Square Deal

In its August 2009 issue, Burda appeals to the romantic and poetic in this blouse, pattern #103.

I decided to use the collared version and somehow again got inspired by 70's "disco" shirts with "wild" prints, but appealing to what I call the "geometric aesthetic."

From Rustyzipper.com, here's a Koret shirt with a tessellating design. I find it "Escher-esque" chic or how about "Polly Escher"?


Also from Rustyzipper.com, a shirt with interesting print in the lower bodice.

From Jones New York, currently on their website, and drifting from their conservative styling, a paisley printed shirt with a floral placket.

My version of blouse pattern #103.



Burda's Promotional Pattern Description
"Lyrical composition
"This blouse is sheer poetry, fulfilling four essential trend criteria: the fine floral print, the fitted shape, the long tie-collar with bow and the slight transparency."

My Pattern Description
Button down blouse/shirt with vertical darts, cuffed long sleeves, and tie or collar option.

I would not call my shirt sheer poetry, but pure pop retro madness.

Pattern Sizing:
Burda misses' 36-44. I sewed a "40".

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
I like the overall fit and style of this shirt.



I compared it to another Burda commercial pattern 7597 and notice that they match up very closely, in terms of the bodice portion, including the waistline markings and vertical darts! Burda most likely has its own template for a basic shirt and this shirt seems to be drafted according to this template.


Fabric Used:
Cotton shirting from fabric.com.


Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? The fabric made the shirt along with my collar totally disco.

Were the instructions easy to follow?
If you are familiar with making shirts, then you would encounter little or no problems. Or maybe, I have grown accustomed to Burda's verbage: either lacking in certain areas or convoluted to the point of confusion.

Things to note:
* Did not use elements from pattern #104 (upper breast pocket, left ruffle), so I followed the directions for #103, replacing the neck tie (includes some sort of bias treatment at the neckline) with the collar and band.

* In blouse pattern #104, Burda refers to blouse pattern #129 for the collar and band directions.

*In both blouse pattern #103 and #104, Burda refers to blouse pattern #130 for the sleeve vents and #131 for the cuffs. Blouse #103's cuffs are not topstitched. I do not understand why Burda did not conveniently include the same directions for the sleeve vents and cuffs in #103, #104, and possibly other patterns. The only reason I can think of is to save printing costs...


Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:

*I attached the collar from the inside, flipped over and topstitched the pressed under edge from the outside. For me, this leaves a nice finish on the inside.

* Used a narrower seam allownce when sewing the collar pieces together, making the collar appear larger.

*Due to fabric constraints, I split one piece of the original front band in half, creating two narrow front bands.

*While cutting I cut and spread the front vertical darts an additional 1/4" from the center. After wearing the shirt, I realized that I did not have to make this change.



Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
Yes. I might half to make a small adjustment to decrease excess fabric in the upper back to make it fit more nicely. I plan to make the neck tie version in a drapier fabric. Just for fun, I would like to try different sleeves and collar types.

I absolutely recommend this pattern, especially if you are in search of THE basic shirt.

Conclusion:
There are really lots of wonderful pieces in the August 2009 issue! I cannot wait to try the popular flounced front top and a cape-style jacket.