California Floral (Simplicity 7460)

If this fabric seems familiar, that's because I've used it once before already this year: to sew my Valentine's Day dress.  Even though it was just a thrifted sheet, the fabric was still much too lovely to toss out the large, usable scraps leftover from the dress.  So I decided to test out a recent Ebay pattern acquisition: Simplicity 7460, which I cut in a size 8, but with size 10 length kimono sleeves.  I like this pattern very much!  It's really easy and quick, and the fit is great: loose without being baggy.  I think it is the perfect summer top, and I'm sure I'll be making some more, because it is so comfortable to wear and so fast to make.  I think this would be a great pattern for beginner seamstresses, since you don't have to worry about setting in sleeves or sewing a collar or anything else finicky.

These dark pink buttons are ones I harvested off of an old dress that I used to wear when Mr Rat and I were dating.  I was very fond of that dusty pink floral dress, and sad when it got a big tear that I couldn't fix.  So I've been saving the buttons all these years for something special, and I think this project was just right for them: I'm sure I'll wear this blouse a lot this summer and in summers to come, and the pink matches the rose print perfectly.

Mr Rat kindly took these photos of me wearing my new blouse in my parents' backyard while we were visiting them earlier this month.  It did me good to see so much sunshine again, and the roses starting to bloom, and the nasturtiums and bougainvillea and pomegranates all so vibrant.  

I'm wearing my new blouse with an old Simplicity 7880 skirt, made of thrifted cotton poplin.