Burda Easy Shirt dress - part 1

I bought the magazine for this pattern ages ago now when it first came out. Sadly, Burda Easy is no longer available in the UK. Shame because the current magazine is looking good so I may have to buy a German copy. I was hoping that the "Easy" version of the magazine would have better and more detailed instructions.
WRONG!
But it does have all the patterns on separate sheets so you do not have to trace them which saves time. This also means me buying a German copy is viable because I cannot follow most of the instructions anyway.

Having said that the instructions for this particular pattern are not too bad. You do still need to use a bit of logic to work the correct order out for some bits but that's the fun of sewing Burda.

Anyway, I cut this out months ago. Sewed it slowly because its not as easy as the magazines suggests. It would have been easier if I had not used a stretch (woven) cotton, but there, I did. Next attempt - and yes there is going to be a second attempt because I bought a lovely printed cotton for my next attempt - is not a stretch cotton so should be easier.

The pattern does not require you to interface things like the pocket flaps but I could not get a reasonable finish. Its the button holes mess it up because the machine foot seems to ruck up the fabric and make it look rubbish. In the end I have used a small square of interfacing inside the pocket flap and that sorted the problem. Luckily I had some spare fabric to make a new flap after I messed the first one up!

As you can see despite me having been sewing this for 3 weeks now it is still unfinished. I tend to find usually that I sew and sew and get very tired and then I muck things up. Sometimes it does not matter and is easily hidden but with this garment I want a reasonable finish to wear it to work. So this time I have deliberately taken this very slowly. I have done a few quick and easy projects in between to keep me going but I have seriously taken my time over this shirt. And I needed to.

I have yet to do all those front band buttons. The one side of the front band will not quite lie flat but I think once finished it will be difficult to see and it is my third attempt at sewing it so it will have to do now. I need to repress the whole thing ( after leaving folded for a whole week) that will help to make it lie a bit flatter - and I have a brand new iron for that -Yay!



I bought it reduced in Asda and its pretty good so far. It was £45 down to £20, Bargain.Its a Morphy Richards Breeze. I was finding the old iron left black bits on the fabric. They would scratch off but I would rather they did not happen in the first place. Anyway, the new iron is just so much better steam-wise. I know you can clean irons etc but the old one is at least 10 years old anyway so needs replacing. I have kept it so that when ironing on interfacing I will use that and I may then not get loads of glue stuck on my new one. Also I got a new ironing board cover so I am all set up for some serious pressing. Its not shown above being just a boring ironing board cover! The picture is of my new iron on a normal table. I do not iron on there obviously. I just wanted to show you my lovely new iron



Mistakes so far: I never stay stitched the neck. I am a little worried about this but will not know until I attach the collar it it is going to be a problem. When I started I thought because the pattern came from a magazine called Burda Easy that I would make this quickly.

Well that was definitely a mistake!

The I did the pleats on the back:

 They look OK really but while at work I have observed lots of people wearing shirts and most shirts seem to have the pleats at the centre back not where I put them. For this particular garment they will remain where they are now because by the time I had realised this I had already constructed the rest of the shirt body and added the sleeves and top stitched as well and besides me being lazy it will just mark the fabric and possibly trash the entire garment if I start ripping it all apart. Something to remember for next time.

The hem is not brilliant either but I think I will get away with that also. I had a look at several of my RTW shirts and lots have uneven hems some worse than this so I can live with that for this make. I need to slow my machining down next time I make a shirt hem.

Probably I could have hurried making this a bit more but my PhD viva is in just over a week and I am also working fulltime. I need to spend all my spare time doing revision because you only get one shot at passing your viva.

Also I want this shirt dress to work out well and be wearable and not look like it is home made. Lots of my early makes are obviously me-mades. And yes there is a charm in that but I really want a more professional look for work. I start a new job the day after my viva ( 13th September - usually I find the 13th lucky not unlucky possibly because my brother was born on a 13th) and I really want it to go well so wearing an obvious me-made is simply out of the question. I am hoping this shirt dress will look good enough for my new job.

Hopefully next week I can show you how it turned out. Assuming my neck has not stretched too much I should be ok attaching collar and cuffs - may just need a slightly bigger collar if necessary but its do-able and I have extra fabric for it if I need to do that. Fingers crossed for the front buttons working ok!

You can read part 2 of making this shirt dress here:
http://brackencrafts.blogspot.co.uk/2017/09/shirt-dress-part-2.html
 

Thanks for visiting my blog

Bracken