Wednesday, March 12, 2008

SWAP item #6 - Not your usual white shirt

Not your usual white shirt - Burda WOF 01/2008, blouse 108



Untucked (I prefer it tucked in)



Blouse lying flat



I had another shirt in mind for this fabric but Christina's blouse (which I liked very much) and a blouse worn in Dirt 113 - Ite missa est by Laura Allen (cream silk with black piping) "fermented" in my brain and led to the present entry.

The fabric is white silk (I don't know what kind of silk, but here's a close-up of the fabric):



I did a petite alteration to this blouse. If you speak or understand German, here's a link to a pdf file explaining petite alterations on the Burdafashion website. Actually even if you don't speak German (I don't) I think the drawing speak for themselves. Also, here's a link to a thesis for a master degree. It is titled "Petite women: fit and body shape analysis" and it provides a lot of details concerning petite alteration. It's a very interesting paper, if you have the time for it.

I decided to use French seams for this blouse - I like this type of clean finish plus my silk is a tiny bit sheer.





The armhole seams are finished with satin bias binding. The same satin bias was used to finish the hem.



I've used Dawn's tip for perfect darts (I've been using it all the time since she posted it) - so logical and clever to position your fabric to have a straight line from the needle, to the dart tip, to your nose!

And I've used Sigrid's tutorial for the collar with stand. Great tutorial, the result was a very nice collar.



I wanted clean lines of piping and didn't want any topstitching (either white or black) near my piping, therefore the sleeve cuffs and the button stands are finished by hand on the inside, with the tiniest slipstitch possible and silk thread.



Close-up of piping



To add piping to the button stand, I cut two separate pieces for each stand instead of cutting the stand on fold. I've also made oblique buttonholes.

I've used black satin piping (store-bought) and for the buttons and tie, a piece of polkadotted satin that I used for pipings and bindings (see my toreador pants)

This was a time-consuming project, considering the French seams and the hand finishings. But the most time-consuming and annoying task was to cover the buttons in satin. The buttons were metal and the satin was sooooo slippery (starching didn't help too much). It was a pain to center the white dot on the buttons. I used temporary adhesive spray and it helped a bit.



I didn't care for the bow at the neck (showed in the Burda magazine) so I'd rather wear my tie straight, without any bow. However, a word of warning for those wanting the bow: my tie is already 7 cm longer than the Burda tie and it would still be a bit too short for a bow. So if you want a bow, you should add about 10-15 cm to the tie.

41 comments:

Erica Bunker said...

Wow Laura! That is a standout shirt! I love the idea of the black piping! The entire look is fabulous! Very sexy secretary!

Adrienne said...

Laura! Your shirt is GORGEOUS!!!

Angelia said...

Amazing job sewing, as always... beautiful shirt. The piping really stands out and looks very elegant all at the same time. I love your reviews too.. always full of information!

Lashell said...

Beautiful inside and out. The piping really makes the blouse a statement piece.

Shannon said...

Your new shirt is fabulous!! I love all the little details - they make it a work of art!

Katrin said...

Laura, the shirt is so pretty. I love the piping and especially the buttons. They are worth the pain!
Katrin

Lisa Laree said...

Beautiful-beautiful-beautiful!

(just keep sewing, just keep sewing...you're gonna make it!!)

Anonymous said...

Absolutely beautiful. What wonderful work you do.

Christina said...

What a stunning blouse. Every detail - the piping, the french seams, the handsewing - is perfect.

Summerset said...

Gorgeous! I love the contrast of the black piping and the white silk!

Lori said...

Laura, this is gorgeous. The black piping is so striking with the white. Beautiful job.

ceregana said...

It is the best variation of this shirt I've seen till now (also I liked christinas shirt a lot too). But i love the black piping.

Cennetta said...

Outstanding, Laura. I love everything about your blouse: the piping, finished seams, style, and contrast. Beautiful.

Anonymous said...

Some gorgeous sewing lately Laura! Love the blouse- I am going NOW to trace it off!

Anonymous said...

I wanna sew like that when I grow up!!! And I wanna go to the office dressed like that too. What a treat of a post Laura. You are amazing.

AllisonC said...

Gorgeous shirt! i love the quality of the finishing, just outstanding and the piping is perfect.

Vicki said...

Laura, what a great outfit! The blouse is perfect. Thanks for the links - I will have a read of that Thesis as I am a petite on long legs...

Nancy Winningham said...

This is beautiful Laura! Your fabric looks like silk twill, which is just perfect for blouses. I love the contrast piping on your blouse.

Maja said...

Gorgeous shirt and wonderful outfit! Your work is truly impressive!

LauraLo said...

Thank you, ladies! Valerie and Geri, welcome to my blog! Vicki, I envy you for your long legs :) I'm a petite with "normal" legs and I would so want them to be long. And my ankles thinner. Well, don't start me on that... I have quite a list of things I don't like about me.
NancyW, thanks for clarifying me on the fabric. I have huge difficulties with names of various fabrics in English.

Tany said...

Laura, I'm speachless! I LOVE your new blouse, everything about it from the fabric to the piping and the tie you added! The finishing inside is flawless and this blouse looks much better than any RTW bought blouse! Well done, my friend! Fabulous workmanship!

Elaray said...

Not your usual white shirt! What an understatement! It's a fantastic white shirt.

Kitty Couture said...

Absolutely beautiful, Laura! You are so imaginative, skilled and talented. Sans compter que tu es magnifique ! Bravo, ma belle ! Un gros bisou.

Carolyn (Diary of a Sewing Fanatic) said...

The piping is what makes this such a fabulous top! One more amazing piece to your SWAP down! :)

Anonymous said...

Wow, all those details add up to a fantastic blouse.

ifthisistuesday.wordpress.com said...

Gorgeous blouse, with amazing clean finishing & piping! It really does look tremendous. I vote for tucked in too. I also really like the jersey-lined coat--I'm stocking that idea away for use on something myself. I love the binding on the inside too. Hmm. (You get an incredible amount of very good work done quickly; I can't understand how you get so much sewing done & also have a full-time job with deadlines, etc.!)

BCN - UNIQUE designer patterns said...

Laura, the blouse is wonderful in its entire context, but I love the details: the eyelets diagonally and the color black edging are exquisite. We confer an air "retro" really "chic". Congratulations and thanks for showing pictures of this wonderful work. A hug and greetings, Paco

BCN - UNIQUE designer patterns said...

Laura, silk fabric that you used is called "crep marocain" or "crep canton of" drawing diagonally. Paco

Anonymous said...

I also saw Christinas review and my eye fell on that pattern. But your version is just stunning!!! You always have such great ideas and your craftmensship is just perfect. This blouse I adore.

Alexandra said...

Gorgeous blouse! The piping and the buttons add a great touch!

Maryissewfast said...

Laura, Your blouse is stunning and you did a fabulous job! Thanks for all the tips...I had that blouse percolating on the back burner, but I may need to make one soon. Mary

Anonymous said...

Agreed that this is very sexy secretary and love seeing this top in so many wonderful iterations.

And thank you for pointing out that darting tip link. I'm going to try her method on my next project.

L-Del Sews said...

Wow you're incredible! I originally checked out your site because my name is Laura and my nickname growing up was Lolo! But what an amazing amount of work you have done and so cute! I am justgetting into BWOF and into all the sewing blogs. Thanks for such a detailed blog! Keep up the great work!
-Laura

mimi jackson said...

Do you really need a 34th comment, telling you how fabulous you are? (ha!)

Great shirt! Ditto to all comments above.

Anonymous said...

Stunning shirt Laura! I have this same fabric in red - I think it's actually necktie silk.

Marji said...

Yup, I concur, it's a silk twill which is very commonly used in mens neckties.
And your blouse is just fabulous! Your attention to detail, to fit, it all shows in your final garments.
I think I want your closet.

Unknown said...

This is simply stunning on you. And so beautifully constructed. The piping is the perfect touch, of course - as others have already noted. Just really fabulous.

Anonymous said...

Well done! Not only an excellent job of sewing the blouse, but the fit on you is perfect!

Charlotte said...

Darling darling blouse. I've done a lot of sewing in years past. Now I'm too busy bloggin' - no time for sewin'. I think sewing has almost become a lost art. I'm glad there are still people who sew.

katherine h said...

What a fabulous shirt...so much effort!! Well done, you are inspirational

rino said...

how cute! i´ve thought of doing this one too (but in grey with black chestpart). The black lines look really good. Inspiring!