Thursday, September 23, 2010

The mop top



My life is fairly constrained at the moment. The only place that I can really run free is the sewing room, so it's no wonder the styles I'm choosing from Burda just keep getting more unusual. The more limiting my external circumstances become, the greater the risks I like to take with sewing.

Take this blouse for instance (Burda 07-2010-121). I think the shoulder ruffles and the line across the fullest part of the bust would have had me running scared in a previous life, and for good reason. This time they sang sweetly like a Siren to a sailor. I have nicknamed this top, "the mop top" because the ruffles remind me of, well, a mop.



I made a few adjustments to the pattern and sewed it up - it's a very fast and easy sew too might I add. I used some vintage buttons - I bought a box of them off Trademe (NZ's answer to Ebay) and ended up with over a thousand of them, mostly white.

Some might say "fashion forward" but I say "kooky, but in a good way." That's Burda for you. It never ceases to amaze me when a new issue of Burda arrives what I end up sewing. The first time I look though I usually say, "nothing for me this month, too weird" and then, as they say, "the eye adjusts" and before you know it, the style starts to look interesting.

My intention with this blouse was to use it as a kind of wearable muslin - if it looked any good I'd take it further with better fabric, but I made a good job of this one in case this is as far as it got.

I think this is as far as it will get.

17 comments:

  1. I have been looking at this blouse too. A lot. I am passionately fond of ruffles. Although I was a bit scared of the bust seam.
    I think it looks terrific on you. I am not noticing the bust seam. I am definitely making it now. Kooky or not.

    ReplyDelete
  2. If it is kooky, it is kooky in a good way! I have noticed this top too. Now Autumn is upon us here in England so a short sleeve top with ruffles that would be squashed under a jacket is a no go. But you never know about next Spring...

    ReplyDelete
  3. I have been resisting buying this issue until I saw your blouse and another by Audrey. It surprised me - I thought it too young and frivolous, but it looks fabulous on you both.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Classic with a twist? (perhaps that should be ruffle!) I like it--it looks great on you!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I liked the idea of the sleeve ruffles so much I put them on my latest JJ blouse ;) (hmm... puff sleeve + ruffle=not overly bright?). Cute! (And a nice colour!)76

    ReplyDelete
  6. The ruffles are cute, and not too over the top. This is a fun blouse, and it looks like it would be a quick sew (excepting the ruffling of course).

    ReplyDelete
  7. You made a star job of those ruffles and with the little edged sleeve they are an endearing feature. A little bit like a cuddly toy, you may find yourself being patted?...You don't notice the bust seam at all. I'll bet T laughs sometimes when he walks in the door.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Oh thank you so much - as soon as I read the words "mop top" the Wiggles song "Shimmy shake" started up in my brain and it won't.go.away!

    The top is definitely cute, have you sent a pic to the selfish seamstress yet?

    ReplyDelete
  9. I think it's very cute! I think you are an early adoper, which is a good thing! Personally I am a late adopter which means that I only consider trends once I've seen all my friends wearing it by which stage the trend has passed =)

    ReplyDelete
  10. This is cute! I must confess to considering this pattern, too.

    ReplyDelete
  11. You know how you can sometimes see personalities in inanimate objects? This little top just giggles and giggles and giggles.

    Thanks for the pattern and the scraps, they arrived yesterday.
    We are home now, all safe and sound.

    ReplyDelete
  12. To me, the ruffles look like piped buttercream icing! You have done a wonderful job of interpreting Burda (as usual). Congrats!

    ReplyDelete
  13. I just love this top. The frills add a gorgeous textural interest. Burda doesn't seem to be available locally here anymore and some nasty person has been nicking the pattern sheets from the library copies lately....but I love your top so much I might just copy the frill idea onto another pattern. Looks fab. Make one in every colour.

    ReplyDelete
  14. I love how you are so fearless with your sewing. I wish I had an ounce of that bravery. Cute top!

    ReplyDelete