Muslin. A bizarre word which I am certain I pronounce differently every time I say it. It’s an unusual concept, sewing an extra garment, a ‘test run’ before using your ‘expensive material’. Well, as I tend to buy most of my material from op shops, or find it on the streets (erm not actually a joke, I found a hoard of AMAZING fabric some bozo was throwing out in ‘hard rubbish’ on one of my jaunts around the neighbourhood once. I took everything that I could carry. I am a hobo. A practical hobo, but still a hobo.) . Uh anyway, due to my cheapness- I mean my resourcefulness- my ‘actual’ material often costs less than using muslin from the local fabric store. So instead of doing a test run in yucky cotton that I would never wear, I instead choose material that is slightly less lovely than my other stuff. That way when I inevitably cut out the bodice too big or make my bust darts too high (surely I am not the only person delusional about both the size of my chest and where it sits?) it is no big deal, I can still wear it (with MANY modifications and unpicking) but I know what to do with my ‘real material’.
This is the Sencha blouse from Colette Patterns, an amazing online pattern store based in the States that surely every sewer has heard of by now. This blouse was very easy to sew and features my first attempt at sewing buttonholes. I have so far avoided them as I am always eager to avoid accidently ruining a garment. I did not ruin it (completely) but learnt a helpful (and obvious hint). Always. Use. Interfacing. When. Buttonholing. I accidently errr made a GIANT run in the threads when cutting my buttonholes open. It won’t stop me from wearing the blouse, but it’s still tres annoying. For my ‘real’ Sencha I will need to make it longer to fit my giant torso, add another button on the back and to keep the dart as it is, DO NOT EXTEND THE DART HIGHER YOU SILLY GIRL.
Next up on my sewing list is a black silk Sencha with a keyhole opening, then maybe one with a peter pan collar, then a lace one and uhh yes, I like this shirt pattern. It looks very neat when tucked into a skirt, an odd experience for me, the Queen of tights with runs and mysterious coffee stains that magically appear on every single item of my clothing. Happy sewing and thankyou for reading 
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Bry xo
