Aila Blouse by Fibre Mood
The Aila Blouse by Fibre Mood is a pattern that can be found in the newest Fibre Mood Magazine, and is probably the fastest shirt that I’ve ever made with a collar and collar stand. And after I made it, my daughter “stole” it from me, because she really likes the cool oversized cut of the blouse.
So who wore it better? Don’t tell me, I already know the answer. My daughter is the clear winner.
This blouse is a quick make mainly because there are no sleeves to set in. The sleeves are grown-in sleeves, and the button placket is simply created from folding the centre edge of the front bodices twice. I love how the back yoke extends into the back “sleeves” as well, and opens up possibilities for mixing fabrics or colour blocking. There isn’t a back yoke facing, so there’s no need for applying the burrito method – which is usually required for shirt-making. Although I did contemplate adding the facing so that the seams will be neatly closed on the inside. That contemplation lasted about a minute. My laziness won out. Or my need for efficiency. I mean, why go to the trouble when it’s not really required?
This blouse is made even more special because of the fabric that I used for it. This is an Art Gallery Cotton Poplin in the cutest print evah!!! It was gifted to me by Minerva as part of the Minerva Brand Ambassador Program, and you can also check out my posts on their website here. What makes this fabric extraordinary is the print of different animal heads – foxes, owls, racoons, deer, beavers and bears. The cute factor is so high, it made me squeal with delight when I saw it on the Minerva website. This is a medium weight 100% cotton fabric, which makes it really easy to sew, and very comfortable to wear. It feels very smooth and soft on the skin, and the structure of it accentuates the boxy shape of the shirt. As a bonus, it is OEKO-TEX, which makes it earth-friendly. It is also opaque enough to be used to make pants, skirts and dresses without a lining.
Recently, I’ve joined the Minerva Affiliate Network, and if you’re thinking of getting this fabric, clinking on this link will help me earn a percentage of your purchases without you having to pay more.
Instead of buttons, and dealing with buttonholes, I opted for snaps instead and used some from Prym. This also shortened the time needed for making this blouse. Prym snaps are the best even though they cost more than hardware from other competitors, but it is value for money because they are durable and of high quality.
I sewed up a size XS for the blouse, and sizes come in XS-XXXL. Now that I see that the XS fits my daughter really well, I may size up the next time for a more oversized look for myself. The pattern instructions were pretty straightforward and as I said, the sewing didn’t take long at all. It took half a day and the project was complete. The most time-consuming part of the make was dedicated to pattern-matching so that the print looks continuous when one side of the button placket overlapped the other. Installing the collar is probably the trickiest skill required for this sewing pattern, but it’s not something a confident beginner can’t handle. Perhaps the buttonholes are intimidating, but then you can opt for snaps the way I did.
Here’s a reminder that I am also currently in the Fibre Mood Affiliate Program and if you’d like to purchase their patterns or magazine, you can click on the following picture which has a link to help support me. I will also receive a small percentage from your purchases without you having to pay a penny more. Thanks in advance!
I better start making another Alia Blouse now since I don’t think there’s a chance that I’ll get this back from my daughter.
