While I haven’t made something from this year’s January Burda, I have finally made something I’d marked from the 2012 January! Yippee! It always wanted the right fabric, and I never really had it. Technically, the “right fabric” this time was intended for another pair of trousers, but as it happened to be out and available and spotted just in time, it’s now a top!
After listing all my options a few days ago, I thought I might as well start with toiling this pattern, as it was already traced out. I ran it up in a piece of viscose I’d got from a charity shop for toiling purposes. The fabric told me it was too soft and drapey for this particular top, the toile told me it was way too long!! I didn’t want a tunic/short dress, I wanted a top!
So I shortened the pattern by 11 cm, added length in the front for bust and a small dart to sort the side seam. I had traced the 44, and it has just the right amount of volume for me, so that length and little dart were all I needed for a FBA, no width needed. The original pattern has an exposed zip in the back seam and the front is plain, this wouldn’t work for me. I didn’t want a zip, exposed or otherwise, and needed more detail on the front. I also prefer not to have too high a neckline, so fiddled around a little, dropping the front neckline a bit and adding a front opening. It’s just a little detail that makes it more wearable for me.
The fabric I used in the end is a navy and grey windowpane worsted wool suiting I bought in November from Fabworks. It’s quite lightweight, and as a pair of trousers it would have had to have been lined. Luckily, as a top, it’s just fine! The top doesn’t have hems, you cut facings for the sleeves, front and back. I interfaced these with a polyester fine sheer fusible for a bit more stability.
I really like how the top has turned out, the back and sleeves are cut in one, so make sure your fabric is wide enough to cope! The odd shaped pieces meant pattern matching was going to be tricky, so I opted for matching the side seams and left the rest to fall where they may. The large dart in the sleeve narrows the width nicely at the wrist. I like the curved hemline, and the new length is pretty perfect.
Now I have plans to make another item from the list. I said in the review of last year’s sewing that I need a few more tops to go with all the new trousers I’d made, so it will be another top – and I want to use up some of the viscose pieces I have in the stash. So, I will be tracing Blouse 114 from January 2016, I need my sleeve kick!!
That’s round one of the #Burdachallenge2018 done, what’s on your list to make??
THE COMPULSIVE SEAMSTRESS 