Burda of the Month: 2/2015 #128 the seam crazy top

My February issue of Burda was really late in being delivered this month - it didn't arrive in my letter box until the 21st of February which was really annoying. It wasn't worth the wait though, because there's not much in this issue that's really my style, but because of my Burda challenge I forced myself to pick something: a boxy top that I thought I'd be able to write a sarcastic hate post about. Funnily enough though, I like how it turned out!

The pattern I chose is the slit neckline blouse  #128, which is described as a straight cut with "panel seams to give the blouse structure and visual interest".

images from Burda Style

The recommended fabric is jersey, and looking closely at the magazine photo it appears to be a textured, thick fabric. I had a mystery knit fabric in the stash which was textured and slightly stretchy which I didn't realise is actually a length of wool fabric until I pulled it out of the washing machine with the unmistakable smell of wet dog and a few tell tale signs of moth holes in one corner. I think it might actually be wool crepe that has been washed a few times and shrunk considerably, because it has that sort of texture, is a bit spongy and presses really well.

Those seams lines certainly are very interesting, and I particularly like how the triangular piece on the lower front lines up with the upper back yoke piece at the side seams. Although all those intersecting seams are a bit bulky and despite pressing it really well it still bulges out a little bit.

It felt like I was sewing the sleeves completely wrong because they turn out terribly twisted, but once I'm wearing it it's actually quite comfortable and hangs properly because it hugs the arm and elbow.

I should have made a forward shoulder adjustment like I need to do to everything I sew that has a shoulder seam, because I can see in that photo above that the should seam is sitting back a little bit too far, and the front of the top is lifting up higher than the back. Luckily it's not a high neckline so it's not uncomfortable, but it is quite short in the front. This pattern is sized for petites, which I can usually make with no problems since I'm not overly tall, but this seems a tad on the short side to me.

True to the description in the magazine, it surely is a straight cut top, aka boxy and shapeless. I admit had to fight every urge in my body to take in every seam a bit to give it more shaping because it looked like I was wearing a big white pillow case. But in the end I just shaped the centre back seam to account for my sway back and took in the centre front seam by 2cm just to make it slightly more fitted, but not skin tight. The back neckline seems a lot lower than the technical drawing suggests:

The armscye front and back turned out weirdly though. Looking at the technical drawing and the pattern pieces, the armscye is supposed to be pointed, not curved.

However I had a difficult time setting in the sleeves and trying to get that pointed effect, and what I ended up with is just a strangely curved armscye instead!

 The only change I made to the pattern aside from taking in the front and back centre seams was to finish the neckline, hem and sleeve edges by pressing under 1.5cm and topstitching with a twin needle. Burda always recommends cutting narrow strips of bias fabric for bindings, but since these flap about and need to be topstitched down anyway I figure I may a well cut out that extra step of sewing a binding on.

So my verdict: an interesting but simple, casual top that was well worth sewing, despite my initial low expectations. Overall, an interesting version of the Burda boxy top! Bonus for my choice being a quick and simple project too, so that I could complete it within February. Who knows when the March issue will arrive though..........