pattern tester roundup
Rian Blouse Pattern Testers Roundup Part 2
Hey there my gorgeous friends. Continuing on from yesterday we have Part 2 of the Rian Pattern Testers journey up on the blog today.
Each of our fabulous testers have really individualized their own Rians by fabric choice and styling.
The Rian Blouse is such a versatile garment and can be worn with casual jeans right through to pairing with more tailored shapes.
So again, my lovelies – please shout out to our spectacular roadies who are the stars – Part 2 of the Rian Blouse Pattern Test Roundups.
And they would like to share the following with you
1. Your name and where you live ?
2. What fabric combinations did you choose and where did you purchase
3. What sewing tips can you share when sewing the Rian ?
4. What was your style choice for the Rian ?
5. What fit alterations did you have to make to the Rian ?
6. Have you worn your Rian yet and what compliments did you receive.
7. Any plans for future combinations of the Rian ?
8. Social media URLS
And the finer details; (AU/UK) 6 – 30 (US) 2 – 26 (EU) 34 – 58
On Sale for a limited time only – $9.85
Very Confident Advanced Beginner and Above Sewing level.
Greetings from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. My name is Allison.
I was unsure about Rian Entreduex Blouse when I first saw the design. I have used some rather technical sewing skills over the years, but had never done pin tucks. Add that to my concerns about a loose, oversized top looking decent on me, and well………
My Rian is made from a poplin fabric. The fabric choice is extremely important for this blouse. Finding a woven cotton poplin was a challenge. I live in Milwaukee, but was willing to drive to Chicago for fabric. Unfortunately, my online preshopping did not come up with any poplin at any of the stores in Chicago. I ended up making a purchase of fabric from an Etsy store. The same was true of finding the entredeux trim. I also purchased from an Etsy store. To make sure I was able to get my orders in a timely manner, I did limit my search to shops shipping from the US. At this point I would like to assure you, I am glad I put in the effort and time to make this blouse.
When making Rian, allow time. While the blouse is not difficult, it does require attention to detail. One of the first steps is sewing the pin tucks. I had this vague notion that I had seen something in my sewing machine manual about sewing pintucks when I made the purchase last year. When I looked in the manual, I discovered I had directions and a specific foot. As always, using the right tool for a job makes the job much easier. Once the lines were marked for the pintuck spacing, I set the guide on the machine foot for the eighth of an inch seam allowance, then sewed. Once the pintucks are sewn into the fabric, they need to be ironed. That is the other tool you will use very frequently for this blouse, your iron.
My other new skill was dying the trim. I could not find red trim to match the red fabric. I decided to attempt to dye the trim. This was very scary, as I did not have extra trim. I love how the dyed trim coordinates with the blouse. It elevates the design, allowing the elements of the design to shine.
While it may seem like a lot of extra work, as always, make a fit before making your final. This will help you to work on any new skills while making sure you have your fit just right. I found the second sew went significantly quicker than the first.
I wore my outfit once, and I received many compliments. I do have some plans for this outfit. This summer we hope to visit the submarine where my grandfather served as a radioman during WWII. I wanted to wear something that gave a nod to the time when my grandparents were young, to the time when my grandma as a young bride of a few days said goodbye to my grandfather as he went off for additional training. So, I paired my Rian with a linen blend pencil skirt with a front left walking split with a button tab closure at the top, a pair of brown leather shoes with ankle straps, and I even found some nylons. Then, I rolled and wore my hair down. I do have to say that my grandmother’s curls were so much better than mine, even with modern products. I chose the red poplin as red, white, and blue were very popular clothing colors in the US during the 1940s. While I am decades older than she was when my grandfather was serving on the submarine, I felt connected to them for a moment in time.
Rian is a great sew. I encourage you to make a couple for your wardrobe too!
Hi I’m Barbara. I live in Northeastern Mississippi USA.
I used a premium cotton from a local JoAnns to make a Rian for my DD. I purchased the 1/4″ Entreduex trim from Amazon. I then dyed the off white trim to match the fabric.
My DD chose the 3/4 sleeves option as this will be a staple in her work wardrobe.
To achieve a perfect fit, I made a 1″ forward shoulder adjustment along with shortening 2″
As for sewing tips, pay very close attention to which way the pintucks are ironed and sewn.
DD has worn her Rian and received many compliments especially when she paired it with her Estelle Pants !
I have a couple of Rians already cut, I’m waiting on more Entreduex trim!
https://www.instagram.com/ninjabreadgirl61…
Hello everyone I’m Tina from South Yorkshire here in the UK.
For my Rian blouse i used a good quality cotton poplin fabric which held my pin tucks beautifully.
When you sew your Rian i would say sew carefully and with precision when completing your pin tucks. This will pay off later when you align your pattern pieces up and they match! Also, make sure your entredeux lace section is only 1/4” wide. The front panels come together slowly but well worth taking your time over.
My Rian is a size 5 with slight trimming to a 4, 5/8 sleeve length and a B cup front panel. I have used an ivory lace and button to add a subtle contrast.
I purchased my lace from Barnett Lawson Trimmings which i found hard to find a supplier in the UK
I have black lace waiting for the right fabric for my next Rian.
I am taking my Rian to the races this week to wear! I am so proud of my sew. The style is just fabulous.
https://www.facebook.com/tina.darby.355
I’m Maria and I live in Sydney Australia
2. What fabric combinations did you choose and where did you purchase
My fabric and trim were bought at The Sewing Basket.
3. What sewing tips can you share when sewing the Rian?
Find a fabric that contrasts with your trim. This lets people see your good work.
Buy an extra reel of thread. Why? I did a lot of unpicking so I could make this fit me better.
Check the pattern pieces and don’t assume using the size you normally pick. I think I’ve sized this down by 2 sizes across my body.
4. What was your style choice for the Rian ?
I chose the long sleeve version. This allows me to wear the sleeves a bit higher when it suits me.
5. What fit alterations did you have to make to the Rian ?
I sort of started with size 4 but knew that as a short person, I had to make the following changes.
From the start I lowered the neckline by 2 cm. I did remeasure the new lowered neckline to make sure the neckband sat flat and was long enough to button close.
The piping I sewed was my guide to resew the trim along the princess seam. It’s so tempting to make more changes but I wanted this version to work and look very French or Vintage.
The piping is done at 2cm intervals. This allowed me to be more accurate when I resized my Rian.
After I was happy with the bodice fit, then I cut off 3cm off the hem. Keeping the shape was not that hard and I love the hem design Ann has created.
6. Have you worn your Rian yet and what compliments did you receive.
I was told that the white jeans pairing makes the Rian look really stylish.
Wearing the Rian with dark denim jeans also makes this look a wee bit French.
Both of these jeans are my Peyton jeans.
7. Any plans for future combinations of the Rian?
I’m planning on sewing a plain black version with white trim. The possibilities are endless!
8. Social media Blog Velosews – What Maria sews – https://velosews.com/
Facebook
IG Maria – I sew (@velosews) • Instagram photos and videos – https://www.instagram.com/velosews/
Hi, I am Marieke from the Netherlands.
As always I can say that Ann her patterns are my favorites and also this one is just love ❤️
I enjoyed this sew so much! I wasn’t afraid of the fit since I know exactly which adjustments I have to make on her patterns and I could just focus on which fabric I should choose.
The details of this blouse is amahahazing! When you list them down you probably would think: that’s way too much, but the combination is so good and every detail is popping without being too much: the pin tucks, the entredeux trim, the gathers, it all comes together so beautifully!
The choice of fabric is lovely too! There are way to less patterns made for cotton poplin I think and it’s one of the fabrics that is coming into the most beautiful prints! So here is a pattern made for it yes! I also love poplin a lot since it’s so satisfying to press crispy pleats, edges and everything in it; it’s a fabric that does what you want and at the end the drape you need is also there! I call it a win-win.
I also love how many ways there are to style this blouse! It fits with absolutely everything!
Well, I think you noticed already how much I love this blouse LOL.
I would say: do yourself a favor and make yourself one (or two or..) too!
You can find more inspiration on my Insta https://www.instagram/jongdesign
Hello, Poh Ling here from Singapore.
I made straight size 1 in 3/4 sleeve for my Rian Blouse using cotton poplin from my local fabric store and entredeux trim from Taobao.
Tip: go slow to assemble the pintuck and entredeux trim and collar so that everything will align nicely.
I am pleased with how my blouse turned out. I’ve wore it to work and my colleagues complimented that the blouse looked nice.
You can view more of my sew on https://www.instagram.com/b.a.o.l.i.n.g
Hi, my name is Sue and I live in the upper plains of the US. I am so pleased to share my Rian blouse with you! The design is so fun and cute and if you take your time, you can make a beautiful blouse!
This blouse is all about the details! There are gorgeous pintucks along with seams that highlight the entredeaux lace. It is essential that you make sure you sew with an exact amount of lace between your pieces or the front bodice will not lay correctly nor will you bodice pieces match up at the neckline and hemline.
Purchase the nicest lace you can afford, it makes such a difference in the end result!
Pressing is essential with this make—don’t skip any pressing as it makes a difference.
I really hope you’ll give this beautiful design a try! It’s a fun sew and one of those very satisfying sews!
https://www.threads.net/@sue_glasparrott