Burda #106 4/2013 Blouse

My latest most favourite blouse - the pleated blouse #106 from Burda 4 / 2013 issue. I came upon this pattern quite by chance. First - the fabric. While buying linen-cotton mix for a shirt for my husband, which he requested and which will not be sewn this summer, it seems :( (bad me), I saw a small piece - only about 70 cm, of gorgeous dark blue viscose-cotton fabric and I grabbed it for a blouse for myself. Then I went to Peppermint Magazine site and browsed through their free blouse patterns. They have a cute pleated top, which I downloaded and was prepared to print and cut, but unfortunately it came with no instructions. So I searched the web for images of this blouse sewn by other people and came upon a similar pattern by Burda, which I liked even better. So, against all hope, I went to our Burda shop in search of a particular 2013 issue and there they had it - just for the meager € 1.50! I literally cried YIPPIE when I found it :)))

The pattern is very simple - just a front with pleats and a back and two small pieces of the neck lining. I made my usual modifications to size 36 - took 1 cm above the arm opening, 2 cm above the waist and I rounded the hem a bit. If I make this a second time, I will make the shoulders more narrow - I finally figured out one of my problems with Burda patterns - I am more narrow at the shoulders than their standard model, so I have to learn to grade my patterns from 34 at the shoulders to 36 downwards.

I like the length of the blouse - I used to enjoy fitted and very short T-shirts and blouses, but lately I'm very much into oversized, boxy and long upper garments. May be it's just a phase :)

The inside of the blouse - this picture is much closer to its true dark navy color. The shoulder and side seams are narrow french seams, the curved edge and the arm openings are hemmed with 3 cm double folded hem and the neckline is formed with the lining pieces, which are interfaced with fusible and are understitched.