What I quite like about the Adrienne is that it’s a knit jersey top that stands out amongst all the other sewing patterns that use stretchy fabrics. Most patterns recommended for jersey type fabrics are all jumpers or tshirts. While these are nice, and there is nothing wrong with having a collection of staples, sometimes I just want to wear a stretchy top that has a little more action to it.

I’ve previously made 2 Adrienne tops in a viscose jersey and a double knit Ponte Roma with slight modifications, which you can read about here.

If you haven’t made an Adrienne Blouse by Friday Pattern Co. before then I must also say that this pattern is for knit fabric with at least 25% stretch. The bodice is designed with negative ease so it fits like a bodycon style, which emphases the construct of the sleeves. In this post I’ll be talking about my latest Adriennes that have a mix of materials taking inspiration from Alexander McQueen and the Princess/Cottage Core Aesthetics. All to further my quest for those perfect statement sleeves.

Image left to right: Beaufille Nebula Organza blouse | Ganni Leopard-jacquard mini dress | Pinko puff sleeve ribbed jersey top | Esthe Clothing Green oversize Organza Shirt

I was inspired by last year’s puffy sleeve and sheer layered trend and the cottage core aesthetics. I found all three inspirations to be a great way to play with silhouettes and textures. I have never previously been interested in the cottage core aesthetics or puffy sleeves trend for myself, but now I see that I was limiting my own style. I wanted to push my boundaries with what fabrics I had that didn’t have a project attached to them and try a new style.

I would also say that in both versions I’ve only altered the sleeves and the bodice remained untouched. As I am currently in my yearly fabric ban I wanted to use up my double knit ponte that I previously used for the black version of Adrienne, but I didn’t have enough left over for the sleeves. Whilst shopping my stash I found some black organza from Minerva and I thought why not? They describe the fabric as being a wonderfully lightweight, plain-woven and sheer fabric with a shimmering finish that catches the light beautifully. Disclaimer: I’ve never sewn with organza before, or a fabric this lightweight before, and have also never attached different fabric types in completely different weights to each other. It was going to be a challenge and a great way to spend May, possibly *fingers crossed* the last month in lockdown.

For my first version I cut a size XS for the bodice and sleeves. I really should have gone a size up, but I was already playing fabric Tetris and just couldn’t squeeze a little more out of my scraps. In this version I wanted to make sure that I knew how I would be attaching sleeves to the bodice without ripping any fabric, how to finish something so lightweight and use it as a visual representation of how not to finish edges.

When creating my elastic channels for my shoulders I overlocked the edge because I thought the elastic would hide it. I found that you could still see through the folded layers and it looked a little messy. I reduced the shoulder elastic by 4cm hoping that it would give a little more drama to the shoulder.

I french seamed where possible but also tried various methods like adding interfacing strips to the armhole for more stability. When it came to attaching the sleeves to the bodice I finished both types of fabrics separately, using a narrow hem for the organza sleeve and overlocking the ponte arm scythe, then I used a zigzag stitch to attach the two pieces. I under stitched my seam allowance towards my bodice as that was the sturdier of the two fabric pieces.

I discovered that whilst making my first Adrienne in viscose jersey that I didn’t enjoy having elasticated wrists and it was easy to accidentally make them too tight. So in this version I left the sleeves un-elasticated; this also gave me the true length of the sleeves and I could work out how much I needed to add on for a full length sleeve.

For my second version, I didn’t have enough of the same black ponte left over, so once again I delved into my stash and pulled out another Ponte Roma in Charcoal, this time from Fabrics Galore. Instead of being a plain black it was a marl jersey, which is a colour effect usually found in knitted fabrics where 2 different colours appear blurred. The most recognisable example is grey marl sweatshirt fabric. It is made by combining two different coloured yarns in the thread which is used to construct the fabric, in this case it was black and white threads.

In my second and final version I wanted something that said total impracticality but with an air of elegance to it. This would be a similar version to my black ponte and so I cut a S size for the bodice and lengthened the sleeve by 12inches and added 6inches to the width. I wanted a bishop styled sleeve which is a large sleeve that is fuller at the bottom than the top and gathered at the cuff portion. Because I had lengthened the sleeve my cuff sat the correct length at my wrists without pulling at my shoulders. It was also wide enough that it would hide any watches or fitbits, because they tend to break the style that I’m going for when wearing this type of top. I kept the recommended length of elastic for a Small size and french seamed everything, and where I couldn’t I used a narrow hem. I gathered the end of the sleeve and tried to evenly distribute the gathers around my sleeve cuff.

I attached my sleeves to the bodice, reinforcing it with bias binding, to help stop any stray strands of organza sticking into my armpit. Surprisingly, the frayed edges and loose threads can be quite sharp if you’ve not trimmed and bound the edges properly.

I am pretty chuffed with how this turned out and even though I am slightly worried that it won’t survive more than a few washes, the Adrienne Blouse was a good pattern to try such experiments on. I think I’ve had my fill with this pattern and it’s unlikely that I will be making it again soon but I will absolutely be continuing my journey for those perfect statement sleeves.