Vogue 8772 fitted blouse

So this is the Vogue 8772.

I wanted a warm slim fitted shirt to tuck into my work trousers and not be too bulky under the jumpers we are all wearing in this weather at the moment.

I had choosen some beautifully soft warm medium weight pale pink cotton shirting from Fabworks in return for a blog post.

This is their ex-designer Endless Herringbones in Himalayan Halite (pink and white like chambray) Linen and Cotton fabric.

To me it looks and feels like a high end men’s shirt fabric. The type I envisage with fold back cuffs and cufflinks.

Funnily enough the same type my husband used to wear before he asked me if I could take off his fold back cuffs from 3 of his shirts and make them normal button cuffs. Needless to say it was a very boring job that I spread over several weeks!

Well this is the Vogue 8772 ……..with a lot of adjustments.

I have to admit, however, it wasn’t the pattern, it was me that caused most of my issues with this pattern. I’ve since read the back of the packet and noted the fabric recommendation for fabric for this shirt was a lot lighter weight, a chiffon or light weight silk, rather than this cotton which would explain most of the adjustments I had to make.

It appears to be a well loved pattern and during my research apart from a note that the sleeves appeared quite long, I didn’t read others having so many fit issues.

It’s classed as a Vogue ‘easy’ pattern. I think a shirt with a classic collar stand and collar and 2 french darts front and back is more ‘intermediate’, than easy, but maybe that’s Vogue for you.

I went with the size 12 for measurements bust 34”, waist 26.5”, hip36” but graded up to a size 14 around the waist. My measurements are 34”, waist 29”, hip 37” and I checked against the finished measurements for ease. It’s a fitted shirt so I wanted shape around the waist but still with ease to be comfortable.

I made up the front and back with all the darts. French darts to the front and back, bust darts and also darts on the tops of the shoulders on the rear panel. It was almost perfect, just a little big around the waist so I took it in there half a size.

So the first change I made was to the button placket. There isn’t one, you just fold over the centre front edges to the inside twice and don’t even stitch it down. I wanted a more formal shirt and because my fabric was the same front and back, I folded over the centre front to the outside twice and edge stitched it down so it looked like a button placket.

I shortened the sleeve by an inch and made up the rest of the shirt – all the way to the end, including serging the seams, a big mistake!

I don’t have any photos of me in it at this stage, only on my manequin, but I was very disappointed to have gotten this far and found the shirt was wearing me, not the other way around!

The sleeve head was so poufy, there was excess fabric around the rear of the armscye. The sleeves themselves were too wide from the upper arm all the way down to the wrist and the cuffs were really wide too.

I always sleep on these things to see if I can live with them but by morning I knew the sleeves would have to come out.

So…… I took off the sleeves and compared them to my much loved Liesl and Co Classic shirt. I took the top of the sleeve head down. (Top is the Liesl & Co sleeve pattern, middle is the V8772 pattern adjusted for next time, bottom is my new seam line)

I trimmed the rear of the armscye.

I slimmed down the sleeve.

and reduced the cuff circumference by 2 cm.

It was worth persevering. I now have a great pattern for a fitted shirt!

So I suppose to give the pattern it’s due, I should go back and remake the shirt with no adjustments in chiffon.

Meanwhile I have a beautiful high quality super comfortable fitted shirt to add to my wardrobe.

Love, Lucie xx