Lilith & Eve Drapey Blouse

Did you know I live in Philadelphia? Did you know we Philadelphians do more than eat cheesesteaks, and behave badly at sporting events? One fine example of the new Philadelphia is the Lilith and Eve pattern company. I know physical location doesn't matter on the inter web, but the #1 reason I jumped at the Lilith and Eve call for testers was because I love that they are local. Philly is awash with creative types. You can't skip a stone in the Passyunk fountain without hitting 2 graphic designers, 4 part-owners of gastropubs, a gaggle of architects, and a guy that does a little metal work on the weekend. It's puzzling to me that we don't have more indie pattern companies, or boutique fabric shops. Do you hear me Philadelphia? I'm tired of waiting for my Miss Matatabi, Drygoods Design, Blackbird Fabrics, Fancy Tiger Crafts, etc. fabric order to ship! You would think a city with more than double the population of Denver (home of Fancy Tiger), or Seattle (home of Drygoods) could sustain such things. We have several fashion design programs, a bunch of new sewing studios, and a handful of well known sewing bloggers, how about some curated fabric choices? I'm hoping that Lilith and Eve is another indicator of a local trend.

Let's be clear, I made this top from the test version of the pattern (which I received for free as a tester). I'm not going to give it the full pattern review until I make one from the final version. But I will say- good stuff! Each Lilith and Eve pattern has a split personality. Rather than offering a view A or B, they offer the Lilith version or the Eve version. The pattern pieces are labeled with a bird or a butterfly to indicate which pieces you need for each version.

This is the LE101- Drapey blouse. It can be made with sleeves and a collar, or as a collarless tank (as shown here).  Both versions have a draped back, and a button front. There is some possibility for mixing the designs together for a collared tank, too. And lots of potential for fabric blocking between the yoke and the bodice. I really like the way this pattern came together. The yoke is lined so there is no need for fussy bias tape binding (ugh). The fit is pretty great on me. I'm not entirely sold on the drapy tail (and we all know I'm normally pro-tail), but now that its Me Made May and the weather is warm, I will have more chances to see if it wears well. I made the standard length, and I have reasonable bum coverage. I was expecting it to be shorter, but I like this better.

I used some left over gray linen from Joann. I like the drape of the linen with the fancy back, but it could stand to be a little bit thinner. I recently discovered there is such a thing as shirt buttons (live and learn) I got mine from Fleishman's on Fabric Row.

While we're on the topic of Philadelphia, I did not make these pants, but I really want to make a better version of these pants. A version that doesn't shimmy down as I walk forcing me to wear a really tight belt, or stop every 3 paces so I can hitch them up again. Luckily, I just finished the Pattern Making 1 class at Made Studios, so now I can make whatever I want. Made Studios is a Philadelphia sewing studio/incubator of American made fashion. The Made Studios' program is heavily influenced by the (capital F) Fashion programs at the local universities, but this private program allows people with some self-taught skills (ahem, me) to take classes a la carte. If you are local, you should check it out (or follow them on instagram @made_studios). Made has some amazing offerings like tailoring, draping, and couture methods (for real!) all with very experienced instructors. If a single day in the city is more you speed, try one of Made's workshops. In January I made some vague promises to myself to invest in myself, and Made has been a worthwhile and fulfilling return on that investment. (Here is a peak at the most exciting muslin I've ever made.) Okay, I'll stop gushing now. 

If you're curious about the Philadelphia fabric scene read Madalynne's guide to Fourth Street Fabric Row. I shop Fabric Row like it's my personal stash closet, and I still learned a thing or two.

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Pertinent Info:
Pattern: LE101 Drapey Blouse by Lilith & Eve (on instagram @lilithandevepatterns)
Fabric: Black Papyrus Slub Linen from Joann Fabrics