Doctor T Designs

This is the final of three tops I managed to make as part of my white shirt summer sewing projects.

When compared to Top 1 and Top 2, Burda 6632 is probably the most classic top that I made this summer. Much of my original efforts had centered around a (failed paused) attempt at making a traditional button down, but I’m hoping those experiments can be used to jump-start back-to-work fall sewing. Anyway, to recover from the struggles of fitting the more traditional button down style, I ended up going with a faux-button down style to expedite the summer shirt-sewing process.

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I keep thinking the overall impression of the shirt is very reminiscent of Mr. Darcy in the 1995 BBC version of Pride and Prejudice. It’s a comparison once made that just can’t be unseen.

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I was really happy with the finishing details on this top; the sleeve plackets, hem, and pleats at the yoke all turned out very well. I also got to use the famed “burrito method” for the first time. It makes the finishes very clean and tidy on the inside and outside!

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Pattern Review

Pattern Description: V-neck blouse with or without cuffed sleeves and faux buttons down the front.

Pattern Sizing: Burda sizes 34-44. I started with a size 40 at the neck and graded out to a 44 at the hip. I made several fit adjustment (detailed below) as well.

Were the instructions easy to follow?  Yes, these instructions are great! If you like the fit of a Burda pattern but don’t like the difficult magazine instructions, the envelope patterns are great. The directions are clear and come with very helpful illustrations.

Did it look like the photo/drawing when you were done with it?  Yes, I think so! My finished blouse looks very much like the one pictured on the pattern envelope. The only change I made was to use the burrito method (for the first time!) on the yoke rather than sewing it in with hand stitches because that seemed like too much fuss.

What did you particularly like/dislike about the pattern?  I think the V-neck is a tiny bit low, but somewhat necessarily to have it fit over the head. I have no other dislikes.

Fabric used: I used a cotton/rayon lightweight twill. It was super soft and draped very nicely. It also wrinkles like crazy, which is definitely not my favorite aspect of this shirt.

Pattern alterations or design changes you made:  I had to make a lot of modifications for fit. I did an FBA with an added 1″ of length and 1/2″ of width for the bust. I also did a 2″ full bicep adjustment on the sleeve and a 1/2″ broad back adjustment. Additionally, I added 1/2″ at the hip. I think this last probably wasn’t totally necessary but I do thin it helps with the drape to have a bit more ease in this area.

Would you sew this again?  Would you recommend it to others?  Yes, I’m already planning to make a sleeveless version and then also possibly another long-sleeved version in a different fabric.

Conclusion:  I really like the style of this shirt! I think it has a lot of nice details and that it is very comfortable to wear. Next time I make it I should use less wrinkle-prone fabric though, and maybe raise the neckline just a bit.

How does this fit in with the Sew Your Kibbe Challenge?  Does it work as well for you as you expected it to? I think it works well! It has a soft drape and enough details to be interesting. It doesn’t have waist emphasis but it can be tucked in to give that appearance. It is maybe not a style I’d wear every day, but it does give me vibes that I can only describe as “Darcy-core” and I’m sort of ok with that.

And that was how I wrapped up white shirt summer! This shirt sort of falls in the middle for me… I really like the style but the fabric wrinkles like crazy! With the sleeves it’s also not as practical to wear during the summer, so I think it might not get a lot of use until later in the year. There are, of course, fabrics and patterns I had as part of my plans that I didn’t quite get to over the summer, but I hope to maybe work on some of them heading into the fall. I made 2 mock-ups of Butterick 5526, and I think I’m close but not quite there yet on the fit. Hopefully third time is the charm with that pattern. And I think I need to move on to some colors too; white is certainly a helpful color to have in a wardrobe but it’s not the most exciting color for me, and I think I need something more vibrant to get me in the mood for fall sewing.