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Monday 17 June 2013

BurdaStyle 03/2013 - 124 Shirt

I really cannot explain why I decided to make this shirt without looking like a bit of an idiot, but here goes.  I chose this pattern from BurdaStyle 03/2013 - 124.  I liked the idea of the simple collar with no collar band and the tabs, but I thought the shape was too boxy.  Now the smart, well not even that smart, but the obvious thing to do would have been to select a shirt pattern that had the shape I wanted and add sleeve tabs, but no, I had to do it the other way round.


I used this elephant print cotton batiste, it reminds me of a mens tie print and I really liked the cream gold and turquoise colours.


Naturally I needed to make a lot of fitting changes to the body of the shirt involving lots of pinning, trying on, getting stabbed with pins, taking off, repinning blah blah.  Once I was happy with it I finished the seam with flat felled seams, finished the shirt, tried it on and...it is too small at the bustline!  Only a tiny bit, about 1-2cm, but enough so that it gapes if I am not standing super straight and not moving and more than I have any seam allowance to adjust for.  The buttons and buttonholes are down the centre of the bands so I can't move those either.

I often wear shirts open in the summer, like a lightweight jacket so this isn't the end of the world, but I am really annoyed with myself for taking the dumb decision in the first place to make a square peg fit in a round hole!  Lesson learned hopefully.

My dressform does stand super straight and not move so the fit is fine on it.


To add insult to injury, it was only after taking these photos that I realised I had not thought about the fact that the collar gets turned down so my elephants are rolling around on their backs on the collar!



The sleeve tab details that sent me off on the wrong pattern for me, although ironically I left off the tabs on the hem, they just looked odd once I had narrowed the shirt.



Shall we just pretend that this is how I intended to wear it all along?













20 comments:

  1. It is a cute shirt on you and the fabric is very fun. Sometimes it is those things that we do as we sew that annoy us but we keep coming back, right? :)

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  2. Very cool Shirt! I like it very mutch.
    Loverly
    H.
    my Blog: http://jungsnaht.blog.de/

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  3. I actually like the shirt a lot - a lot better than the boxy version of the original, I have to say.
    but I had to laugh so much at your story - that could have been me!!! I suppose this is part of the fun, isn't it?

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  4. I ADORE that print! If I was a Delta (sorority) I would be all over that. It's so so cute.

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  5. Lovely shirt, it's the end result that counts, doesn't it? The elephant print is cute.

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  6. Happy to pretend along with you. It's such a fun print that I doubt anyone but you would notice any flaws.

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  7. Ah, yes, I can relate to that! But fun shirt none the less and I love the print. Nobody but you will see the elephants on their backs since the print is pretty tiny.

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  8. You look so smart and business like. I love your shirt - and am drawn to ones with no collar band too because I'm too lazy to put the time into practicing on them.

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  9. The end results looks great, no matter what it took to get there. The idea of elephants rolling on their back is funny, even though I really couldn't see it in your pictures, Enjoy your shirt!

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  10. I think the fabric print (which is super cute!) suggests a more casual style, I love it with the blue belt, clearly it was meant to be :)

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  11. The fabric is just fabulous! I love the elephant butts ;0 and the turquoise & gold are great.
    I see why it annoys you, but once you styled it - you look great!

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  12. It does looks great the way you styled it! If you hadn't mentioned it, I'm not sure if it would've been noticeable. :)

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  13. Ah damn-it is a shame to put in a lot of effort and get a frustrating result.. Yea wear it open or use it around the house or something. The elephant print is really cute. I was imagining the two elephants having a conversation XD
    If you find yourself unable to get around the collar though-off to the op-shop with it. On the plus side at least you have all your alterations and can get a quick working result next time by just leaving a bit more room up front.

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  14. Cute shirt and comes with a story!

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  15. I love that the elephants are rolling around on their backs! Nellies have to have some fun you know?

    And open collar is good. Looks fabbo.

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  16. well, I guess that is what makes your skirt special, if you hadn't point it out I wouldn't have noticed the direction of the elephants on the collar. I think the shirt looks really great.

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  17. At least elephants might like lying on their backs sometimes. I made a car shirt for my son that had the cars doing this, which might imply very bad driving.....
    Your shirt looks very smart as an over garment, what a pity it took extra work to get there.

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  18. That fabric is stunning! And I love the pattern. It looks fantastic on you.

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  19. Your pattern match at center front is insane! Well done! Those elephants are so adorable and I would have had to have them as well. And the top definitely looks as though you intended to wear it that way.

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  20. Clever shirt. I love the elephants!

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