Kanerva in Lawn

Woop woop! Back at my sewing machine after a few weeks off, busy with work, a business trip to Vietnam and Thanksgiving.

My first foray back into sewing is the Kanerva peplum blouse by Named. I think the pattern is a sleek, modern take on the peplum and I love the button back. I've had my eye on it since I saw it pop up around the blogging world earlier this year... I was particularly enamored of Kirsty's two Liberty Kanerva blouses. Amazing.

This Kanerva is made with some Japanese cotton lawn I got locally here in Bangkok. It's bit sheer, but nice and floaty. I liked the floral because I thought it wasn't too lady-like because of the black, grey and mustard flowers, mixed in with just a tad of pink. I was also hoping black buttons would tone down any remaining girliness.

Construction was pretty straightforward. I used bias tape to face the neckline and hem. I'm not totally sure I did the waist pleat/seam correctly... it kept trying to roll upwards, so I ended up tacking it down at the ends by the button band and on the side seams.

My conclusion: I think the pattern fits me pretty well and has a lot of promise. I think my fabric choice was not ideal because of how sheer it is and how washed out it makes me look... up close I love it, but from afar, the floral all blends together and reads cream, which is not a good color for me.  The shirt as a whole is growing on me, though!

A couple changes I'll make next time I sew up a Kanerva:

- Lower the neckline. Now that I read the instructions more closely I should have eliminated the seam allowance on the neckline since I was using bias tape facing- oops! As a result, it's a bit strangle-y. And the high neckline plus flowery fabric makes this particular Kanerva feel a bit Amish. No offense to any Amish reading this, it's just not a look I typically strive for. A necklace helps, though!

- Lengthen the sleeves just slightly and give myself a little more room in the upper arms. Can't keep my guns locked up!

Omg, I need some new poses...