I love deadlines. There. I said it. Not only do I love deadlines, but I NEED them. I am a chronic procraftinator- especially if there is an open ended timeline on hand. Maybe that’s why I’m so drawn to all these amazing sewing challenges that are floating around the sewing blogger network and instagram lately. I love having parameters, a theme, and most importantly, a cutoff date. With all that said, I also love multitasking so it’s been quite fun to see crossovers between these sewing challenges and how I can hit as many challenges with one garment as possible. Cue the new Sewcialists mini challenge and Sew Happy Color with Katie Kortman prompts…

When I took the Sewcialists Quiz, I got “Sew Bright” and immediately laughed out loud. If you’ve seen my posts (well, not including the recent swimwear post), you know I cling to black, white, neutrals, etc. Apparently my personality and my wardrobe are not in sync but I’m working to remedy that with this new Nellie Blouse!

It just so happens that this week #SewHappyColor theme was yellow and orange. Also, Maker Mountain Fabrics had a flash sale and the Nani Iro double gauze I’ve been eyeing was still available. It was like the stars had aligned for this blouse! Is this fabric amazing or is it amazing???

Let’s chat a moment about this blouse pattern. I stumbled across it through a few hours of Pinteresting last weekend. I take my pattern choices very seriously here folks. I wanted to find a simple silhouette to showcase this incredible print. I wanted a breezy style to coincide with the double gauze texture of the fabric. And, I wanted a little pop of femininity to keep me from looking like a linebacker (as I feel like most button-down tops tend to make me appear).

I love this pattern. Really and truly, I do. It was a super fast sew…probably took me an hour from cut to finish. I was able to somehow pattern tetris this from one yard of Nani Iro. I wish I had just ordered more and could have played with the fabric placement better, but I still am obsessed with how it turned out.

I am not familiar with the pattern maker but I am pleased with their design! This was the first pattern I’ve had to trace out my own seam allowance (it’s not included with the pattern pieces but they do give you a guide on what you should use). The tutorial was brief but had digital drawings that helped me visualize each step. The fit was pretty spot on but I’ll make a few adjustments for my next Nellie. I sewed a size 36, which I fit in their size chart. I did not make length adjustments as I was barely fitting it all on this yardage to begin with! Also, I folded the ruffle piece in half and sewed it to the blouse instead of sewing two ruffle pieces together. This resulted in a more dainty ruffle, but I love it more this way!

Two changes I’ll make next time: I think I’ll make it a little less boxy next time by grading in at the waist. I also think I will bring up the front neckline a smidge for more coverage.

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I hope this post bright some cheer and happiness to your weekend!! XOXO.