In Progress: 1940’s Silk Blouse

I am channeling my inner Dagny Taggert with this 1940’s silk blouse. The fabric is a beautiful deadstock cream dupioni with a lovely textured-hand but regrettably my sewing machine did not like to work with it. I opted to hand-stitch most of the piece to prevent as much puckering as possible. I used a beautiful matching silk thread with silk needles, of course. While the pattern calls for a front breast pocket, I decided that it wasn’t a feature I wanted to include. My shoulders must be askew because the blouse sits perfectly on me while showing a little pucker on my mannequin. What can I say, no one’s perfect!

The last step is to create the button holes and add the buttons. The pattern originally called for bound button holes but in my stubbornness I decided against it. Regardless of which button hole style I choose, I am admittedly nervous so the blouse sits unfinished on my mannequin. 

“She was fifteen when it occurred to her for the first time that women did not run railroads and that people might object. To hell with that, she thought - and never worried about it again.”

— Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged

Quilts in 2025

I had so much fun making my last three quilts that I’ll be offering a few one of a kind pieces in this new year. Natural fibers are extremely important to me so they will be made entirely from earth-and-skin-friendly materials. I will not be using any plastic materials such as polyester. The exterior, interior, and thread throughout will be cotton, bamboo, wool, and the like. I personally do not purchase something I cannot wash, so my goal is to make easy hand-washable quilts. The first available offering is a made to order Baby Quilt made from cream tonal fabric and custom colored thread for a small pop of color. Makes a wonderful heirloom for yourself, a friend, or family member.