Burda Style 01-2014-127 (128) Man's shirt January Burda project

I have big ideas. Actually, other bloggers have big ideas, and I shamelessly copy them. Kristy of Lower Your Presser Foot sewed up something from every Burda issue last year, and is doing it again this year! I was very impressed, and put stickers all over my January issue with the full intention of making something every month in order to stretch my sewing with a side serving of getting real sewing value (rather than mere imaginary sewing value as I read it) from my subscription.
Wait, its April, how did that happen? Feel free to snigger in the privacy of your end of the internet. I might even catch up.

Here is my January Burda project, mostly shirt 128, but shirt 127 is not very different.

Images from http://www.burdafashion.com/image

I have a standing request from my husband for a new shirt, so this was a perfect opportunity to have a little break from boxy Vogue shirts and try a new pattern for this somewhat dutiful task. I had been wanting to try a slimmer cut for him, and thought this pattern had possibilities, with the darts in the back . I also fancied trying a french cuff. Unfortunately, my husband does not participate in fitting, so I had to wing it by his measurements and my trust in the reliability of Burda's fitting matching their size chart. I made a size 48 according to his chest measurement. Burda oddly gives the neck measurement for this shirt, then says equivalent to... their regular sizing - why not just use regular sizing???

By the measurement chart for size 48, I had to do quite a bit of lengthening - 5cm in both the body and in the sleeves. My husband is not particularly tall , but the Burda mens' sizes increase in height, not just girth, and his chest measurement apparently goes with a height of 174 cm, which is not the case for this individual.

 The fit is a bit loose at the waist, which would be correct according to the Burda measurement chart, where my husband is one size smaller than the standard 48. I should have trusted the chart a bit better ;(. 

So far, in fitting, I was pretty happy with the pattern.

I fancied trying a few more of the features of the pattern, but was restrained by my client. He did not want french cuffs.

 

These are the bottom half of the Burda cuff, with nice rounded edges, but paired with a long placket from David Page Coffin's shirtmaking book, as I could not make head or tail of Burda's placket insertion instructions, and the placket piece looked skimpy to me. My husband wears his shirtsleeves rolled up, so I  used a contrast placket. I also used contrast fabric for the small piece joining the bottom of the side seams at the hems, which I failed to finish neatly or evenly. I did not fix this, as the shirt is worn tucked in, and I am very lazy.

As the side seam is slightly shaped, and there is this addition at the bottom, I did not flat fell the side seams. Instead the seam allowances are turned under twice, and topstitched from the outside. The sleeve seams are flat felled as usual - David Page Coffin again - Burda doesn't mention seam finishing.

I used contrast fabric for the inner yoke and inner collar stand. I shaped the collar according to David Page Coffin again - it is such a useful book, and also used his instructions for collar and stand construction. Burda's instructions included a lot of hand basting.

The Burda collar stand has one rounded, and one straight edge. I thought this was another detail that would be vetoed, but it was allowed to proceed, and is not particularly noticeable, with the added advantage of not having to fuss with perfectly matching the two curves as in a regular shirt.

 

The chesterfield front, with concealed buttons, sits perfectly on this shirt, unlike on the Vogue one I made a few months ago, and does not need to be stitched down between the buttons, demonstrating to me that this is a much better fit. I hope my husband agrees.

For my own interest, I have again used a two part yoke so that I can chevron the stripes at centre back. I am pleased by small things when making a shirt.

Fabrics and Stashbusting wagon jumping confession -  2.5 metres New, ie 2014, and allegedly 100% cotton Tom Ford shirting fabric that appears to have some lycra. Shame!, with the contrast fabric being allegedly 100% cotton shirting with no branding that appears to be as advertised. Vendor Michael's Fabrics. Shipping has gone up a lot, which possibly serves me right for buying more fabric when I am on a fabric diet (6m, 3 for him, 3 for me - he picked his own.......is that an excuse?)