Mad Men challenge 2014 - my entry

Hello all, I hope you’ve been enjoying the sunny weather this weekend! It’s been lovely here in the UK! And if it hasn’t been very sunny where you are, I hope spring will come soon for you, too (unless you are on the other side of the planet, in which case I hope you hold on to the summer a little longer!).

Speaking of the other side of the planet, the lovely JuliaBobbin from down under has once again organised the fabulous Mad MenChallenge, and here’s my little entry this year.

So I made Betty’s super girlie floral blouse, in a ditsy floral cotton in more of a pink/red tone compared to the green/blue/red fabric that made Betty’s blouse. This is more of an “inspired by” as opposed to “copycat” attempt.

I used the vintage Simplicity 3092 once again, and following my last attempt, I made quite a few changes to the pattern for a closer match to Betty’s blouse and a better fit:

•  I lowered the neckline to accommodate a collar with an “integrated” collar stand;
•  I made the plackets more narrow to match the smaller buttons;
•  I increased the SBA for a better fit (and played around with the side seams and darts until I was happy with the ease); and
• I made the shoulders more narrow.

Here’s what the whole blouse looks like, without the map in the way:

Betty teamed her blouse up with a cute coral cardigan, so I couldn’t resist the temptation:

I am in love with this little number. Naturally I have a soft spot for pretty florals, and this fabric simply bursts with prettiness and happiness – looking at the blouse puts a smile on my face every time. I know I’ll get lots of wear out of this cutie this spring/summer! I can see it teamed up with a smart work skirt, casual skirt, jeans, or even shorts, and with or without a plain cardie. What’s not to like?

In addition to this, I also entered my picnic dress which I made a good few months ago into the challenge, as who else, it was Betty that inspired me. Maybe the obsession will calm down soon and I’ll make a garment inspired by another character next year (perhaps Megan? As I do adore her modern style)…  

For now, I’m just so excited for the big reveal, and can’t wait to see what you’ve all made!