Variations on a theme of flannel

A recent JoAnn's sale of 99 cents per yard for flannel gave me just the inspiration I needed for this outfit. I have long been wanting to recreate the Louisa May Alcott Blouse from the Victorian Trading Co. I'll post a picture here, since they do not currently have one on their website:




However, not wishing to spend a great deal on a blouse that would likely not fit well (or be modest), I decided to make my own. I assembled the shirt from several patterns. I used one pattern for the princess-seam bodice but altered both the front and back necklines, as well as changing it from back closure to front closure. The sleeves are from another pattern and are unchanged (except for not adding a sleeve placket at the bottom). The neckline, collar, and peplum I drafted myself for lack of a pattern. A bit of a headache, but I'm happy with how it turned out. I don't particularly like this picture, but it's the only full length one I have! Why do photographs imply fitting problems that don't appear in person?






The buttons are my souvenir from London -- six little metal shank buttons from "The Button Queen," a perfectly delightful little shop near the Oxford Street shopping district. They were just what I needed for this project.






The thrifted Cluny lace that I rescued a few years ago -- ten yards for 75 cents -- was the perfect trim for both the blouse and the skirt.




A lovely green chintz flannel at JoAnn's was too much to resist, and I ended up with a skirt to match. It's kitten soft and quite cozy! The skirt is simply a four-tiered skirt which I designed/calculated myself. I'm thinking of posting a tutorial, since I couldn't find any helpful instructions on the Internet. I thought for sure that someone would have posted instructions already!