Burda Style black cut out top

 

This is just the trial or muslin for the top I want to make so its very cheap and not very substantial fabric its made from, but it does help me to work out how the thing goes together. 

I cut this out in January and only just finished working out what goes where. So this top has kind of been going on in the background when I have been making some much easier and more boring ( though very wearable!) stuff.

My pattern is in German and Google translate did not on this occassion do a very good job so its taken me a long while to work this one out. I had ideas to make a velvet version of this but I already used the fabric for a different project so unless I make from scraps - which could look good - I will need to decide what fabric will work best from my stash. Or heaven forbid actually buy some new fabric!

My fabric buys being 99% online  means I always buy lots due to having shipping costs so its best I don't look right now.

Unfortunately I never got a good photo atthe front showing the cutout bit on the shoulder so I need to get some more photos done on this one. 

These are the line drawings for this style which is 109, 09/2017 - Burda Style magazine.

 

I omitted the back zip since my fabric was very stretchy. I think its a good choice.

Not sure about that CB seam. - Might be twisted so I will need to get another photo to check that. Could of course though be the way I put this on! Of course in a thicker and more stable fabric it may not be an issue.

You can see the yoke better on this photo- I have ideas for a Star Treck inspired top.............

Well construction did not go very fast and was very difficult with loads of pining and changes and really me not having a clue what was meant to go where.....................

So I started by just pinning to Harriet - my dress form which is a vintage 1960s hence the rather disintegrating state of her outer layer but she does work really well and I do like vintage things.

Shoulder strap - I think the bits eventually went together right but I am still not 100% sure of that.

It kind of looks like the Burda pictures though

CB seam looks straight on Harriet so maybe its the thin fabric and me making the earlier photo look wonky?
In fact if anything it bends the opposite way to what it does on me.

Well I pinned, unpinned, repinned for about 2 months and then sewed it up.

My conclusion: well several pattern pieces could be joined together to make the whole construction process much easier and neater. I just have to remember which bits I want to join up then redraw them and try a second version of this top. There is also a dress version. 

Mostly this is sewn using a zigzag stitch rather than the overlocker because I did not want to cut off the seam allowances until I knew for sure what should be positioned where and that was this time a very good decision because some seams were sewn several times despite my careful pinning.

I have been saying for months that I should try something more challenging and this top was definitely that!

So my aim now is decide on some more stable fabric and make a better version of this. 

 If possible with fabric from my stash.

Hopefully also the thicker, more stable fabric I think I ought to use for this type of construction might be a bit more flattering on me cos this thin stuff really showns my defects ( bodywise that is) in a not very attractive way! 

Still no doubt about it this top being even finished is a big achievement and I suspect it might actually be easier to make if the fabric was less silky and slippery. First though to join together some of the current pattern pieces - the shoulder parts - and see if this is easier to construct and I suspect it might even look neater both inside and outside. 

Its also great to finally get some more serious sewing done and try something difficult finished - at least difficult for me, because its probably not at all difficult for some sewists.

Have a great weekend,

Bracken