Burda Style 1-2011-107 blouse

Whilst looking through my Burda magazines for a work-suitable blouse, I was strongly attracted to 1-2011-107. It was the collar.
Here is the blouse.


Here is the line drawing.



Neither of which display the real attraction.



I had never seen a collar like this before.



I love the drafting - can you see how the shortened collar stand exactly matches the front yoke seam. This was ridiculously pleasing to me. Unfortunately the collar was quite unexciting once I had finished it. The collar does sit up a little better than a dressmaker collar at the back, but looks exactly like a dressmaker collar in the front. I think a collar with a full stand does look more smart and crisp.
The rest of the blouse was sort of ho-hum at first. This is a trial version, so the fabric is mere quilting cotton, which apparently displays my lack of sophistication, and fabric stash. The first is correct and the other, misleading. I quite like to sew with quilting cotton.
The teenage fashion panel think it is a little fattening. I think it will be better when the fabric softens a bit with multiple washes, and much better in a lawn version.
There is a lot of ease in this pattern for a Burda. I made my standard 38, without my standard FBA, and it is rather loose. I did add extra width to the sleeve at the mid upper arm - gathered with an extra 2 pleats at the cuff, and I did not need this extra room- most unusual for me with Burda. I will adjust this suitably next time and reduce the rugby player effect.
I made my usual square shoulder adjustment, very easily as the shoulder line is marked on the pattern piece, Yay. I added a lining to the yoke so that I could use my favourite yoke by machine method. I also took the darts in at the waist.
I put on the petersham ribbon trim at the button band, as called for in the pattern, but suspect this makes the blouse look a little wonkily home-made. It would look even more wonky, had I lapped it in a feminine direction. You do not want to see the underneath button band. Buttonholes in petersham ribbon are not my forte.
I left off the interfacing at the button bands, as in my opinion, interfacing + petersham ribbon would be stiffening overkill. I did a lot more finishing by hand than the pattern called for. I hand stitched the inner collar, the inner buttonbands, the inner sleeve plackets and the inner cuffs. This made me consider how it would be useful to improve my topstitching techniques. Oh well.

I think I will wear it more often with the collar open.



I have a whole work outfit from my last two projects, and am feeling incredibly virtuous as a result. This is a sure sign that a chiffon break out is imminent.


Here is the back view of the blouse with the action pleat.
See, Very Useful. I am amazed that I actually enjoyed sewing it. Why is it that my sewing pleasure seems inversely related to the utility of the garment?

Burda 3098 Cargo Pants and getting rid of fabric I don't like

I cannot remember who asked on her blog a little while ago what people do with gifted fabrics and patterns, but I have a fairly generous assortment of these, and they are a bit of a burden to me, because often, they are not something I would choose (or anyone else would chose, which is why people throw them out to me!). I am getting better at removing the nasty polyesters before they hit the stash. However, mostly I keep them in my cupboard until I can take them to an op shop. I am unable to throw them out due to a frugal (parsimonious) Scottish ancestry (this does not affect my purchase of new fabric for some reason), but occasionally I can get them out into the real world in a useful fashion.



Here is the last of the June sewing other than some alterations, which do not count. I will try to catch up with my reporting, but don't hold your breath.
These are getting dirty pants. I made them for my daughter to wear to school camp, and they coped very well with abseiling, "high ropes", hiking etc etc. She has also been wearing them every weekend, and even to a sleepover party where the main event was 20 odd teenagers playing spotlight all over a farm. Fortunately she did not break her leg.

The pattern is deep stash. A friend of mine gave me a great pile of patterns and fabrics when she was moving house. These were not horrid polyesters like the gifts from my mother's quilting friends, they were a true treasure. I distinctly remember making this dress

from a gorgeous piece of velvet in the pile, and that would be, 5 years ago. I am sure the pattern was not new when she gave it to me, so we are just not stylish at our house, because I think these are just fine for going to camp cargo pants, and so does my daughter.



However, even I can see that the front pocket treatment is not current. It looks kind of 90's to me. If I made these pants again I would do something different with the front pockets. I have reviewed the pattern here. The fabric is more of the camoflauge cotton canvas that was a gift from a friend of my mother. You may remember it from the pants I made my son earlier in June. I really don't like this fabric but all 3 children think it is terrific. Eventually I will make shorts for daughter the second from the remainder, then it will be out of my cupboard. Maybe then I will have room for that silk chiffon for the August Burda......maybe I should throw out some of the rubbish I have been keeping in case someone needs a dress-up outfit or a costume.