Vionnet test-toile

Finally, five minutes (more actually!) to post about my Vionnet-blouse-test-toile, AND it's daylight, AND the builders have removed the plastic sheats that have covered my window since november, relief (we are refurbishing the facades and balconies)! No flash needed, finally...

I'm spending the day at home, a suspected Norovirus kept me up for a couple hours during the night but I'm really quite well so I think it might have been something else. I'm still staying at home to save the colleagues from running the risk of catching it... (it's apparently extremely contageous), and there is quite a lot of it around at the moment so I might just be part-immune (if that's possible...).

Now, the toile! I chose to make a toile of this blouse because it was the most simple of all patterns in my recently purchased book with reproductions of Madeleine Vionnet's patterns. Purpose: to see if the size fits me.

After making it I've seen a couple of copies of it, I think I remember correctly when I say I saw a very similar blouse at Anthropologie, and there is a sewing pattern at Marfys that has a striking resemblance to it, interesting... makes me wonder if they were conscious copies or if they just happened to invent the same blouse, it's quite possible.

Now, remember I made the toile in a very simple cotton without much drape. I think it would turn out a lot nicer in a drapey fabric. Also, I haven't ironed it and I haven't finished any edges. Which btw makes med very curious about the threads-issue with information about how mme Vionnet used to finish the edges...

The size, I can't say I'm much wiser! I think it's a little bit too big, which makes sense if I have come to the correct conclusion in my guess that the patterns in the book are made to fit a japanese size 9, and that a japanese size 9 equals a European size 36. I'm a size 34. 

I had to take it in quite a bit in the back to make the toile fit my dressform, but then I think the blouse may have been  intended to be a bit loose-fitting, since it's tucked in in the picture in the book.

Still, I think I will plot the patterns a little scaled down, I really don't like too big clothes (since they make me appear totally shapeless).

Here's what the pattern looks like (update: in the book). I inserted a scanned image in AutoCad, redrafted, scaled and plotted it. A lot easier than to enlarge it manually, and I could fit the pattern in just one A1-sheet.

This is how the pieces fit together. Only the cowl is cut on the bias, which I think is quite rare with patterns by Mme Vionnet.It's actually a surprisingly simple pattern, but it was for an underblouse, I think the jacket that came with it was the real focus piece.

And here are the instructions on how to assemble it. Like I said, I didn't finish the edges at all.

There are also pictures of the details of finishing it in the book, and I think it's quite possible to follow the pictures without reading the text.

Still can't really decide whether to make a real blouse from this pattern or whether to move on at once and try making one of the dresses!

But first up on the list is making a couple of pieces of clothes for my nieces, whom I will go to Bergen to visit this weekend, I can't wait!