The Wheelie Stitcher

As you all know, I love both sewing with and wearing jersey fabric, so this was the perfect project for me. I honestly can’t believe it’s taken me this long to get around to trying the Adrienne Blouse from the Friday Pattern Company, but now I have, I’m hooked and definitely plan on making more.

My Ambassador fabric was a gorgeous Minerva Exclusive cotton jersey called Inky Grove. I already love the original blue colourway, so I was looking forward to trying the pomegranate version. The warm autumn tones are beautiful and I can’t decide which I prefer; they’re both stunning.

As always, the quality of the cotton jersey is fantastic. It’s incredibly soft and breathable, thanks to being 100% cotton. The drape is wonderful, especially on the statement sleeves of the Adrienne. I pre-washed my fabric prior to starting my project.

I followed everyone’s advice and increased the ease in the pattern around my waist. I’m so glad I did; it would’ve been too tight otherwise. I feel that I have managed to keep the overall look of the pattern whilst still keeping it comfortable . Initially, I worried the neckline would gape or be too low for me and my wheelchair, but I needn’t have worried, it’s fine.

The project went surprisingly quickly. There are only three pattern pieces to cut, which my hubby kindly cut out for me using a rotary cutter. I used my sewing machine with a jersey needle and lightning stitch for most of the project and my overlocker for the seams. I finished the bottom hem with my cover stitch machine.

As recommended in the pattern I used bra elastic for the gathers in the sleeves as this will hopefully make the blouse more hard wearing.

I’m so pleased with how it turned out.

The weather was awful when we took the photos, so I used Canva to change the rainy background to something more cheerful.

Wheelchair considerations:

A. The fit of the blouse is quite snug with a lot of negative ease around the torso. If you prefer a bit more room, you might want to adjust the pattern.

B. The sleeves are quite full which might be a problem if you’re self-propelled. I found the length perfect as they finish three-quarters up the arm so they didn’t catch on my joystick.

C. The blouse ends high on the hip which is great because it prevents having to sit on excess fabric.

Image description: (there are six images taken from different angles showing Yvonne sat in her wheelchair, she is wearing a Jersey blouse that has gathered statement, sleeves and a print of abstract flowers and plants in red, orange, pink, beige and brown)

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