Sunday 5 February 2012

Burda World of Fashion 01-2008-107/8 shirt

This week's sewing is greatly satisfying, as I have used a pattern I have been wanting to try for the last 4 years, but could not get my hands on.
SAM_0750
My version of this very popular blouse,

BWOF 01-2208-107/8 is due to Carol, who kindly loaned me her copy of the magazine, from which she has made some fabulous garments, both in 2008 and recently. I have kept her magazine far too long, having indulged in an unprecedented amount of tracing.
SAM_0721
I admit it was with some reluctance that I posted it back to her, but be assured, Carol, despite any inclinations indications to the contrary, I am not a pattern magazine abductress,and it is hopefully arriving back to you early this week. I am very grateful for your generosity.

I wanted to try this blouse, not just because of all the gorgeous versions about (mostly the short sleeved version)

, but because I wanted to try the full bust adjustment, this being a bit of a new adventure for me in a bib front blouse of this shape.
I mostly used Debbie Cook's excellent tips and drawings, from her version of this blouse.
SAM_0714
My interpretation of her instructions lead to the above additions to the front pieces. (My other fitting alterations were a square shoulder adjustment, shortening of the sleeves, a full biceps adjustment and a little waist nipping)
I was quite pleased with the fit of the bodice - a little less fitted than the magazine intended I suspect, but this is not a bad thing for me in a work blouse.

My next issue was with the front placket. In the magazine, the top section of the blouse is buttoned in the usual manner, with the bottom section having a concealed placket.
I wanted to use a contrast fabric for the inside of the right, overlapping placket, and the whole of the underneath placket. I also wanted the plackets to use self fabric for interfacing, in the manner of David Page Coffin's Shirtmaking instructions. Fiddling with this rather late one evening, I decided that the lower section of the overlapping placket required an additional step, and could not understand why there were so many layers of fabric in the top section.
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When I reviewed the placket the next morning I realised that Burda applies an extra section to the lower part of the placket. This was too late for me, as I had already applied this same section to the upper half of the blouse, admiring my own cleverness as I prettily enclosed the seam of the tab in this section rather than having to fold over 4 layers of fabric as suggested by Burda.

I moved on, feeling only moderately stupid, and came up against a stripe direction issue in the standing collar.
SAM_0735
I should have cut the stand with the stripes going lengthwise.
Try as I might, I could not imagine myself actually wearing this blouse with the leaning stripes so prominently displayed. Naturally I had been convincing myself throughout the hand stitching of the inner collar and the topstitching that no-one would notice, but I had to admit that this was a lie once the thing was finished.
I chopped off the top seam, unpicked the topstitching and turned this standing collar into a collar stand for the collar from version 107, via some tricky handstitching to convince the collar stand curves to behave. I am pleased with the collar, and can live with the wonky stripes on the stand now than there is a collar to distract the eye from this detail.
SAM_0739

Next were the cuffs and plackets. I did not want to use a bias strip for the placket, so used the David Page Coffin Shirtmaking instructions for a regular placket. I scaled down the placket piece from the pattern I use for my husband's shirts.
SAM_0738 At this point I also came across this interesting post by Pamela Erny, where she describes how to wrap the cuff so that the inner cuff contrast fabric appears at the outside. I combined her instructions with the David Page Coffin instructions and my own intention to have a diagonal slant to one end of the cuff and only had to unpick and recut the inner cuff once ;).

SAM_0741
I can wear the blouse buttoned to the neck, but prefer it with the collar open to show the contrast.
This was an interesting and rather challenging project for me, mostly due to my own errors, but I am sure my next version will be more straight forward.
SAM_0752

24 comments:

SewRuthie said...

Oh that is absolutely FAB Karen. I love the stripes and the contrasts.

Bernice said...

You've done a really lovely job of this blouse. The fit is very flattering. I really like your little contrasting fancy bits too.

Carol said...

I'm glad you finally made the blouse. I love it. I never bothered with the tab because I am too lazy. I love the collar shape you made, too. It's such a great pattern and although I've found other button down shirt patterns, I keep going back to this one. I love the way your stripes go the other way.

katherine h said...

I find blouses to be really challenging sewing wise, so I can appreciate all the effort you went to with the details on this shirt.

I like that bib front.

MySummerTouch said...

This is my most fav shirt ever! Love your version!

Sue said...

You are the shirt queen! What a great shirt!

Janine said...

Your choice of fabrics to combine here is really lovely - it looks like really good quality too.

liza jane said...

I love all the changes in the stripe and the contrasting bits at the cuff. Very nice!

Mary Beth said...

Your new shirt has turned in to a wonderful creation!

Bri said...

This blouse pattern is fantastic and despite your complications your blouse looks great with the stripes and fits good too. How nice of Carol to lend this to you so you could do this at long last!

Sharon said...

Gorgeous blouse and love the way you have used the stripes.

Anonymous said...

Lovely lovely lovely!
-Sewingelle

Anonymous said...

Beautiful! I love the placket, such an interesting feature!

fabric epiphanies said...

I love this blouse, especially with the stripes.

prttynpnk said...

How wonderful is this blouse! I love the contrast fabric.

Carolyn said...

Beautifully detailed and tailored, the hidden button placket is immaculately constructed, and I love the subtly pretty and feminine contrasting fabrics. You've done an amazing job!

Gail said...

A while back I spent a day going through my burda mags looking for a shirt pattern with a rounded bodice. Couldn't find one - must have missed this one in the pile,, so thanks for that. Your version is wonderful - works so well with the striped fabric.

Ruth said...

Your shirt is perfect. What a great fit - no gaps you know where - and I love the fabric choices.

The Slapdash Sewist said...

Lovely! Your contrast fabric is so cool and I love your use of the stripes. Impressed with the vertical stripe matching on the upper and lower bodice.

Audrey said...

I have always liked this pattern. I really like the way you used contrasting fabric trim and changed the directions of the stripes. So pretty!

MareeAlison said...

Very nice Karen. You just get better and better. Well done.

Mary Nanna said...

I too have always been intrigued by this pattern but it predates my return to serious Burda consumption.

It's lovely - so many interesting details and I love what you have done with the different fabrics and details, cuff collar and placket.

Worth the effort to acquire.

Anonymous said...

I agree with the earlier comment that your stuff is getting better and better. What I love about this blouse in addition the things that the others have commented on (choice of fabric and contrast, different orientation of the stripes) are the buttons! They are so unlike a man's shirt that it really makes this a wonderful feminine piece.

Joy said...

This is lovely with the rich yet subdued design and fabric details. I really need to dig out my copy of this magazine again. It's nice to see people still sewing from the several-year-old Burdas.