When I saw the latest Fibremood Magazine, edition 38, I knew I needed to mke the Rima – stat! It’s a great sleeveless blouse with an optional cape. I loved the armhole darts and the necktie, although I hadn’t realised it was actually a drawstring, but the cape was a clincher – I’m a sucker for a cape.

I need a few of these in my life, with and without the cape, but thought I would start with some upcycled fabric given that it’s the end of summer and I wouldn’t get a lot of wear from it until next summer.

I had a lovely rummage in my stash and came across a little pile of cotton fabric that I had thrown into an almost exhausted red dye pot sometime ago, with a resultant pink hue. I finished up choosing the Ikea curtain which was left over from the Fibremood Tirza back in 2024, and a piece of sheeting, which is also left over – from something! My intention with this fabric was to overdye it with another colour, but now I’m stuck with the blouse being unevenly dyed which I’m going to pretend is deliberate.

Naturally there were no in progress shots, but I am rather pleased with the results. I used the Ikea curtain for the cape and the sheet for the blouse.

I really like having two different fabrics for this make. I did use the sheet fabric for the collar but it looked weird, so I unpicked it and recut the collar from the curtain. I left the ties made from the sheet and they look fine.

I spent a lot of time wondering which way to have the stripes running on the cape, but opted for this way, and I like the way they curve over the sleeves.

I am pleased the top coordinates with these jeans, and the local flora!

The cape almost looks like a sleeved overlay until arms are flung.

I used some little glass buttons from my mother’s stash, and after I made the blouse I saw an almost identical blouse (but not as nice) in a shop window, and noticed that they had beads attached to the ends of the ties. I went straight home and added them.

The back view, which I love.

I used Stash Hub to document the make, which is always so useful.

The weather has turned to autumn so I doubt that I will wear this again until next summer, but I did enjoy it. My thoughts are now turning to a wool one.