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One of my favourite Improv games to play (but not necessarily to watch) is called Alphabet. The game is a scene made of 26 lines of dialogue. The first line starts with a given letter (eg P). The reply to that line must start with a Q, and so on, until the whole alphabet has been covered. After Z comes A.
Sounds like fun? Imagine how much more fun this will be if you had not been taught the English alphabet as a child!
In fact, imagine how much this would be if you had been a taught a 21-letter alphabet!
By rights, I should hate this game. And yet, in my many runs of workshops with ComedySportZ, I have never turned down an opportunity to play it, even in the showcases.
It’s like wading through treacle. It makes my brain hurt. I never, ever ever get it right. And yet I will always jump at the chance to play it. It’s ridiculous fun, and my inability to remember which letter goes after which is now legendary. There was one instance when a fellow workshopper sat on the side and wrote down the alphabet as it emerged from the scene. It was pretty hilarious.
Incidentally, the Hungarian alphabet has 44 letters, so I presume they dedicate entire shows to this game, or just call a draw and tell people to go home when it gets too late.
I have decided to call this blouse The Alphabet Blouse, because just like that game, it contains something that makes my brain hurt, and that I should really stay away from. And that, Ladies and Gentlemen, is gathers.
I have tried to understand how they work, watched several videos about how to do them and felt pretty odd. I mean, these things are on lots and lots of beginners’ patterns, so they must be easy. What is wrong with me?
I still don’t have an answer to that question, and I am still not sure on which side of H I am supposed to put J and K. But I can do gathers! And mighty fine they look too:
The facts:
Fabric: check polycotton remnant, just under a metre, less than GBP 3.00. I picked it up at my usual remnant place because I needed to spend over a certain amount to pay by card, and because I felt my life needed more checks. It probably still does, but I have discovered I obsess over matching the checks at the seams, so I might not do checks for a bit.
Pattern: Vogue 9200, bought on eBay for around GBP 2.00 still in factory folds. I can see myself making this again, so I feel it was a great investment. I have gone a little crazy buying vintage patterns in the past couple of weeks.
Year: The pattern isn’t dated but I am thinking Seventies, perhaps late Seventies.
Notions: zipper, about 60p, thread
Time to complete: Cut on Friday night, gathered on Saturday night, finished on Sunday. Probably around eight hours of an absolute beginners.
First worn: today at the office (yes! That’s my work toilet in the picture!)
Wear again: oh yes!
Total Price: Just under GBP 6.00.
The other thing I am very proud of is how I matched the checks around the zipper:
Not bad for a beginner if I say so myself!
And a better view of the gathers:
I omitted all the facings – I have been experimenting with using bias tape (here and here) and I am very happy with that technique, at least for the time being. I think my bias tape was smaller than the seam allowances though, because it feels a little tight at the armscye after a long time wearing it.
I have also skipped the fastening at the back of the collar ties, and I am happy with that since I feel the collar is too wide, and it would look costume-y if a collar that size was standing up.
I also did not finish the CB seam underneath the zipper, and I widened the bottom of the pattern to make room for my hips.
When I making this again I will have a wider neck opening at the front to do away with the zipper. And I am definitely making this one again, I love it!
Oh I have so much random plaid, I think I’ll go for this look with at least one of them. Lovely!
I thoroughly recommend it! This was my first “Very easy very Vogue” pattern and it is worth looking for it. The fit is beautiful yet forgiving, and it’s incredibly easy to make.