What do you wear to afternoon tea?

What do you wear to an afternoon tea hosted by the head of your workplace? An Afternoon Blouse that you stitched up the night before? Well, of course! 

One of the things I love about this pattern is it makes a great stash buster for fabric leftover from other projects. I dug out the remaining fabric left over from my Beating the Winter Blues Cami dress. The colour of this fabric works across seasons and I love having the option of bright colours all year round.

Being short on time and logic, I didn't make the alterations to the pattern that I identified last time. As this cotton is more tightly woven than my first blouse, it came out more fitted. There was still too much fabric around the front neckline which bothered me a lot the first couple of times I wore it. The effect was a box at the front of the neckline which wasn't particularly flattering. To correct this, I pinched out the excess fabric and added two darts. I feel much more comfortable wearing it with the added darts and like the new slightly angular look of the neckline. 

For this version, I overlocked all of the edges. Oh my, how an overlocker changes your sewing life! The arms and hem are machine stitched and I top stitched the neckline so the piece looked balanced. Unfortunately not all of the top stitching is even. I'm waiting to see if I can live with it before pulling out the seam ripper. The button is one I picked up a while back at Hobbycraft.  

Obviously the photos were not taken in the gardens during the tea (I was too busy chatting and eating mini scones!) but that was the first time I wore the blouse. Instead, the photos were taken in a garden just outside the Botanical Gardens in Oxford - apparently a medieval Jewish crematory lies beneath the prettiness.   

I love this version and have worn it a lot since it was completed a couple of weeks ago. I honestly don't think I can feel anything but happy when wearing this colour. It can be dressed up or down and is a perfect all rounder. So can my other version it turns out. I wore it to work for a VVIP event with a black skirt and it didn't feel at all casual. You guys were right! 

Do you have fabric or a particular item that makes you happy every time you wear it?