A Very Wearable Muslin Top - Burda 7079.

 

 Yesterday I had a sewing afternoon after a week of not feeling well - the usual winter sinus/ear syndrome arrived.  This top was a quick and easy sew and did not need fitting at all, so it was just an easy sewing job - just what I needed :).

I used Burda 7079 and adapted the pattern - I used the bodice hemline from view and the sleeves from view B. View B is a dress, but I preferred the adaptability of a top that can be worn with a variety of other clothes (increasingly me-mades).

I used a piece of black calico that was hiding in my stash.  I like black calico for trial run garments - black always looks smart, and no-one can really tell what the fabric is.  This was a nice soft calico, perfect for this sort of top.

This top has no fasteners of any kind - just the front and back pieces with facings for the neck area. The slit is easy to sew - I use embroidery scissors for clipping into the corners. The front is shaped by bust darts, and the back has a centre seam that is shaped. The sleeves are sewn in flat, and the side seams and sleeved seams sewn in one.    Finish seams and hem edges, hem sleeves and bottom edge, and you are done!  New top in a very short space of time.  The only alteration I made was in shortening the front slit about half an inch.

The top is a very generous size - I made size 38, and the finished bust measurements are 41 3/4 inches (108 cms). The only alteration I made was to shorten the bodice about half an inch (1 cm) along the L/S line.   I like the generous ease  - this will be cool to wear in summer.  And in black, it doesn't look too voluminous - if I made it in white, I would go down a size.

Enough sewing chit-chat, now for the pictures:

As you can see in the photo above,  the top, although generous, is still quite flattering, especially on my shape.

A view of the sleeves - although long, I find the length quite attractive in this top.  I think in some shirts, it would be a downright dowdy length.

The top is nice and generous around the mid section - nothing to cling to the tummy area at all :)

  

 And the back looks nice as well!

I'm wearing the top with another me made garment, a stretch cotton twill straight skirt.  It really needs a petticoat underneath for wearing out of the house, and I usually put one on then - I have neat little petticoats that sit nicely with back splits. But today, for the photo, I forgot!

Tomorrow it is back to writing my assignment again - this one is not bad.  I might even manage to make another one of these tops next week, a little bit each day.  It's so easy to make, and will be the sort of thing you can do a little bit of sewing on when you want a few minutes break.  That's the right sort of sewing to have on hand when you have more pressing demands.

Sarah Liz