Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Burda Plus Fashion: FW-10-413

Pattern Description: Long sleeved blouse with front and back waist darts and notched collar.

Pattern Sizing: European plus sizes: 46 - 54

Were the instructions easy to follow?   I was concerned about the directions for the notched collar.  I remember reading on another blog how to handle this type of collar. Unfortunately, I didn't remember the blog and I had to figure it out on my own.  My solution was very simple.  I sewed the notch first and then trimmed the seam allowance rather than try to trace the seam allowance onto such a small notch.  This is the point where tracing pattern pieces was a disadvantage.   I'm sure if the pieces were already printed, the collar pattern piece would have looked just like the piece I traced.  Instead, I had to look at the notch and wonder "How the heck am I supposed to add a seam allowance to that!?!" before I realized I didn't have to add a seam allowance at all. It goes without saying: Burda directions offered little, if any, help.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I liked the collar.  I also liked the more fitted silhouette.

Fabric Used: I bought this fabric at the Fall PR Shopping day at the end of August.  According to the sales associate at Elliot Berman in NYC, this fabric is French cotton.  It had a stiffer hand than I expected in a cotton.  It reminded me of chintz and the needle left holes in the fabric.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:One of the things I love about Burda is that I usually don't have to make any pattern alterations. I might have given myself a little extra room in the belly, but it was more of a preference than a necessity.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? I'd like this blouse in a solid color. I'm sure I'll sew it again.

6 comments:

  1. Eleray This is gorgeous on you. You should have been the model. I recommend many more.

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  2. Lee,
    I really like how well this fits you, and the pattern is lovely. After hearing your endorsements, I may need to think about subscribing to Burda.

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  3. I like your collar too. Sewing before fiddling with the seam allowance was a good idea I will try to remember if I have a similar situation. The print works very well with this pattern.

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  4. I like this very much. I made a collar like that on a jacket once. It worked pretty well. The shape of this blouse is really flattering.

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  5. Oh, that's a really nice blouse. Agreed about the collar, it is a little unusual as far as the drafting, but the result is really nice and actually easier to do that it looks.

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  6. What a wonderful pairing of fabric and pattern. You look terrific in this lovely blouse.

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