Spark Double Gauze Belcarra Blouse

Big surprise, I made another Belcarra Blouse. It’s my sixth, for those of you counting at home. Since you already know how much I love this pattern, let’s talk about the fabric. I am a big Cotton + Steel fangirl, and wanted to try some of their double gauze as soon as I heard about it. I picked the Spark Double Gauze in Neutral, because it looked kind of gray online. It’s not at all. It’s definitely cream, and almost the exact shade of cream that graces the interior walls of our home. Not my favorite color by a long shot, but the texture of this fabric won me over so much that the color doesn’t really matter. Double gauze is so soft and comfy! It is a little shifty to sew with, but since I used a pattern I was familiar with, I could take my time to focus on marking, cutting and sewing the fabric with care. I really do love the Spark fabric and am contemplating making something out of the navy colorway. In cream, the pattern is so subtle you can hardly see it.

Of all my Belcarra Blouses so far, this is the best constructed. As usual, I used French seams throughout. Since the double gauze tended to fray pretty quickly, the French seams were perfect for keeping the inside clean and orderly. I can pop this in the wash and not worry about it falling apart, and have done so several times already. On the sleeves, I omitted the cuffs and just used 1” bias strips to finish them. Next time, I would use larger strips, since the 1” ones were a little bit fiddly in double gauze. I also successfully incorporated bra strap carriers, which turned out to be a really good idea.

The only thing I don’t like about this shirt is that it isn’t 100% opaque. You would think that since double gauze is essentially two pieces of fabric woven together that it would be opaque, but the cream colorway is slightly transparent, to the point where this shirt has to be worn with a camisole underneath. Thanks to the aforementioned bra strap carriers, all straps are neatly kept out of view. I’m looking forward to wearing this shirt on its own during the warmer months, but for now am enjoying it layered under cardigans. If you haven’t tried sewing with double gauze yet, you really should consider it.