Just Pleat It, Pleat It

Although I do anticipate that the neckline will "plunge", I like the design of this blouse.


Uh oh.....Not only did the neckline really plunge, it separated!


My review:
I hereby request that Burda listen and answer our plea for ladies like us who do not dare take the "plunge"!

Pattern Description
"This blouse is a highlight in trendy violet! The empire seam and vertical tucks nicely shape your bust while the cuffs provide a typical Seventies feature..." For my version the verb "shape" should be changed otherwise.


Size
Burda misses' 34-42. I sewed a 40.


Fabric used
Mystery fabric that looks like a shiny polyester. It certainly looks like I am ready to celebrate the upcoming 31st anniversary (December 16, 2008) of Saturday Night Fever. I was glad to use this instead of more upscale fabric! (Note to self: make a muslin first, make a muslin first.....)


Favorite Features
* Forward shoulders
* Pleated front
* Button placement below the empire seam
* The back vertical darts above the empire seam


Not-so-favorite Features
* Burda how low can you go with the neckline? This top necessitates a camisole or tank top.
* I had difficulty with getting the pleats to go at an angle while I was attaching the upper bodice to the front lower bodice!
* The back facing is somewhat awkward. There was no mention of topstitching or stabilizing it to the neckline. I am afraid if I topstitch, this fabric would act strangely.


Other Discoveries
* I am accustomed to finishing the edges of the front self-facings and back facing. It seems that Burda WOF assumes the sewist does this automatically.

* I noticed that my back facing (I even included the seam allowance!) did not cover the full width of the back neckline. There was a 3/8" deficit on each side of the back facing.

* Forming the pleats took the longest in comparison with the other steps. Here's a Gucci vintage pleated top. Imagine creating something like this!

* The sleeves and the armscye fit fine. I should have used one size higher at the hips!


Directions
Surprisingly sufficient for me to follow and understand. The directions would be fine for the Burda WOF connoisseur or a sewist who has experience with shirt construction.

Paraphrase of Burda's order of construction (I separated some steps that were combined under one bullet to simplify things):
* Stitch upper back darts
* Stitch center seam of lower back.
* Stitch upper back to lower back.
* Attach back facing to back neckline, right sides together
* Form pleats of front upper bodice
* Sew the front upper bodice to the back at the shoulders continuing to the back facing, right sides together
* Form front facings by folding inward along fold lines
* Attach upper fronts to lower fronts.

I was originally eluded by the step regarding the front facing being turned out and stitched: "Turn self-facings of lower pieces back out and pin place, over upperpieces, at edges of horizontal seams. Stitch horizontal seams. Turn facings to inside." What?

Front facing turned outward

I opened the lower front facing so that the interfaced strip faces upward, right side not visible. Then I continued the horizontal seam (formed by the top and bottom bodice) by stitching from the front edge of the lower front facing to the front edge of the first pleat.

* Stitch and set-in sleeves
* Hem the lower edge of the blouse


Modifications
* Did a lot of pressing to get the pleats to stay put before attaching the front lower bodice.

* I could have omitted the seam allowance of the sleeve caps. I trimmed an excess of 1/4" to 1/2".

* Omitted the sleeve vents and cuffs

* I used 5 buttons instead of 6 as pictured. I sewed the buttonholes using 4 1/2 cm intervals.


Conclusion
Overall, the blouse is not very difficult to construct. I wish I had the patience and time to draft a version that would work better for me. Suggestions and recommendations are welcome.

I do not plan to sew another version and I highly encourage you to give this pattern a try! You might be the lucky one to have this work for you! At least I was glad to sew my unique real-life version of a blouse that I had high hopes for.


Just like the 80's hit Funkytown, I "got to move on!" I am looking forward to try the other patterns in the Nov 2008 issue. I'll even cheer myself up by making my third version of a new favorite, a New Look 6830 knit top.