Beautiful Liberty Blouse

Lucy from the studio made this beautiful Liberty blouse for her mum for Mother’s Day a few weeks ago. ย It uses a gorgeous Liberty fabric called Love Lily C and Burda pattern 6632. ย The blouse looks lovely – perfect for the warm spring days we are having in the UK at the moment.

Beautiful Liberty Blouse Beautiful Liberty Blouse

I asked Lucy about the make. ย What was the inspiration for the top?
“As a keen sewer and lover of Liberty fabrics herself, my mum was almost as excited as I was when I started working at Alice Caroline! ย She used to take me to Libertys in London as a child, and taught me to appreciate the beautiful quality of Tana lawn fabric in particular, making me several dresses for special occasions out of these fabrics. So I thought I would make her something special for Motherโ€™s Day this year. She is 82 years old but is still super stylish so I decided to make her something she could wear, though I didnโ€™t want it to be something she kept tucked away โ€˜for bestโ€™. ย I chose to make a loose fitting top for spring or summer days which she could easily wear with lots of different bottoms.
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Because there had been a lot of talk about a potential lockdown happening here in the UK in the near future, I decided not to wait until Motherโ€™s Day to visit my mum, who lives a long way from me. ย Instead I sewed like crazy on the Saturday the week before Mothers Day then got in the car and drove to see her on the Sunday. ย I am so glad I decided to do this, as a few days later lockdown was announced here and if I had waited I wouldnโ€™t have been able to deliver this present to her. ย Suspecting that I may not be able to see her again for a long time made it all the more special.”
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Beautiful Liberty Blouse

Which fabric did you use and why?
“I finally chose to use Tana Lawn Love Lily C. ย To me its intricate design is reminiscent of some of Libertyโ€™s oldest prints which I remember seeing as a child. I felt that this fabric is so unmistakably a Liberty fabric. ย I absolutely love the colours in this fabric, the lavenders and blues with the pinks and that gorgeous shot of lime green which I knew she would also love! I think this delicate blend really suits mumโ€™s colouring. ย The little hearts which sit on top of the water lilies are such a beautiful touch and really reinforced for me the idea of showing some love to my mum on Motherโ€™s Day.”
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What pattern did you use and did you make any adjustments?
“I used a Burda pattern no. 6632. ย I shortened the sleeves to elbow length as I know mum prefers this length for warmer days, being careful to cut a longer cuff piece to allow for the extra width of that part of the arm as opposed to the wrist. (I just realised this in time!). ย ย I didnโ€™t add any interfacing to the neck band as I wanted it to have as soft a finish as possible. ย I wanted the whole garment to be finished as neatly on the inside as it was on the outside, so, as Tana lawn is such a light and non bulky fabric I chose to do French seams on the sides and sleeves rather than overlocking them. I also hand stitched the whole length of the neck band facing on the inside of the top, tucking in the raw edges for the same reason. This was a little fiddly and a little time consuming but worth it. ย All the best gifts involve a bit of effort, donโ€™t they! ย I chose just a small number of buttons to put down the front from my button jar. ย I chose mismatching buttons, in pastel colours, as I knew my mum would appreciate a little unique/ quirky touch!”ย 
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Beautiful Liberty Blouse
Are you happy with the finished blouse?
“I tried it on myself as Iโ€™m a similar size to mum, but was disappointed to find that the armholes and sleeves were a lot narrower than they appear on the pattern. If I used this pattern again I would think about widening these aspects a little. I was concerned that they may be uncomfortable for mum. However, my mum was absolutely thrilled when she opened her present. ย She tried it on straightaway and it fits her perfectly. ย She says she canโ€™t wait for lockdown to be over so that she can wear it to show her friends. My sister wants me to make one just like it for her now!”
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Here’s what Lucy’s mum, Ann, had t0 say about the top.
โ€œI think itโ€™s absolutely wonderful and was such a lovely surprise! I really like the colours and the style of it and Iโ€™m waiting to wear it when lockdown is over and I can go and visit your dad.โ€ (Lucy’s dad is currently in a nursing home and no visitors are allowed)
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Thank you for sharing your lovely project with us Lucy. ย Your mum looks gorgeous in the top and I really hope that she will be able to wear it very soon whilst visiting your dad. xx