Lucy from the studio made this beautiful Liberty blouse for her mum for Mother’s Day a few weeks ago. It uses a gorgeous Liberty fabric called Love Lily C and Burda pattern 6632. The blouse looks lovely – perfect for the warm spring days we are having in the UK at the moment.
I asked Lucy about the make. 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! 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 Mother’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 didn’t want it to be something she kept tucked away ‘for best’. I chose to make a loose fitting top for spring or summer days which she could easily wear with lots of different bottoms.
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 Mother’s Day to visit my mum, who lives a long way from me. 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. I am so glad I decided to do this, as a few days later lockdown was announced here and if I had waited I wouldn’t have been able to deliver this present to her. Suspecting that I may not be able to see her again for a long time made it all the more special.”
Which fabric did you use and why?
“I finally chose to use Tana Lawn Love Lily C. To me its intricate design is reminiscent of some of Liberty’s oldest prints which I remember seeing as a child. I felt that this fabric is so unmistakably a Liberty fabric. 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 mum’s colouring. 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 Mother’s Day.”
What pattern did you use and did you make any adjustments?
“I used a Burda pattern no. 6632. 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!). I didn’t add any interfacing to the neck band as I wanted it to have as soft a finish as possible. 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. All the best gifts involve a bit of effort, don’t they! I chose just a small number of buttons to put down the front from my button jar. I chose mismatching buttons, in pastel colours, as I knew my mum would appreciate a little unique/ quirky touch!”
Are you happy with the finished blouse?
“I tried it on myself as I’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. She tried it on straightaway and it fits her perfectly. She says she can’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!”
Here’s what Lucy’s mum, Ann, had t0 say about the top.
“I think it’s absolutely wonderful and was such a lovely surprise! I really like the colours and the style of it and I’m waiting to wear it when lockdown is over and I can go and visit your dad.” (Lucy’s dad is currently in a nursing home and no visitors are allowed)
Thank you for sharing your lovely project with us Lucy. 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
