many different versions of the Waterfall Blouse!    

I've been getting requests for maternity patterns for years! And I've had good intentions to produce one, but I guess it took me being pregnant to give me the motivation to get to work. This top started out totally different in sketch-form and it was a lot trickier than I anticipated to come up with a pattern for a top that would easily suit both pregnant and non-pregnant women. My biggest priority was to make sure that the pattern could be used for all women, not just those who are pregnant, whilst still achieving a flattering maternity-style.

The Waterfall Blouse ticks all those boxes and more! I'll share some pics in a few days of my (not pregnant) sister-in-law wearing the same top as I'm wearing above to show you how the top can easily fit us both. I'm especially excited about having some tops that I can comfortably wear after I've had the baby - ones that look pretty but help to cover the post-baby bulges and are easy to breastfeed in.

You'll find more information about the Waterfall Blouse on the Make It Perfect website. If you are looking for a place to purchase a copy of the pattern for yourself, take a look at our stockist or ask your favourite store to order one in for you.

If you would like to win a copy of the Waterfall Blouse pattern, simply leave a comment on this blog post! (Please make sure you leave an email address with your comment. Giveaway will close Sunday 31st March and winner will be drawn at random).  

SUPPLIES:
Make It Perfect,Waterfall Blouse pattern
Nani Iro, Little Letter Cotton Compass in Blue
Kaffe Fassett, Shot Cotton in lichen
Kaffe Fassett, Shot Cotton in navy
Kaffe Fassett, Shot Cotton in black (hand-dyed)
Liberty of London, Classic Tana Lawn, Ceaser in black
Liberty of London, Classic Tana Lawn, Mitsi in green
Liberty of London, Classic Tana Lawn, Elysian in light green