Pivoine Blouse Review - Delphine & Morissette

I made this blouse back last summer 2019 and, after posting pictures of it on Instagram, I had so many lovely comments, messages and questions about the making process that I kept saying that I would write a blog post on the pattern and I am just getting around to it now in May 2020!! Lockdown does have some advantages, it’s giving me time to write up a lot of my makes and it’s lovely to get them done and remember what I loved about them.

So, anyway, I had seen so many beautiful versions of this pattern around and fell in love with it. I absolutely love French style, it has such a delicate feminine, romantic feel and this blouse really caught my eye. I’ll post a few of the pictures that inspired me from Instagram, the accounts will be credited below.

I knew I had to give this blouse a try and I particularly loved the version I’d seen in the Atelier Brunette Chestnut Viscose (far right above) so I, rather ambitiously, ordered some from Minerva with this blouse in mind but when I came to purchase and download the pattern I found there was just one major problem, the pattern was all in French.

Despite the fact that I did French A level at sixth form, I still couldn’t fully understand the pattern, I did email Delphine & Morissette to ask if they had an English version of the pattern but didn’t receive a response and I assume that is of course because of the language barrier. So, I enlisted the help of my Mum who reads French much better than I do and Google translate and we set about translating the pattern as best we could.

The pattern itself was a downloadable PDF and was delivered via email as usual. The pattern sizing is drawn in different colours so you simply piece together the pattern as you usually would a PDF and trace off again around the coloured line which corresponds to your own measurements. I made a size 34 which was colour ‘Marron’. For reference I am a 32″ bust and usually wear a size 8/10 in tops.

So once we’d put together a basic list of the steps required to make the pattern I decided to sew a test version of the blouse in a white cotton fabric I already had in my stash, there was no way I was cutting into that gorgeous Atelier Brunette fabric before I knew what I was doing!

The blouse back and two fronts are both gathered into a yoke which gives a really pretty finish. The sleeves are partly grown on and then finished with a cuff which I really like.

There are two options for the neck edge, you can either have a collar or finish the blouse neck with bias binding. I opted for the bias bound finish because I thought it was more casual. Plus the fact that I didn’t fancy translating the collar instructions 😉

The button bands are attached separately to the front pieces and folded over to create a delicate button placket which I really like the look of. It was a little fiddly topstitching along those thin edges though – definitely something to take your time over.

The cuffs are attached to the sleeves by sewing in the round and then pressing towards the insides. They are then folded to create the cuff effect.

I love the delicate detail to this blouse

And that is basically it – simple right lol!! Well as blouse patterns go I guess it is quite a simple construction, there doesn’t have to be a collar and really there are no ‘proper’ sleeves to set in, it didn’t take too long to put together and I really enjoyed making it. There are some lovely details in the pattern too, I particularly like the gathered yoke and the cuffed sleeves which give a lovely touch.

I think this pattern would definitely work better in a more drapey fabric. The white cotton I used in my trial felt quite stiff and restrictive, the Atelier Brunette fabric, although a cotton crepe, is much softer and thinner and feels better but I think it would also be lovely in a viscose or a rayon.

I hope that all helps a little bit and encourages you to give this blouse a go if you’ve been thinking about it. If you have a little bit of dressmaking knowledge under your belt I think you’ll put this blouse together easily based on the pattern pieces and your ability to see how they should fit together.

I’m still stalking the hashtag for this blouse on Instagram and I’m hoping to make another one for this summer maybe in a soft linen or broderie anglaise.

Have you already tried this blouse? Have you ever had to translate a pattern which wasn’t in English like me? I’d love to hear your experience too.

Lots of love and happy sewing!!

Sally xx