February Burda, 02-2014-111, cropped top

Clearly my Burda-a-month project is building up steam ;). This one was inspired by my new stashbusting goal - no dratted scrappy pieces in the stash. You know the sort of fabric I am talking about, too big to throw away, but not quite enough for any pattern you actually lay out on the fabric. These sort of stash lurkers can absorb valuable hours of sewing time if they come out often enough, and the more luscious the scrap, the more tempting it is to see if you can squeeze the pieces on to it about once a week!
Due to the fondness I had for the fabric, I could not had some difficulty with my brief intention to throw away the largish pieces of the pleated silk crepe left over from the birthday dress. Not only were they a bit odd in shape, but they have to be laid out with the pleats folded all the same way. A sleeveless top seemed like a good candidate, but the pieces were not long enough for a regular shoulder, so in a slightly desperate move, I thought I'd try a raglan style

technical drawing from http://www.burdafashion.com/fr/Magazines/burda_Style

I was amazed that I could get sleeves on a top from my scraps, but BurdaStyle 02-2014-111, whilst quite boxy, is actually not much of a fabric hog, due to the raglan sleeves and lowish square neckline. Naturally, making a size 34 (for Daughter the first again) helps considerably with fabric requirements, as does leaving off the ridiculous no doubt highly fashionable, flouncy sleeve ends. I did a tiny bit of piecing at the lower side seams with some left over lining fabric, but I need not have, as the top is very, very loose - even with the bust dart pinched out due to laziness.
Here is the top in its original disappointing state at the first fitting.

Dowdy.
It almost went in the bin at this point, but a drastic hemming action has made it much more appealing.

Apparently, this is now a perfect top to wear with jeans...if you are 19.

I was much more lazy with the construction on this second go with the fabric. I did pipe the neckline again, but the top is unlined. Inside seams are finished on the overlocker, then hand stitched to the underlayer of the pleats, as the seams were very bulky, particularly at the shoulder dart (Burda doesn't use a shoulder dart for 111, having you cut the sleeve in two at the end of the dart, but I did not have enough fabric for another pair of seam allowances, and saw that Burda is happy enough to use a shoulder dart for exactly the same sleeve pattern piece in dress 113).

The neck facings are from silk habuti again, clean finished with the interfacing as shown here.
Happy scrapbusting indeed
Actually, there was a tiny bit left.

 




These are dolly clothes for my nieces.

I know, I have to get better at throwing away my scrap fabric.