Burda Wrap Top

 When I was making the culottes, that I blogged about in my last post, I looked on the Internet for different way to style them.  I even planned a mini SWAP storyboard around the culottes.  Below is one of my inspiration collages.

The top in the middle is very similar to this one in the Burda Style May 2014 magazine.  Wrap tank with pockets

The inspiration top is a faux crossover ( angles of armhole opening do not match neckline angles)  and the bottom front corners are sharp rather than curved, but the look was very similar.

 

 

This style was so different than what I usually wear, I realized the finished garment ran a serious risk of being a closet shut in. But I decided to sew it anyway. I am always up for trying a new style.  This top was a fair amount of work because of the welt  pockets with flaps, and the back pleats. It is lined in the front and has a facing for the back armholes and neck opening. Plus I did a lot of tweaking in the shoulder ( my problem area)  and armhole area to get a close fit.   On the plus side this top has no closures. It truly is a pull over the head top.  

 

 

 

The  fabric is cotton, purchased from Walmart. It had the colors I needed for my SWAP and a polka dot type print similar to the inspiration top.  I actually like the way the top looks and feels while worn.    If you choose to wear a bra with this top, it has to be either strapless or one where the  straps attach to the cups above the apex rather that toward the sides. Or the straps show in the front armhole. Only one of my many bras worked with this top.

Burda top 5 2014 132
Burda Culottes 4 2015 113 

I also like this top with jeans. I took this picture in the now finished and painted family room.  All construction work is done, but we are currently suffering from sticker shock at the cost of replacing the 20 year old carpet.

Burda top 5 2014 132

There will be no sewing this Holiday weekend.  We are driving  to PA to visit relatives and have a nice dinner to celebrate our wedding anniversary. Yes, 36 years ago DH and I got married in a civil ceremony, in the Justice of the Peace's office in Wilkinsburg, a suburb of Pittsburgh.   Pictures taken that day in the JOP's office remind me of the " American slice of life" paintings  by Norman Rockwell. The formally dressed wedding party sitting stiffly in one corner of the  waiting room. A handyman  is replacing the large plate glass window of the waiting room which had been broken the night before. And in the other corner, a small group of  casually dressed older women, all  with pink foam curlers in their hair. Isn't it funny what you remember from your wedding day.

 

 

Cullotes and Construction

 

My latest sewing projects are a pair of culottes and a jacket. I wore culottes many years ago and remember liking them a lot.  The patterns is from Burda 4 2015, pattern 113.

Burda 4 2015 113

The fabric is a tropical weight wool blend, 97% Wool 3% Lycra purchased from Roz at Sew Much Fabric . It is a lightweight fabric with some body, which was the Burda fabric recommendation. This pattern has deep pleats in the front and the longest darts I have ever seen in the back. They actually ends below butt level. They look okay though.

The culottes are definitely comfortable to wear. For some reason the "legs" of my culottes look much wider than those in the magazine pictures. Ah well, perhaps because I am shorter and wider than most models. The waistband is about 2" high which is great if you want to wear cropped tops without flashing skin. I made a semi fitted, waist length jacket to wear with these culottes. The linen print fabric was also purchased from SMF. The colors, white, gray and a light chartreuse (greenish yellow) are so fresh and calming. I liked everything about this fabric. The pattern is one of many McCall's NY NY Collection patterns in my stash. They all have garments which were a little different from the popular styles back in the 1990's, when they were issued, so I think that saves them from reeking heavily of that era.

McCall's 8611

Cropped tops seem to be very popular now. Ror the last couple years, Burda magazines has had patterns for many of them,  but they are all too boxy for my narrow shoulders and the shapelessness overwhelms my top half. My "over 55 years old" interpretation of this trend is a semi fitted, cropped at the waist top, like this jacket.  The jacket is unlined. I serged all the edges of the garment pieces to prevent raveling. This jacket was a fast, fun sew.
 



Burda 4 2015 113

What is the  construction in the blog title?  DH has been working every weekend for the last month, removing the dark paneling in our 35 X 15 ft. dungeon   family room and replacing it with wallboard. My weekend sewing, cooking, cleaning activities were constantly interrupted to help him bring in wallboard from the truck, or hold it in place while he screwed it to the studs. I was only too happy to help. Next we get to do the fun stuff like picking out paint colors and buying new furniture. Anyone want a 35 year old sleeper sofa?

 Using the wallboard as a backdrop for my pictures also serves the purpose of showing other family members where we are on the project. And I liked the purple color or the waterproof wall board. ( near a shower)

Something is not level. Yeah, the sawhorse the camera is sitting on.

 

 

 

No more dark paneling!