The Adrienne Blouse - One Pattern, Two Ways!

What a fabulous pattern! It's SO easy to make up - very quick, with great results, it's such a satifying sew! I shared on my Insta last week - but wanted to write a short post here, to celebrate the versatility of the newest addition to my pattern collection, The Adrienne ;)


So, here's my grey marl Adrienne, the first version I made up... The material is fairly strong, with not much stretch - it's almost like a heavy t-shirt, or lightweight sweatshirt material, so relatively warm. A perfect Autumn piece..!



I made the 'large', and then took it in a little, making a mental note to go straight to the 'medium' next time; I think it's a matter of preference, depending on how fitted you like a top to be. I also added an inch to the length, to make sure it would sit well below the natural waist. I was surprised at how well balanced it is, given that the sleeves are full of drama, I was a bit nervous it might look a bit 'fancy dress', but... I don't think it is, do you?

I made my second Adrienne from a spandex lycra palm tree fabric - a much finer material, with plenty of stretch. It also has great drape, with fantastic colour saturation - made to last! I wanted to experiment with a more fitted bodice, and a smaller sleeve; which means I now have enough fabric to make up a matching hairband/scarf! Too much..?

 SO! What are their main differences, and what are the pros and cons?



The grey version is a perfect autumn/winter addition to my growing capsule wardrobe - a casual top, in a neutral colour which works well with jeans/workout pants/denim maxi skirt (*delete as applicable!). The tailored shoulder detail makes it look less casual than a run-of-the-mill jumper, and also opens up possibilities in terms of accessorising, and dressing up or down.



The palm tree version is a great spring/summer top - the bold pop of colours works surprisingly well with various 'bottoms'; and as the fabric is so fine, it also works well tucked in (that can't really be said for the grey version). I also took the sleeves down a notch (very easy to do, as per the pattern instructions) - and removed all of the bulk from the seams. It's a pleasure to wear, like gossamer silk!
On a side note, if you are thinking about taking the bulk out of the sleeves, or maybe you're working with fabric remnants and you don't think you'll fit the large sleeve in, don't worry about missing out on the 'drama' - in fact, I think it's hard to tell the difference, looking at them both...


Guess what I'm making next..?
In honour of Second Hand September, I found an XL animal print top in my local Fara, with a view to using the fabric for my third Adrienne - and this one will have slight modifications... Can't wait to share it with you!
If you've made the Adrienne, and you'd like to share it with my readers - I'd LOVE to see, and share, it! Get in touch, let's spread the word about this perfectly simple-yet-effective pattern. I only discovered it recently, and although it's very popular with American seamstresses (Friday Pattern Company is based in the US) there are plenty of stockists in the UK, and (unsurprisingly) has a growing fanbase  - I love supporting indie pattern companies, especially when they're as fabulous as this!

Love,
Gema

*this is not a sponsored blog post - as usual, I write as I find - and any sponsorship is explicit, on the odd occasion it happens!

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