blue armadillo blouse

i just finished sewing this blouse a couple days ago.  made from a 1966 pattern for a "beach shirt" using vintage fabric covered with cacti.

working with this pattern proved to be a bit of a challenge because the previous owner made some major changes to  some of the pieces.  the front and back were cut within the stitching line at the shoulders and armholes  and the sleeves were re-shaped quite a bit.  at first i wondered if it was even worth trying to decipher the original shapes, but i liked the overall style enough that i decided to go for it.  i'm glad i did!  i'm pretty happy with the fit and with a tiny bit of tweaking i'll definitely use this pattern again.

i wasn't sure about this funny fabric at first, but in the end the cacti and critters won me over.  it was fun choosing where to place the blue armadillos...  one ended up on the pocket and one my right wrist cuff.

yesterday we took some pictures in our new favorite alley.  i think the light and pretty pastel colors in the first shot make it look like we're in a hot southwest city, but really, it was pretty chilly.