Burda World of Fashion 1/2008 blouse 125B

Monday 19 May 2008
Today I purchased the latest Burda WoF magazine available here in Australia, the March edition which is full of patterns I totally love so it was a good buy. I also finished another Burda WoF creation, my third to date. So let's see what the cost to make ratio is now: 8 magazines @$15 = $120, 3 patterns used = $40 per pattern!!!! Lucky I really love this blouse and the jacket I made recently, and I have plans to make lots more so I will get my money's worth, eventually.....

So on to the latest creation. I made the pin tucked sleeve blouse 125B featured in the January 2008 magazine. Imaginatively, I made in a white herringbone weave 100% cotton that I bought in Bangkok earlier this year for some crazy cheap price, and I bought heaps of it too, which was lucky because with those voluminous sleeves this pattern uses a lot of fabric for a shirt. It was lovely fabric to sew with, and lovely to wear so it was an all round bargain in my books.


The pattern was rather simple, it is just a shirt after all. The pintucks were a bit fiddly, but made easier to get straight because of the stripes in the fabric from the herringbone weave. After seeing the beautiful orange stretch satin version the Peacock Chic made, I realise mine could have been a lot harder to sew but could also have been a lot more brighter and fun too! Ah well, I did need another white shirt.

And here is the finished product, after a full day's wear at work (hence my shiny face):

Boy I look really pale in this photo! I did wear it under a suit I also made (yet to be blogged about) in a royal blue with a gold check wool fabric, and a pair of red shoes (of course!), so it wasn't as dull an outfit as the above photo suggests. Because it was rather chilly in my office I kept the jacket on all day, so no one even noticed it was a new shirt. Perhaps the shirt will be better worn under a tunic (ie a jumper dress) or just a vest to show off the sleeves to their fullest.

Originally I made version A of this shirt, with the extra large cuff that is to be worn turned up. I even went and specially bought the 19 (!) required buttons (a trip to the fabric shop that entailed in me purchasing more fabrics) and made all the button holes, but the sleeves were way too long, and my fabric just wasn't crisp enough for the cuff to turn up properly, so I cut some of the sleeve off and made narrow cuffs as per version B of the pattern. Note to anyone else considering making this - check your sleeve lengths!

I also used this tutorial that I found on on Pattern Review for this blouse to do the collar stand. The lady who wrote this tutorial based it on the David Coffin shirtmaking book that quite a few of you are raving about, and after using this technique I can fully understand why.

Well, I have my next Burda WoF pattern already traced off, a jacket also from the 1/08 magazine and I need to get busy on improving that cost/make ratio!

21 comments:

  1. Stunning blouse Kristy. I love those Burda magazines...I wish we could get our hands on Patrones mags too!!!

    Even if that blouse pattern cost $40 - it's worth it. It looks like a blouse you wouldfind in the top boutiques.... and we know what they would cost!!!

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  2. That is one of my favorite blouses from that issue and I hope to make it one of these days. Your version is fabulous, I do like it with the shorter sleeves.

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  3. Your blouse is GORGEOUS!!!! You did a wonderful job on it!

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  4. Oh, that's lovely!

    -S

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  5. What a beautiful blouse! I love the pintucks and the fullness below them. And the narrow cuffs look great!

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  6. Hi there - very deluxe shirt. No fancy pintuck foot for you? You did it old-skool? Even more impressive.

    I wanted to ask, though - I've made a couple of Burda patterns from BurdaStyle.com and find that the instructions make me feel profoundly stupid. I think it's that they are in clunky German-English which really surprises me because most Germans I've met speak better English than I do. Do you find that you have to read them seven times with multiple cross-references, eye-squinting and the occasioanal #%@#$? I think I have resorted to throwing-unfinished-project-and-storming-out once or twice. And I'm not usually a petulant sewer.

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  7. Lovely blouse! I really like the sleeves. I've been reading your blog for a few weeks and I really enjoy it. Hi from Melbourne.

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  8. Love the blouse, it looks better in person than in the sketch!! I had 20 years' worth of Burdas, but I don't buy them every month anymore, just when I fancy something in the magazine. Worth every penny I think.

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  9. Very lovely blouse, perfect for the office. I want one!! I'm glad you ditched those cuffs. Your new sleeves are much more current fashion and the eye is drawn to the pintucks. I've just come home from the shopping. I was looking at blouses etc as inspiration for sewing styles. There was nothing under $80 so your $40 per pattern will still bring you under cost of a ready to wear (doesnt fit properly) blouse. And I can just see you in a nice satin number similar to peacock chic's , so that would reduce your cost per pattern to $30. Love your blog. Very inspiring
    Mary J from Sydney

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  10. Your blouse is fantastic, this has been on my list to make for a few months now. I really like the shorter sleeves, well worth $40 for the pattern!

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  11. thanks everyone - I think the shirt is well worth it too! And 2paw I keep telling myself I will only buy the magazine if something good is in there (which is why I don't subscribe), but it still gets me every time. And yes Livebird the instructions are less than helpful on occasions and I didn't even think of a pintuck foot, not that I have one!

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  12. Great shirt - wow! I can really see it under something like Simplicity 3673 - very cute!

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  13. yeah for you!!! It looks great. And I have to say there is something to be said for the subdued stylings as well. I had to go out and buy new pants to go with my shirt. Too bad I don't know how to make pants yet :O)

    Thanks for the shout out as well

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  14. I think my cost ration is higher...but I am not going to check lol,

    Your shirt looks very smart. I would not have thought it would looks so good from the line drawings. Not really puffy at all.

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  15. Great blouse! The style is very unique and flattering with 3/4 length sleeves.

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  16. Lovely shirt! I know my cost/make ratio is much higher than yours -- I've made 4 BWOF garments since subscribing in 1997! But hey, the mags are a historical fashion record as well, so I think the ratio needs to account for that!
    -Nneka

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  17. Kristy you are an amazingly talented young lady. Love your style

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  18. That is a beautiful blouse!!! Now I think I have to go see if I have that issue.

    Well done!

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  19. I guess I must need practice "reading" those line drawings, because the line drawing didn't appeal to me at all, but your blouse is gorgeous! I love the pintucks in the sleeves! Really nice job! :)

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  20. Love this shirt! It looks amazing. I have heard about that book you mention too, I have to seek it out.

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  21. BEAU-TI-FUL blouses!!!

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