Blouse making!

I am making a blouse.  The pattern is from Deco Alice a la Mode Summer 2009.  It’s an Innocent World pattern.  Super cute with pintucks at the front and a nice small collar.

I have been running into a few problems.

This is the first blouse I’ve ever made, so I’m not familiar with how the pattern pieces look.  The blouse has 10 panels.  10!  Other blouse patterns I’ve looked have either 2 (back and front) or four (back, back side, front side, and front).  The front panels of this blouse have 3 pintucks each.  I’ve chosen some really cute cream coloured cotton with tiny purple flowers.

Problems: I can’t read Japanese (although I can speak a little).  This means that both the instructions in the book and on the pattern pieces are unreadable.  I have to work out how to do it from common sense, indicative lines on the pattern, and looking at other blouse patterns (I have a few).  Why did I choose to make my first blouse essentially without instructions?

So I ironed and sewed the pintucks but it’s so close to the edge I assume I must have done it the wrong way.  Mega confusing.  I also don’t know how they do the sleeve cuff or inside collar or placket.  I DON’T KNOW HOW TO MAKE A BLOUSE.

I keep trying, but it’s so depressing realising for the umpteenth time that I have to unpick something.