Seamwork’s Aims blouse in a lemon abstract floral voile

The Aims blouse is the second Seamwork pattern I’ve made and I like it a lot.

Images from Seamwork

This top came on holiday to Italy but, unlike the first Seamwork pattern I made, it was a part of a deliberate ‘sewing for vacation’ plan. I also learnt about Seamwork sizing from my first pattern and made this one as a size 14.

Some of the me made holiday sewing

Why am I so happy with it? Well, there are at least three reasons…

1. The colours are great

Colour matching the sea, the paving, the light, the pasta and the beverage at Manarola, Cinque Terre

2. The top can be worn in different weather – on a warm day like above and below with the sleeves pushed up to my elbows

Glorious late afternoon sun in Florence

And it is good for cooler days too – it works just fine with a vest underneath or a jacket over the top

Under a jacket on a cooler day in Pienza, Tuscany

3. It’s versatile in other ways too – the top can tucked in or tied to control the volume like above, or worn as as a floaty smock like below.

Floaty smock mode for fabric shopping in Rome

I used a cotton voile from The Fabric Store called Summer Petals to make this top and it’s one of those excellent marriages between pattern and fabric. Giedre made a shirt from the same fabric, and it looks great as a more structured garment too.

Sewing in progress

The voile is translucent so I lined the bib, the stand collar and the front button band with a white cotton batiste. This added a small amount of structure to the collar and button band but not really quite enough to get beautiful automatic button holes. A flaw I see but no one else would, so I’m living with it!

I really like the effect the white batiste lining has on the bib. Adds subtle definition to the fabric colours and the bib shape.

Not in Italy!

This top is not just for holidays though. It has also now seamlessly slipped into my work wardrobe. I think I might need to use this pattern again 🙂