French Knot Blouse

I need more blouses.
Pretty much my "above the waist wardrobe" consists of solid tee shirts.
I need to grow up and move beyond the Target or Old Navy tee shirts.

But I'm also thinking a real blouse might be more flattering.
Lynette, my sister, HATES knit.  She won't sew with or wear it.
She's voiced her anti-knit opinions, and I still love knits for kids, but I'm starting to come around with the unflattering element of just wearing tee shirts for me.
After babies, I find my tummy skin will never be the same, and wearing knit shirts that cling may not be the best idea.  Obviously a larger tee shirt won't cling as much, but then it won't fit right.  So before this post becomes "What Not To Wear" by someone who's clueless and needs to be a contestant herself, on to my new goal to sew more tops that aren't knit and outline to outline and emphasize my perpetual post-partum mini gut.
So I'm trying to have looser blouses in more structured fabrics to flow over the skin rolls rather than crease between them.

I had some left over drapes from my aunt, and made a simple pop over blouse.
The scoop neck is big enough to go over my head without a zipper or button, so it makes it an easy top to wear.
It's just like a tee shirt, no boob or back darts, so it's even easier to sew.
It gets some shape by the curved side seams so it's not just a total box.

The texture on this blouse is a pattern of french knots with embroidery floss.
I had never used french knots and found helpful videos on youtube to show me how, they're pretty easy.
The knots add a subtle detail and texture that I thought worked out nicely.

The front is in a grid pattern that gets more concentrated at the neck.
The back just has a 2" spaced grid throughout and the sleeves were an even 1.25" grid.

 I worked on it over the course of a few weeks a few here and there when we went places.
I rarely hand sew but this fit in a bag and made it easy to get it done while watching the kids play at the park, fishing, etc.  I put a square knot behind each french knot, but as I worked, just left the thread connecting them.  The drapery fabric is thick enough you can't see the backing thread so I think I'll leave it to help prevent knots coming untied.

After sewing the side/ shoulder seams and finishing the neckline, I used tailor chalk to map out diagonal lines 2" apart on the front and back.

I marked intersections with a blue fabric pencil and as it got closer around the neckline, I drew knot dots on the half way point between intersections to double the concentration of the knots.

I didn't use any embroidery hoops either.

 I wore it to church today and got a few compliments and asking if I made it.
Later my husband asked if it was because they liked it or if it looks homemade....I wasn't sure.
I think I'll try another and make it 2" longer.

Anyway, the french knot idea could spruce up lots of different projects with simple, subtle texture and detail.