blouse? top? I have a new one.

I made Burda’s Button-Down Blouse pattern. 

Do you use the word “blouse”? I have quite a few friends who refuse to use the word, other than when joking around. I really don’t mind saying it, but rarely call tops “blouses”. Blouse. It’s almost onomatopoeic. And maybe that’s part of the problem? “Blouse” sounds flouncy and frilly and overtly feminine.

This top is much more understated and simple.  Which is exactly what I wanted since I was using an all over print.  I mentioned the voile I used for the top (blouse?) last week when I showed you the jacket I made my daughter.  I picked up a couple yards of this bird-print at a super cute fabric shop called Yellow Bird Fabrics  in Salt Lake City.  It really is fabulous fabric.   In fact, I chose the pattern specifically because I thought it would highlight the fabric and its print nicely. 

Now, let’s talk pattern.  First, to be clear, I adore how this top turned out.  Mostly.  It could use at least one more button at the bottom.  That’s a super easy fix, and one I keep meaning to get to.  As you can tell from the pictures, I've been using a safety pin to keep things neatly closed because not only am I lazy, I’m klassy.  With a K.  Not as easy to retro-fix, I really wish it were a few inches longer.  I struggle all day trying to keep the tails tucked in.  My favorite is to pair this top with some fun purple skinny jeans I have; but they’re  lower rise, and all day long I’m tucking and retucking.  I opted for a higher rise jean for the photo shoot, and even then I was fussing with the shirt tail and front every few minutes. 

What I do like?  The cuffs.  See me admire them fondly?

This is a downloadable pattern, which means I had to print, tape, then cut out 22 pages.  And then, as I guess is typical with Burda patterns, got a whole almost-one-page sheet of instructions, with no pictures.  I am super visual.  So for the cuffs and the sleeve plackets, I went to my trusty lessons (remember those?):  Continuous Sleeve Placket and Standard Sleeve Cuff; and I was able to get through things without a hitch, and without the Burda instructions.  I shortened the sleeves to 3/4-length. It required just a tiny bit of measuring and increasing the cuffs, and was a super easy modification.

There is no real collar on the top, just a bound neckline.  Two simple bust darts are the extent of the tailoring.  So it really is a relatively basic sew.  Burda labels the pattern as Intermediate, which I agree with.  Though, 40 years ago it would probably be classified as Beginner.   40 years ago I also probably would have called this a blouse.

But it’s totally just a super cute top.