Scroop Patterns

Introducing the Scroop Ngaio Blouse

The Scroop Ngaio Blouse thedreamstress.com

Meet the newest Scroop Pattern: the Ngaio Blouse, a 1930s inspired blouse, with bodice pieces for three different cup size ranges, from  A cup to F+ cup.

The Scroop Ngaio Blouse scrooppatterns.com

The Ngaio Blouse, (pronounced Ny-e-0, with the e almost silent – learn how to say it properly here), named for Dame Ngaio Marsh, New Zealand playwright and novelist most famous for being one of the ‘Queens of Crime’ of the Golden Age of Detective Fiction in the 20s & 30s, along with Agatha Christie.

The Ngaio blouse was  inspired by a vintage 1930s pattern in my collection which looks absolutely gorgeous in the cover illustration, but not much like it made up – once you managed to make it up, as none of the seams matched!  The Ngaio captures the look of the vintage pattern illustration, with a modern fit, full instructions (and, very importantly, seams that match up 😉 ).

The Ngaio features a V-neck and gathered upper bodice. Back darts provide shaping below the waist so the top skims the waist and sits snugly on the hips. The darts release at the waist creating a blouson upper back. View A is sleeveless, View B has short sleeves.

The darts that release at the waist allow the Ngaio blouse to be pulled on over the head, making for easy closure-free sewing (I know it seems like it wouldn’t work, but trust me, it does!  Many of my testers commented that they thought it would be a tight wriggle, and were surprised at how easy it is to get on and off!)

The Ngaio is particularly flattering on full busts, and to make it really easy to fit, no matter what your cup size, the Ngaio comes with separate bodice pieces for Small (A-B cup), Medium (C-DD/E cup) and Large (F+ cup) bust cup sizes.

The Ngaio comes in a slightly smaller size range than my previous Scroop Patterns, from a 32″ bust to a 50″ bust (rather than 30″ to 50″).

My gorgeous model, Jenni is just barely in F cup sizing, and is models the Medium cup  (in yellow spotted silk crepe de chine) and the Large cup  (in blue and yellow silk-cotton voile) to show the difference in fit:

The Scroop Ngaio Blouse thedreamstress.com
The Scroop Ngaio Blouse thedreamstress.com
The Scroop Ngaio Blouse thedreamstress.com
The Scroop Ngaio Blouse thedreamstress.com

As a B cup, I’m modelling the Small Cup size  in linen voile with sleeves, and in silk crepe de chine without:

The Scroop Ngaio Blouse thedreamstress.com

The Scroop Ngaio Blouse thedreamstress.com

The Ngaio is designed to pair perfectly with the Fantail Skirt, worn out or tucked in, but also sits nicely over jeans.

The Scroop Ngaio Blouse thedreamstress.com

Buy it here!

20 Comments

    • Yay! I’m glad to hear you’re excited about the sleeveless version – I debated between it, and one with long sleeves, so it’s good to know that I made the right choice!

  1. MayravB says

    Oooh I love it! A gorgeous shape.

  2. catmask says

    YES! Thank you for drafting for us busty ladies!!

    • You’re welcome! Doing three different bust blocks was a lot of work, but I really love being able to include that option with the pattern!

  3. I think I’m going to want to buy every single one of your patterns…..

  4. Oh! This is LOVELY! The sort of blouse I always love the look of and then never try because when it’s drafted for a B cup it takes so much adjustment and then I think ‘it would be easier to draft this from scratch’ and then I never do. So I’m excited to try this! I really appreciate you doing the hard work to do the different blocks, it makes such a difference and is so valuable – so I will thank you with my dollars!

    Also thank you for teaching me how to pronounce Ngaio because I love Dame Ngaio and I have never been sure I was pronouncing it right (I was close but not quite right). One of the best things about ebooks being a thing is that I’ve been really easily able to catch up on her back catalouge that I missed when I was younger and only had whatever was in libraries and op shops. I especially love the ones set in NZ – the way she describes the landscape and the people is so evocative and full of clear sighted affection.

    • Oh, thank you! Glad you like the design, and the multi-sizing options for the bust.

      I love that you like the Ngaio pronunciation guide! Most of the articles on the internet (and one youtube video) get it wrong (Ny-oh). Ngaio Marsh was quite adamant that her name had the actual Maori pronunciation, with three syllables. Most people in NZ just say Ny-oh though – Ngaio is also a suburb in Wellington, and I rarely hear it said properly.

      • The suburb I like in is called ‘Moana’ (bit of an odd choice for an Australian suburb but ok. Named in the ’20s, and at least it’s not named after a dead white guy I guess) and boy do I hear some interesting pronounciations! Rhymes with goanna, apparently. :-/ Better since the Disney movie came out though… something to be thankful for?

        The three syllables definitely seems more right somehow. But then I wouldn’t use my personal gauge of what’s right as what’s actually right! It’s definitely more fun to say.

  5. I’m so excited by this pattern! So perfectly my style, and I have some green striped seersucker to make it into. I extra-love patterns that take into account different bust sizes. So much less work for me sewing it up.

    It looks fabulous over the fantail skirt btw.

    I do like the approach to the vintage patternFAIL. ‘*pfft* I’ll just draft my own, **properly** then…’

    And also, thankyou for the inspiration to pick up a Ngaio Marsh book and try it again. My mother’s a fan and I tried NM’s books in my teens and found them too dry. Now as an adult I’m adoring them 🙂

  6. Kate says

    I can’t say how much I love this. I’m always on a hunt for 1930s or 1930s inspired blouses that don’t have the giant 1930s sleeves (which look terrible on me). The different cup sizes is fantastic too! Any pattern that doesn’t need an FBA is a winner in my book.

  7. I love this blouse , but have one small question – I’ve seen? no mention of how, or where, it fastens, so … how does one get it on and off? The type, and especially the positioning, of this is very important for many people …
    I’m tempted to buy it anyway, wherever/however it fastens, and just stick a zip with a decorative pull in the centre front …

    • It just pulls on over the head. 🙂 I did trial a side opening with my early testers, but the unanimous verdict from the 36 sewing students, 11 final pattern testers, 2 photography models and 8 fit models (plus sundry friends who got pressed into trying on samples if they happened to be visiting my studio) who have made/worn it was that it comes on and off quite easily, and doesn’t need a side opening.

      • Thanks for the prompt reply. The person who I know would like this very much – besides myself, of course! – can’t cope with pull-on tops, especially with sleeves, so I’ll have to see if I can fudge a cf opening for her, once I’ve made one for me!.

  8. I’ve made this blouse with short sleeves for me. And another copy where I extended the sleeve block for a friend.

    I think this is going to be a new favourite pattern. Easy and so pretty.

    I particularly like the bust block variation. It’s wonderful to have a pattern that fits both the bust & under bust properly.

    The only problem I had was that the pattern in the AO version didn’t download properly.

    Thanks muchly – delighted!

    • Thank you so much for your review! I’m so glad to hear that you like the pattern so much, and are enjoying sewing it and wearing it!

      So sorry to hear that the A0 version didn’t download properly. If you’re still having problems with it do contact me and I’ll make sure we get you a version that does work properly.

Comments are closed.