Pattern Review: Adrienne Blouse
Hi all! Paige from @stitchedslowly here. You’ll see sewing, knitting and dyeing in heavy rotation on my feed, with lots of San Diego sunshine. I’m so excited to share about a pattern that I can already tell will be made in many different iterations-the Adrienne Blouse by Friday Pattern Company! Twice a year I like to take a little time to do a wardrobe study-the changing seasons are a perfect time to take stock and notice what was worn tons, what never saw the light of day and reflect on what I’m missing, and right now I am missing TEES. The Adrienne Blouse (sized up to a 54” bust) has just filled a major wardrobe hole for me, and it is a perfect pattern if you are knit curious but cautious.
The Adrienne tee has beautiful puff sleeves that can be customized easily with the vertical and horizontal adjustment lines. Neckline binding is placed on in two separate pieces, eliminating the need to quarter the neckline and keep even tension while stretching that can be so challenging for first time knit sewing. There is a great tutorial for a simple Full Bust Adjustment (this one is honestly just a bit of bodice lengthening) and sleeves are not set in either. I won’t give away all the pattern’s secrets, but I highly recommend adding this one to your Elevated Basics pattern drawer. Best of all? It can be sewn on a sewing machine-although I highly recommend a walking foot to make the process a bit easier. The instructions are beautifully written and illustrated, and Chelsea includes cute little pep talks to cheer you on. From cut to hem, the whole thing took just under 2 hours, going fairly slowly and enjoying an audiobook along the way. Perfect for an evening sew!
I made my first Adrienne Blouse from this darling Speckled Jersey. It is 100% cotton, has great recovery and the little flecks of color are just so fun and unexpected! I snagged 1m of both the neon and the grey. From a distance, they look like a lovely solid, then you get close and there’s a great pop of fun! I’ve enjoyed pairing it with bright corduroy Lander pants.
I adjusted my sleeves to be slightly shorter and a little less gathered in this version so that I could fit it from my speckled jersey. I removed 2” from the width of the sleeve and 1.25” from the length. There is still just the right amount of drama, and the elastic in the sleeve hem means it doesn’t catch my elbow in the annoying way that this kind of sleeve can if you are forced to compromise on drama due to fabric-not that I would have a recurring problem with that, not at all.
As I mentioned before, I can absolutely see myself making many more of this darling top. Ready to try one too? Lean in and embrace the cottage vibe with this cute Ditsy Floral, try a classic black, or try any of the three speckles available for that fun, unexpected pop on your first/next knit tee!
