Pattern Review – Simplicity 8593 Vintage Poncho Blouse

In the ’90s, I was hardcore into the vintage look, but I stopped wearing it 10 years ago when it started to feel too costumey. Now that it’s spring, it felt like the right time to revisit this theme with Simplicity 8593.


The Pattern

Simplicity 8593 is a simple to make poncho blouse that fastens at the front and back waistline with ties. I chose styles D because I was digging the peplum ruffle. This is an authentic Simplicity pattern circa 1940. I traced size 10 for the upper half and a size 12 for the lower half.


The Fabric

My favorite thrift store recently jacked up all their prices, so I paid a painful $8 for this floral skirt, which is expensive for used clothes. This skirt is a beautiful blend of cotton and rayon with a slight crinkle that made pressing a joy (she said sarcastically). There was just enough fabric to refashion this skirt into a new top with a few scraps to spare.


The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Most of the sewing was easy, but there were a few things that stumped me. The back panel ties in the front, and somehow, I was supposed to make teeny tiny tube ties from a 1″ strip of fabric. That was NEVER going to happen. I tried their instructions, and I tried a tube turner, but I couldn’t get the dang thing to turn inside out. Out of frustration, I gave up and used elastic as the ties. Since these ties are hidden by the front, who cares what they are made of.


All edges are finished with a narrow hem, which worked for everything except the tapered corner of the back sash. No matter what I tried, there was always a hunk of seam allowance sticking out at that tapered corner. After 15 minutes of head scratching, I figured out I had to miter that corner. I’d like to thank the instructional designer for wasting my time.


The armholes are wide and floppy, which is expected given the two-way wrap construction, but at a particular side angle, you can see my bra. Version E has side buttons to narrow the armhole, so why not version D??? It’s easy to add, but little oversights like this annoy me.


Random aside – I’ve been toying with the idea of making bras. Would it be weird to make a matching bra for this shirt so it would blend in?


Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda

I accidentally snipped the front of the blouse! It happened when I was trimming a seam. I wasn’t paying attention, and I felt the scissors cut through an unexpectedly thick chunk of fabric. I’m soooooooo freaking mad at myself. And it’s in a weird position off to the side where I can’t obscure it with a brooch. People, I need your help. Please add suggestions on how to fix this snip in the comments section.


As much as I adore the look of the sash, it’s quite impractical in real life. First, it’s difficult to tie a pretty bow blind with your hands in the back, so I simply knot it and let it dangle. And every time I sit back in a chair, I can feel that knot hit me in the center of my back.


But I LOVE the look of the blouse, even as the back rides up and makes me tug it back down uncomfortably. And I still need to figure out how to fix that stupid snip in the front. So this blouse will sit in my closet for a bit while I figure out if it’s worth wearing.


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  • Andrea Jones Andrea Jones on May 09, 2022

    Match up a piece of fabric slightly larger than cut. Use fusible hem tape and iron patch to underside of fabric. Trim excess if needed

  • Judy Judy on May 25, 2022

    Is the snip that your talking about at the arm hem? Or is it more toward the bust? If it is the hem you could try adding a small ruffle on the sleeve using the fabric from that bow. If it is on the bust you try to add one, two, or maybe even three pin tucks on each side, just make them small enough that the eye isn’t drawn to them but large enough to provide good coverage. As for that bow, I would ditch it and in its place make it into a placard with three button so you can adjust the size.

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