Monday, January 25, 2010

Burda Blouse Blitz - #2

Another well worn blouse in my wardrobe is a mauve silk jacquard.

I wear it with a mauve/black/grey tweed jacket and dark grey pants, or with a grey collarless jacket with matching grey pants. Both combo’s are a bit color blocky and need jewelry or scarves to liven them up. When I found this quirky silk print of magnifying glasses in the same color way, I couldn’t resist.
Unfortunately I only purchased 2 yards instead of the typical 2.5 yards for a blouse. I have no clue why I did that though I suspect it was because I must have been trying to balance the guilt of buying more fabric, with finding fabric I just had to have. I was barely able to eke out all the pieces of BWOF 10-2005-102, a fitted blouse with French darts, hidden button placket, and tie neckline.

In hindsight, the drapey silk fabric was probably not the best choice for this style. Both versions of the blouse in the magazine were made in a shirting fabric. The long dart with slightly bias cut edges is better suited for firmer fabric.The front hidden placket, with its many precise folds, was a bit of a chore because of the soft, shifty nature of the silk fabric. I was getting quite frustrated until I decided to liberally apply spray starch to the front bodice pieces. This stiffened the fabric just enough to make the folding, pressing, and top stitching a breeze. I machine wash all my silk blouse fabrics prior to cutting so the finished garment is washable. I rinsed the starch out after finishing the blouse. I used silk organza as interfacing in front placket and cuffs. I am happy with the way the blouse looks with both jackets.

18 comments:

  1. Another great blouse! And I love how you show how the new blouse will work in your wardrobe!

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  2. OOOH I love that blouse! Such a great neckline for a jacket, and a wonderful print.

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  3. Your blouse is terrific and it's a great conversation starter!

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  4. Love the new blouse! I'm really enjoying seeing the wardrobe replacements. So far, two winners for sure.

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  5. I love your new blouse. It goes with so many things. The color is perfect.

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  6. What great blouses!! I love how you paired them!

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  7. That fabric is so cute!! I am glad you were able to make it work for the blouse!!

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  8. Nice blouse. The fabric is fun and the colours match well.

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  9. Beautiful blouse, and such a fun fabric! I love it especially with the lavender jacket. I'm usually wary of neck-tie blouses, I'm always afraid to look too "seventies", but this is a great pattern - it looks like there's a matching scarf on.

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  10. Perfect blouse for your jackets. Audrey, you are ALWAYS Sewing With A Plan. : ) Thanks for the inspiration!

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  11. Very pretty blouse! I am enjoying seeing all your blouse remakes. Keep up the good work.

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  12. You eked this out beautifully. Very pretty blouse.

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  13. What a beautiful blouse! The fabric is gorgeous and I love the style - I love blouses with ties at the neck.

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  14. What an awesome addition to your wardrobe!

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  15. Great blouse! The print is fantastic and I really like the style. I'll have to try the spray starch tip.

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  16. I forgot how great a placket would be for hiding my not-so-perfect buttonholes. Thanks for this! I might have to try that 2nd one, I love the tie.

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  17. You blog is eye-catching. I get pleasure from it. Thanks for sharing this beautiful piece of blouse with me.

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