Like so many other sewists, I have an inspirational stack of Burda magazines that I haven't made anything from yet, even though I have little sticky flags sticking out of all of them marking the numerous patterns I'd like to make! Well, a couple of months ago now I decided it was time to try one out, and traced off this blouse with a hem and sleeve flounce, with a black lace fabric in mind. It's style 123 from the 12/2017 issue.
However, I decided it was quite necessary to muslin this pattern beforehand, as I do often have to make multiple adjustments to Burda patterns. And it's a good thing I did because I did indeed have to narrow the front and back at the centre of the neckline, shorten the body and narrow the bottom flounce to suit a more petite figure; I also left the back neck opening out and sewed it straight up as it fit over my head just fine. I should have shortened and widened the sleeve at the bicep as well. I may still remove the sleeve and pull it up an inch to see if it fits better that way. You can see in this photo how the sleeve pulls slightly across the upper arm anytime my arm is not straight down.
When I finished this I wasn't too keen on it. The neck facing poked up weirdly, and I just felt like it didn't fit right. Left it in the magic closet for a while, and upon trying again, I realized I could remove the neck facing (done & replaced with a bias facing - a vintage cotton percale lightweight bias tape in white). And for some reason I now like the straight line shape of it. If I do end up making it in the original fabric I had in mind I might still shorten the body a bit more, especially in the back.
But I'm also really enjoying the 80s vibe of the fabric -- this is another piece of the vintage fabrics given to me by my friend's mom in her great stash clearing. I had *just* enough to get this pattern out of it, which why my sleeves don't match across the lines perfectly. I just had no more wiggle room. The colours of this are really fun, and it makes me think of birds on a wire.
It's a lightweight cotton and quite nice to wear. The bright stripes & abstract print really say 80s to me, but I was careful not to style it too heavily as an 80s combo -- just imagine it with some stirrup pants, jelly shoes, big hair in a scrunchie, and bright beads, and you'll be thinking of me in high school, haha. I do have some large, bright blue beads but resisted the lure... and went with a subtle pendant I picked up in Banff a few years ago instead.
Are you enjoying the 80s resurgence? I sure am! From movies (Stranger Things) to books (The Saturday Night Ghost Club) to fashion (especially Escada's latest!) I am all about the 80s. I know 'they' say that if you wore it the first time around, avoid it the second time -- but I am blithely disregarding that fashion advice and enjoying all the 80s inspired styles I can. Are you a fan? What 80s styles do you like - or dislike?
Cute top! I am petite like you and find I have to make several adjustments for Burda patterns.
ReplyDeleteYes, and it's not always the same adjustments ;) But overall I've been happy with the ones I've tried. There are so many more I want to try but the tracing takes so long I haven't gotten to all of them yet.
DeleteI love 80s styles, I wore them the first time and I am with you that they can be worn again. Scrunchies are my favorite, though now that I am no longer a teenager I wear my hair short and they aren't an option any more (much to my sister's relief!) The blouse came out very well, I like the peplum!
ReplyDeleteThank you! Yep, my hair is too short for scrunchies too, probably a good thing haha. But I do love the 80s feel in so many patterns that I have so I won't be stopping this 80s train any time soon :)
DeleteIt's actually a very pretty top, and right on trend for now as well as then. I'm surprised you have to narrow Burda around the shoulders, as they are usually much narrower than Vogue, Butterick and McCalls. Still, all pattern companies design for a different shape, and it never seems to be ours, does it?
ReplyDeleteI always have to narrow everything in the centre since my shoulders are smaller than the rest of me. But this one was definitely much less adjustment that with, say, New Look patterns which seem to be drafted for linebackers LOL -- at least someone with more shoulder than I have.
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