The Ganni style tie front blouse dupes are certainly having a moment within the sewing community, and I was excited to join in and try one with the Fabric Godmother Fleur Blouse! I’m obsessed with the bows and the flowy sleeves. It’s a little more feminine than my usual style, but I can definitely see myself wearing it often. The Fleur Blouse was my first pick because I really liked that it wasn’t fully open in the front. I had heard good things about the pattern and knew I had to add this style to my wardrobe.
Fabric & Sizing
For the fabric, I decided to do Fabric Godmother’s recommendation and use their Le Weekend linen/viscose to pair with the Fleur Blouse. When I saw this fabric, I immediately fell in love. Initially, I was going to save it for a different project, but I figured I may as well use it rather than keep it in my stash forever. The fabric has unfortunately sold out since I bought it. However, there are some cute fabrics on Spoonflower that capture a similar vibe – I personally like Anthea Jacklin’s designs (not sponsored).
For sizing, Fabric Godmother recommends sizing down if you’re between sizes. I am between a 6 and an 8, but I went against their recommendation and sized up to an 8. I usually size up because it’s easier to take something in than to let it out. Honestly, the 8 fits great for me. It has a slightly oversized look, but since this is a romantic, flowy top, I don’t mind at all. I think if you’re very slightly larger than a recommended size, sizing down will be totally fine though.
Sewing the Fleur Blouse Pattern
This pattern was super easy to sew and came together really nicely. Since this is one of FG’s first patterns, I was a little nervous that the drafting or instructions wouldn’t be up to par. The instructions were super detailed and walked you through step by step with clear guidance on finishings so that the inside of the top is super clean.
My favorite part of the pattern is that there are no buttons or zippers required. Everything I’ve been sewing this month has required buttons or zippers, so this was a much needed break for me. I also love that there is a placket under the ties. This adds an extra step, but it makes the shirt more work appropriate for me.
The only potential hiccup (which didn’t apply to me) is having to gather a heavier fabric. I personally hate gathering and there is a good bit of it required for the sleeves. If your fabric is heavier, it might be hard to prevent things from looking bulky.
Final thoughts
I feel really confident that I’ll be sewing this blouse again! Now that I’ve done it once, I think the second version will be super easy. It’s one of those tops that makes you feel like you dressed up, but you really just threw on a cute blouse. For my next one I want to use a really lightweight sheer lawn so that I can lean even more into the flowy, romantic vibes.
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