Laurel V2.0 - Scandi forest

I've had this lovely lovely cotton lawn (from Spotlight of all places - it's Japanese and amazing quality) for ages, and been holding off making anything from it due to the colour. It's basically the same colour as me, and certainly not a flattering fabric close to my face, but after seeing the many cute peter pan collared tops out there in sewing land I thought it would make a lovely Laurel blouse, with a matching contrast peter pan collar to break up the creaminess.

My choices for the collar (shopping the stash) were some left over fuschia pink silk that I used to line my New Look 6000 or some black cotton-silk. I went with the pink because it was so bright and lovely, and drafted a collar using Gertie's tutorial which was fantastic, and facing it with bias using the same technique used to bind the collar on Megan Nielsen's Banksia top. I ended up hand sewing the binding down so I didn't accidently catch the right side of the collar. The collar is ok. It's not perfect but for a first attempt at both drafting a collar and sewing a collar I am quite pleased with it, and the contrast is so pretty with the pink of the trees in the main fabric. I think if it wasn't contrasting the little imperfections would be a little more hidden!

After my yellow Laurel I decided to try a little sleeve alteration, adding a little more fabric at the front armhole on the bodice but in retrospect I really shouldn't have worried - its a bit tight in this version and the fit and comfort of the yellow really is better. I also tried a couple of other slightly different techniques involving the sleeves. I eased the sleeve in using pins only, then basting, without gathering it at all. I used this tutorial, and was quite happy with the outcome - the first sleeve I just did zillions of pins and sewed it very slowly, the second I took the time to baste between the dots and I am officially now a sleeve-easing-basting convert. The other different technique (which I did in the yellow version too) was to set the sleeves in flat, before sewing up the side seams. Again I did a 6/8 inch seam allowance from about 2 inches above the armhole, down to the dart - I think for the dress I will do the whole sleeve/side seam at 6/8 seam allowance rather than mucking around trying to get a similar distance on each side. Maybe I will do a super-duper combo of one row of gathering stitches plus pin basting plus pin easing - there's so many sleeve setting opinions out there.......

The pulling at the armpit is not so bad in real life - not the best posture on my part....

I bound the sleeve edges in some of the fuchsia silk too, and am very happy with the effect. This little number will be my 2nd entry into the Colette competition. I have one more Laurel left in me before moving onto some more every day clothing for MMM - a dress, in beautiful Liberty cotton/wool, lined in what I think is rayon, for winter......