Miss Alma!

Alma.

It’s such an old-fashioned, grandmotherly name, but it’s a heck of a new pattern! I’m a Sewaholic fangirl, so it’s no surprise that I like this one too. Between Pendrells, Renfrews, and Almas, I wear a Sewaholic top almost every day! 

For my first Alma, I used a fine Japanese quilting cotton that I got here. 2m for $14 was a great deal! I chose View A: the notched collar neckline, with the cap sleeves. I’d already used the cap sleeve pattern on a few other projects, so it was interesting to finally read the instructions and see how they were supposed to be sewn! (No surprise, her method was better than mine! :P )

As usual, I left the zipper out, and the fit is just right for me. I’ve been trying to puzzle out lately how body types might affect the need for zippers… All I can figure it that since I have a relatively large natural waist measurement proportionate to my other measurements, I am able to pull dresses and blouses over my head. (It’s a bit of a wiggle to get in, but it’s worth the laziness of not sewing zippers!) For someone with more difference between waist and bust, maybe a zipper would be more important? 

My only complaint is that the blouse is a teeny bit short, especially with the belt on. Fine for an office, but I had to be careful when I was teaching gym! I added some length on my next version, and it’s much better. 

All in all, I’m really pleased. It’s a great basic shape, and I’m looking forward to seeing how it turns out in a different kinds of fabric. (My second version, soon to be posted, is Japanese double gauze.) I like basic designs that are easy to modify… and I’ve already used Alma as a the base to draft a few completely different things! 

Have you made an Alma? Do you have a basic blouse pattern that you love? And do you leave zippers off, or are they important for your fit?