BWOF 06/2009 - 122 Top

I'm working on (or at least planning on working on) a few pieces from the June issue that might even coordinate so I will take pictures of me in the outfits when they're all done.  

In the meantime here is the completed tunic blouse 122, first the technical drawing (incidentally I had to pull up the German version of the site to get this issue from the archives and there I noticed that the German archives go all the way back to 2004, rather than 2006 as on the English site).

I made this in the cream and brown printed linen I bought recently, the busy print makes it hard to see all the details, but it is just like the line drawing.  I think this makes a very flattering casual summer top with the wide shoulders and drawstring waist, just as Toy promised!  The only change I made was to use snaps instead of hidden buttons and only up to where I needed them as I doubt I would wear this top buttoned up to the neck (or snapped up I should say).  Easy enough to add more later if I prove myself wrong!

The only part of the instructions that might be a little vague is finishing the unusual sleeve detail at the inside corner.  Basically the sleeves are just doubled bands which are attached first and then the raw edge under the armscye is finished with a strip of bias fabric.  To get a clean finish there you need to make sure that you only sew the bias up to your sleeve band stitching.  You see, it is hard to explain to be fair to Burda so I took some photos which hopefully illustrate what we are both talking about!

From the outside of the garment after sewing the sleeve and bias strip, but before turning strip to the inside, sleeve on the bottom, bias strip at the top - note that the two meet but do not overlap.

The same thing from inside the garment, except here the bias strip is at the bottom of the photo, the edge of the strip is folded in and held in place by the armscye seam finishing which can be done in one step.

The bias strip is then turned to the inside and stitched in place, leaving a neat corner with no raw edges or wrinkles.