Laura’s Bakerloo Blouse
Move over big sleeves, I’m entering my big collar era!
Don’t get me wrong, I still love a big sleeve, but there is something about an oversized collar at the moment that is just speaking to me. I’m probably being majorly influenced by Damson Madder, who’s adverts seem to be getting me everywhere.
Either way, I have decided to lean into the trend, and the Bakerloo Blouse by Nina Lee makes the perfect statement with their self-proclaimed “extra-extravagant ruffled collar”!
It’s a pattern that has been out for quite a while now and was super popular in the indie sewing community at the time. However, like the Terminator, everything comes back, and big collars are having their revival.
Of course, Hayley has picked another stunner of a fabric. A nice stable cotton is always a treat to work with, and great for any fledgling sewists getting their teeth into dressmaking. I adore the colours of jewel toned purple with the warm gold against the black. It almost looks like fireworks against the night sky. Perfect for New Years, no?
I decided to do the collar frill in a contrasting plain black to make it stand out against the busy print.
Construction was relatively straightforward, albeit somewhat fiddly with the collar and neckline.
A very helpful addition was the ruffle guide, so you know exactly how long it needs to be before attaching to the collar, making it much easier to get an even ruffle distribution! The trickiest part, as I anticipated, was negotiating the corner. It took a little manipulation to get it to a point I am happy with.
The raw neckline edge is then entirely enclosed to the inside with narrow bias binding. It gives a lovely finish, but again took some manipulation to ensure it was all laid flat. I omitted the rouleaux loop and boot, opting for a simple snap closure instead.
As much as this top is all about the collar, you cannot deny the “va-va-voluminous” sleeves! They are not so oversized but do add an extra bit of drama that I appreciate, and I think they are well-proportioned with the design of the top. They are gathered into a frilly cuff with elastic for extra cuteness.
Oh, my goodness, I am obsessed. How cute does this look! I’m so glad that I went with the contrast frill.
Are you jumping on the big collars trend?