The fourth item for my new wardrobe is a shirt. Or blouse. I'm not quite sure what the difference is.
It is a fairly simple shirt with 3/4 length dolman sleeves, collar with a narrow collar stand, and a horizontal seam in the front. The pattern I used is a slightly modified Burda 07/10 #122.
I made one fitting adjustment - low neck base - following instructions in Fitting and Pattern Alteration (full review here):
I modified the style just a little:
- the back horizontal seam does not involve any shaping so I eliminated it and cut the back in one piece (the front horizontal seam involves shaping so it stayed);
- I cut the lower front in one piece, which made the shirt pull-over only;
- I shortened the shirt by 4", eliminating the curved bottom, because I didn't have enough fabric; and
- I omitted the button closure because I prefer the neckline open.
The changes I made require a different sewing order but I read through the instructions anyway just to make sure I wouldn't run into anything crazy. They are typical Burda instructions in that they tell you the order of steps and expect you to know how. I know some people dislike Burda instructions but I grew up with it so 1) I'm used to their brevity, and 2) I don't expect every pattern to be a sewing lesson.
I made the collar first.
I cut the collar stand on the straight grain and the collar pieces on the bias to get that nice soft roll at the top. The collar stand had to wait for its edgestitching until it was attached to the rest of the shirt.
Then things were pretty easy from there: sew the fronts to the back at the shoulder/sleeve seams, attach the collar to the neckline, sew the lower front to the upper fronts, then side/sleeve seams, and hem. All done.
Here's the back view:
Lessons learned:
- it's not visible when the shirt is tucked into the skirt but it needs another 3/4" length at CF - kind of like an FBA but without adding width;
- the collar makes a really round line when the collar stand is pinned together at CF and I prefer a more open, V-shaped neckline so I skipped the buttons and buttonholes because I'll just wear it open and modify the neckline on the next one;
- the sleeves flare out a little at the hem so they'll need a little stabilizer next time.
I love the soft shoulder line without a seam. I'm going to make this again and again. It's definitely TNT material.
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Pursuit of happiness:
Strawberries - large, sweet, juicy, delicious strawberries. The whole fridge smells strawberry-amazing.
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11 comments:
Very nice. I love BURDA designs. You chose the perfect fabric for it.
Hey that came out great, much nicer in your soft fabric than it would imply from the line drawing.
Beautiful blouse, and the collar is so graceful looking. Thanks for the notes you give.
When you say collar stand, do you mean the interfacing for the collar's "outside"?
You did a terrific job matching the prints - they just glide effortlessly across the front.
I have just completed my second version of this. One in white linen, and one in striped shirting. I like your alterations - I might make a third now!
Gorgeous blouse. I love those colors on you.
This looks great on you! That fabric is gorgeous!
That's a great design and the fabric very interesting - perfect for a blouse/shirt. Looks great on you!
What a great fourth piece to add to your wardrobe! It gives it a splash of color which will work wonderfully with the pieces you've already made!
Great colour choice - love the shoulder line too.
The fabric you used for this blouse has colors that look great on you. It is so pretty. I agree with Gail about you wearing more color. Thanks for sharing your methods of making a simple pattern even simpler, especially making it into a pullover top. I made the short sleeve, ruffle shoulder version of this blouse and since I already have the pattern pieces traced, I may just pull them out and sew up a quick top.
Your redesign of the blouse is very nice. I love the colors of this blouse. Well done.
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