A versatile, quick make from one of my Japanese pattern books - Shape Shape by Natsuno Hiraiwa which has been out for ages. I have had it so long that I have the Japanese version and an English translation came out in 2012. Mind you - just looked on Amazon for the author and it's selling on there for about £50! I guess it must be out of print too. I really have been dilly dallying.
It's an interesting book, each pattern has been made to be worn in multiple ways - some more successfully than others if truth be told. This blouse is simply reversible - the buttons can be worn to the front or back.
So here we have cowl to the front, buttons to the back...
And then vice versa...
It's such an easy make (I've made a couple over the years). There's only 2 front and back pieces (or is that back and front pieces - you see what I did there :-) then facing pieces around the neck and button placket. I've made a couple of minimal changes to the original. The pattern has triangular gusset pieces in the arms which I added the first time I made it but I didn't think added anything except fiddly-ness. I also used a binding on the arms for this one rather than using it as a facing only. I just thought the colour band looked nice on the outside.
I do wear it both ways around - but differently. I tend to wear the buttons to the back when wearing it as a short sleeve top. But I often wear it over a black long sleeve t-shirt - and then I wear it buttons to the front and usually undone.
Just for reference here's the top in the book and an example of the instructions - Japanese pattern books look difficult the first time you see one - but they are pretty straightforward. The main issue for most people is sizing. I use the large - and I'm small and flat chested - so they aren't going to be an easy grade for many.
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