Burda Style 02-2009-120 tunic blouse.

Thank you for the encouraging comments about Project Formal. Unfortunately, I cannot indulge myself with constant evening dress sewing, and have returned to the everyday sewing with my efforts over the weekend.
I am so grateful for sew-a-longs. I have the greatest difficulty in motivating myself to make clothes for work, because my work is not the place for sartorial self expression, and I have to wear trousers. Urgh.
The Fabulous Dr E has a seasonal sew a long of 6 pieces hosted at Stitchers Guild, just perfect for a work wardrobe update.These useful pieces are deadly dull, but will get a lot of wear. I am making 2 pairs of trousers, 3 blouses and a very easy knit fabric cardigan top. Hopefully these will all co-ordinate.

First up is a pattern I haven't tried before, the tunic blouse from February 2009 Burda Style, 120.

technical drawing from http://www.burdafashion.com

 A particularly pleasant aspect about using these older Burdas (aside from my natural tendency to sew clothing that is 5 years or so out of date) is that the pattern sheets have only half the number of patterns on them as the current issues, so they are really easy to trace.
It looks terribly casual in the photo above, but the intention is to wear it tucked in, this untucked photo is to demonstrate the length of the tunic (longer length B). The fabric is from deep stash, pre 2008 Martin & Savage Fabric, from the days when I was experimenting with allegedly breathable polyester woven fabrics for work wear (heavily pushed by Australian Stitches Magazine at the time). This will definitely be a winter only blouse - the weave is soft and loose, and the fabric is quite fine, but my previous experience with this type of fabric is that it is quite warm to wear if you live in the subtropics.
The blouse was nicely drafted, and not tricky to sew, having gathers rather than darts. I did not have to do a FBA, yay, but made my usual square shoulder adjustment, large arm adjustment and also removed 2cm from the shoulder seams as, unusually for me with Burda, the shoulders were too wide. It has gathers at the back too, making it very practical for reaching forward.

In an attempt to workify this casual looking blouse, I used a shirting fabric for contrast inner placket, inner collar stand and cuffs + binding.

 I offset the cuffs so the stripe shows as a border.

Burda is somewhat terse with the front placket instructions, and the two previous reviewers of this pattern both mentioned this as a difficulty, so I took photographs of this section of the construction.

Cut front opening to within 1cm of the marked line, sew each placket to the front, stopping at the end of the line- ensure sides match.

Cut diagonally into the corners at the base of the front opening (you can sew across between the two vertical seam allowances for reinforcement)

Turn plackets to the inside, laying one over the other, turn seam allowance at base of placket to the inside, making sure the outside of the placket is straight - pin in place

Finish insides of long edges (I handstitched)

Secure seam allowance of bottom edge to plackets (I handstitched)
Finish short edges of placket (I handstitched)

Sew across short edge on the inside, ensuring that seam is straight and that there is no gap where the seam meets the long edge seams

Turn out and topstitch as desired. Make buttonholes and attach buttons after collar stand is finished.

Blouse tucked in for work.

6pac so far
I will report on the trousers later.


 Stashbusting statistics - 1.5m woven polyester - pre 2008. Alas, there is a sizeable piece remaining.

Burda 02-2009-108 t shirts, Burda sew-a-long

I like sew-a-longs, it is highly enjoyable to see what other people are making with a common goal.

At the moment, the famous Me-Made-May has started, and although I signed up, I have decided I can't take photographs every day just at the moment, and as I already wear 99% hand made clothing, the photographs and making the outfit is the real challenge for me, so I am a real piker.
Instead I am hoping to join the Wellington Burda sew-a-long. I particularly appreciate the inclusiveness of this plan - any Burda pattern, just in May. I can do this! In fact there are a lot of sticky notes calling out to me from my big pile of magazines.
Despite this, I have a strange urge to hunt down a tie front blouse pattern from 09-2007 - a magazine I do not own. This is Treena's fault - see her nice blouse? I take no responsibility for my own pattern acquisitiveness ;)

Here is a pair of t shirts I made last weekend (April, so not eligible).



This is  one of the things I love about Burda magazines. I had this beautiful print on a super stretchy, thin and slippery viscose knit (Cleggs, February 2013), that was a real indulgence for me, and after some deliberation, I decided that I needed a t shirt pattern without a neck binding, as I predicted major problems in applying it neatly. I didn't have enough fabric for a cowl neck or a tie neck (it was $$$$ fabric), so I went looking through my Burda stash for a bateau neck t shirt. I was sure I'd find one (or 3)
Burda 02-2009-108 sounded perfect, and on Pattern Review, nearly everyone was happy (I also love pattern review for problem pattern identification)
I made the practice version from a nice sturdy cotton lycra knit.
The neckline sat reasonably well, but I felt the viscose needed some recovery help, so I added lingerie elastic to the folded over neck.



This is not as heavy as clear elastic that I often use in necklines, and I am glad I used a more delicate elastic, as even with this, the neckline tends to ripple a little. Fortunately, this is not an issue once the t shirt is worn.
I used a 60 stretch needle, and a walking foot for the construction - with a narrow 3 step zig-zag stitch, and the coverstitch for the neck and hem.





I was able to squeeze long sleeves out of my 80cm of fabric by cutting them on the cross grain (4 way knit), a tiny bit of underarm piecing, and a cuff from the straight grain scraps.

This is a very bold print for me, but I love it.



Now I will look through my Burdas for something else to make for the sew-a-long.

Stashbusting statistics - practice t shirt eligible, about 1m of cotton lycra 2012, viscose knit not eligible