Sandra Betzina and Vogue 1045

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Alright, I am finally getting around to officially posting about this blouse from my sewing workshop with Sandra Betzina. I know I gave you a sneak peak several weeks ago — I hope you haven’t been beside yourself in suspense 😉

First of all, I would like to say a big “thank you” to my excellent photographer, my wonderful husband of almost ten years, Matthew. He was so sweet and so patient to take multiple shots of me, especially since I hate having my picture taken. We had fun scoping out cool spots in our neat little downtown.

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This top was made from Vogue 1045, which is one of Sandra’s designs. I used a Marc Jacobs cotton lawn or voile (maybe someone with more fabric sense can tell me the difference) that I picked up at a wonderful little fabric shop called Promenade on St. Charles Avenue in New Orleans. Although the pattern did not specify this type of fabric, I did not want to end up with the type of blouse that was depicted on the pattern cover. Sandra helped me modify the front blouse pieces to create a self-lining eventhough this was not called for in the pattern. The extra step made for a very nicely finished inside since there are no visible unfinished seams. I chose to finish the front closure with cute little lavender pearl snaps instead of the large buttons that were called for. I interfaced the placket with a single layer of silk organza but in hindsite, should have used something a little more sturdy as I am a bit afraid to pull the snaps apart.

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The tucks at the front and back add nice waist definition and allowed for easy alteration to perfect the fit. Sandra advised me to cut out a size D based on my full bust measurement but I ended up taking the top in quite a bit to achieve my desired fit. If I ever make this pattern again, I will start with a size C all around.

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Somehow the back of the blouse ended up a little shorter than the front — this is a pet peeve of mine since I don’t like my waist band or muffin top showing. Next time I will lengthen the entire blouse hem an inch or two. Since Sandra helped me create the self-lining in the front, I didn’t have to hem the front of the blouse — only the back required hemming — and Sandra suggested using a fusible tape instead of the method described in the pattern (a bias strip).

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All in all, the class with Sandra was a wonderful experience and I had such a good time hanging out with a room full of women who loved sewing as much as (if not more) than me!

Tags: marc jacobs, sandra betzina, vogue