Style Arc Lexley Blouse

11 Jun Style Arc Lexley Blouse

“Rainy days and Mondays always get me down.” Richard and Karen Carpenter

Not really…………………

I have been out-of-town for nearly two weeks and came home inspired by the beautiful tunics I saw on women of all ages ……. on the beach, on the streets, in restaurants and concerts. Upon returning home, I headed directly to the sewing machine and finished this tunic just in time for heavy downpours on this dreary Monday afternoon. 

Earlier this spring I placed my second  order from Style Arc which included the Lexley Blouse and Dress.

I experienced a setback upon receiving the pattern when I realized the ruffles are intentionally frayed .  I didn’t want a sloppy or unfinished look and began looking for an appropriate fabric. Three weeks ago I ordered this cotton voile paisley from Mood Fabrics. It arrived the day before I was leaving!

Wanting to use some of the couture techniques I learned in my recent class, I traced the stitching lines on to every pattern piece using my new gigantic waxed tracing paper from Richard the Thread.

WHERE HAVE I BEEN?

Tracing pattern markings has never been more fun, and this step made an enormous difference in my sewing, especially considering the Style Arc instructions are minimal with very few illustrations.

The stitching of the second and third rows of ruffles is concealed underneath the preceding layer. 

I’ve managed to avoid cuffs during the last 10 months until now. I don’t know what I was running from.

The Lexley Tunic was the perfect sewing project to follow the Couture Dress class. Now that I’ve had a chance to unwind, I’m eager to undertake another a challenging pattern once my sewing machine returns from the repair shop.

It’s great to be home and great to be sewing again.

 Here’s to productive rainy days and Mondays !