A Gingham Blouse | Burda 7255
{My DYT Type One Style Green Gingham Blouse Burda Pattern 7255
Green Cropped Pants M.I.C., thrifted
Gold Kitten Heels Hale Bob, thrifted and also seen here
Green Handbag Tod’s, thrifted Sunnies thrifted}
Hey ladies and gents {or quite possibly gent…as I’m uncertain if I even have more than one male reader}. Finally!! After a summer’s absence, it feels so great to once again be linking up with the ever lovely Patti of Not Dead Yet Style for Visible Monday. You know, I bookmarked Patti’s party looong before I ever considered starting my own little blog. It has always been such a welcome source of inspiration for me, and I gotta tell ya; joining the many stylish ladies that link up weekly {soon to be bi-weekly}, makes me feel one of the cool crowd, at least for a day.
All righty. About this outfit. The cropped pants had me at hello. I love the colour. The fit wasn’t perfect…I was dreaming of an Audrey-esque silhouette, while the mirror reflected frumpy. Ah, the dangers of capris, especially for a shortie. That being said, they cost a toonie plus a loonie, Canadian speak for $3.00. I took a chance, bought ’em, and slimmed them up by stitching the side seams. I was hindered by the side zipper and couldn’t slim them as much as I’d like to though. After reviewing these photos, I just might tweak them further via the inside seams . I also like to remind myself that I’m taller on solid ground…the sand literally eats up my heels. Har Har! The blouse is Burda pattern # 7255. It’s a vintagey style with two options, View A with short sleeves as I’ve made, or View B with 3/4 sleeves and an attached waistband. I bought the pattern on clearance at the beginning of summer, and when the clerk rang it through, she said the pattern had me written all over it. Squeee!!! I have to agree with her. I like everything about this sweet blouse. I was pretty sure I wouldn’t have any fit issues, but just to be on the safe side, I made up the garment using bargain fabric from my stash. {And yes, I officially have a stash now. Something I haven’t had since, oh, about the mid-nineties.} The green gingham looks familiar, yes? You’ve seen it here. I only made one small alteration to the garment, and that was to sew five buttons on the front instead of the suggested four. In future, I will lengthen the sleeves slightly. And by in future, I really mean, like now. Yup…I’m almost finished my second blouse. Sewing it up in my hard won Alexander Henry fabric, seen here. I can actually see myself putting this pattern into heavy rotation. It sews up quickly, and there’s wiggle room for changing up the look of it. I also think the back view, with the inverted pleat, is interesting. Burda rates this pattern as easy, two spools out of four. But, just a word of warning! The sleeves are set in sleeves, and require some finessing. I highly recommend that you use a natural fiber such as cotton if you want to achieve the perfect set in sleeve. I sew my sleeves in flat, before sewing the side seams, and I recommend you do the same.
If you are anticipating a trip to Canada, and I encourage you to do so, be prepared to carry a lot of coin. Our monetary system is very similar to the US system, although their dollar value usually runs higher than ours. The major difference is that here in Canada we no longer have paper money in denominations less than $5.00. We have the $1.00 coin, imprinted with the image of a common loon, hence it’s nickname, the loonie, and we have the $2.00 coin, affectionately known as the toonie. Add to that an assortment of quarters, dimes and nickels, and you can easily find yourself with $20.00 rolling around in the pockets of your purse.
Linking up with:
Patti of Not Dead Yet Style for Visible Monday
Shana of ColorBlind for Thrifters Anonymous
Bella of The Citizen Rosebud for September Shoe Shine
Heather of Feather’s Flights for You Flew Tuesdays
Andrea of The Train To Crazy for Make It Wear It Thursday
Ariane of Style Sud-Est for Show Me Your Style
Linking up with:
Patti of Not Dead Yet Style for Visible Monday
Shana of ColorBlind for Thrifters Anonymous
Bella of The Citizen Rosebud for September Shoe Shine
Heather of Feather’s Flights for You Flew Tuesdays
Andrea of The Train To Crazy for Make It Wear It Thursday
Ariane of Style Sud-Est for Show Me Your Style
72 Comments
Love the pleat in back! & the bow!
Winning piece here! Love this blouse, looks like an expensive designer piece with vintage flair. I want one too! Beautiful picture looking out into the sunset.
blue hue wonderland
Ooh, you have sewn a lovely piece, Sue! This top is so vintage-cool and the whole look is full of fun. Great to see you and thanks for sharing with Visible Monday. xoxo
I love your look, I love the team color. The blouse is lovely, with beautiful squares and neck. And pants are you wonderful, vintage style suits you beautifully. The color is great look, to match your hair.
The bright zingy colour looks fabulous on you, Sue, and against the backdrop of the blue sky, these photos are a feast for the eyes! The blouse is very cute, love the 1950s vibe, you look gorgeous. xxxx
You are very nice, Sue. The top has a beautiful colour and pattern. I like also the capri pants and I love your vintage look.
To plan a journey to Canada would be fab! If I go, I will remember to bring a large coin purse!!
You are rockin' my favorite colour Sue. In Canada we spell color with a “u”, lol…
love
Shirl
I love the color and silhouette of your ensemble, accessorized by gold kitten heels. I admire that you can buy a piece that doesn't fit perfectly, and solve the problem yourself. I always have to take my alterations to someone else.
I adore the little bow tie that enhances your gingham blouse. It's all about the details!
So cute! Lovely blouse. Love the bow detail and how the fabric perfectly coordinates with the pants.
I've tried several times to sew at the outside seam of thrifted pants to slim them down. I'd say I'm successful (or passably so for me) about 60% of the time. I tried once to sew on the inseam, but got lost at the crotch area and ruined them. Maybe I should do a little on the outside and then a little on the inside…but stop mid thigh on the inside? Any tips or tricks? I have been too scared to try that one again. And I'm not a perfectionist/measurer or anything like that. I'm an eyeballer. So anything that takes too much effort will not get done. ha
I really love this outfit, the colour, the vintage vibe, the whole thing. I'm glad you worked with those capris, so perfect with your blouse. Your sewing talents make me swoon.
I love the way the top is cropped just perfectly, complimenting the pants. Although I sew too, I'm in awe. The color you chose for this ensemble is beautiful with your hair. 🙂 I look forward to seeing what else you make with this pattern. XXOO
Ooooh, great color! You really make gingham your own, and you are so confident with your sewing. I love the little details on that blouse.
I didn't know about the toonie, but I knew about the looney. You Canadians are so cute with your comic book money!
I totally forgot about you. What a sin. This outfit screams Audrey to me. Fantastic colour (I love this shade of green), lovely shapes and adorable shoes. I would not mind those shoes at all..LOL
Greetje
You've made such a great job out of the vintage pattern and I envie you for that.
I like how its cropped style flatters your figure.
Hi there Sue! How are you doing?
I love this lime outfit, lime is one of my fav colors, i know i don't wear it a lot nontheless i love the color
Love all the little details and the bow what an adorable touch!
Until next time take care Sue
Ariane xo
Telling you, girl, I'm so impressed! Freaking adorable, this little one … so cute. How nice it must be to whip up just what you have in your head! I'd spend all my time at my sewing machine too. You really are in the fashion-front-lines as part of the “sew it – restyle it -repurpose it” movement. And how pretty you look in it all.
A personal note about pants … I've gotten so used to altering my own hems and waistlines that I found myself in a dressing room trying on a similar shaped capri. The waist was a little big … (I can take care of that) … of course they were too long … (I can do that too) and a bit wide in the hip and leg (maybe I can narrow this here …)
It finally occurred to me that I should probably just go try a smaller size.
It is impossible, according to the laws of physics, to be dowdy or frumpy in lime!
Great blouse Sue! Looking forward to seeing it in all its incarnations. I'm still looking for the wardrobe item that gives me an Audrey-esque silhouette. I have the feeling the quest may be a hopeless one, but a fun one nonetheless!
I love the bow-tie detail! So you. The outfit is so retro. You are such a sewing wizard.
I too dream about looking like Audrey. I will somehow have to grow an extra 4 inches and lose an extra 10 lbs though. She was not muscular at all and wisp thin.
Too bad your heels were eaten by the sand. I think it would have helped with your overall Audreyness.
bisous
Suzanne
What a pretty blouse! The neon colour is great on you Sue!
Thanks Amy! I'm glad you like the bow, given that you are the expert!
Thanks Ann. It's always a pleasure to have you stop by and comment.
Thank you Patti! Happy to be joining in once again with Visible Monday.
Thank you Josep. I appreciate your comments every time. Now, I do have at least two gents reading. 🙂
Thanks Curtise. I love that description…zingy! Suits me well.
Thanks Dan. And you will have the most beautiful Italian coin purse too.
Thanks Shirl! Yes, we share the love for lime.
Thanks Judith. I don't always solve the problem to my satisfaction, but I really appreciate that I can give it a good shot.
I'll pop you an email Lisa. It does get trickier at the point where the inseams meet the crotch seam. I usually taper off before that point, though in the case of these pants, they would benefit from narrower through the hips as well. Honestly, they're a little too large, but because they're a thrift find, there wasn't a smaller size.
Hey Melanie. You got it going too…and way more creatively than me. Love getting ideas from your posts.
Thanks Jean…another tres inspirational sewing blogger. I was hesitant about the top length, decided to go for it as is, and I'm glad I did. It's cropped just right for the look, I think.
Hey, colourful money. I'm so glad Canada is my home, LOL. Thanks for popping by Sal…I mean Val.
Greetje! I'm thrilled that you see some Audrey going on here. Thanks for commenting.
Thanks Kelly! It's nice to have you stopping by to comment. I look forward to visiting you in Crete again soon!
Ariane, I'm great thanks. Yup, the bow is part of the pattern, and I think it adds a nice little touch at the end.
Your pant story is hilarious! You must incorporate it into a blog post of your own. And I love your law of physics! I should write that one down.
The greater challenge I have is actually choosing one of the gazillion ideas in my head. I get so overwhelmed with decision making sometime. Oh well, there are certainly worse problems that could be had.
Thanks for popping by.
I know, clearly Audrey has a physique unlike my own. But we can pick and choose. Perhaps a tiara would suit?
Don't you dare lose an extra ten pounds, intentionally or not. You've been through quite enough.
The good news is that I'm not often in the sand. The other news is that it doesn't make a whole lotta difference, LOL.
Thanks for stopping by Emalina.
Cute outfit! I am loving the green bag. (imagine that?!) Is it starting to cool off in your area yet?
OMG! This blouse is the most beautiful thing I've seen in a long time! Love it desperately! Love your look vintage and I'm thinking I could use that daily. You are my hero!
Before I read your post I looked at the pictures and thought how Audrey-like you look today. I love that kind of pants ending handwidth above the ancle, I love your shoes so very 60s and I love your Ginham blouse of course!
Have a fine week dear Sue!
Sabine xxx
I know, I know… we love our handbags! This Tod bag was a excellent score! Our September weather is beautiful. Still quite warm for our little neck of the woods.
Thanks Rosy! You and I have similar style a lot of the time.
Ooooh, thank you so much Sabine! You have a wonderful week as well.
Soooooooo clever, ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh
beautiful fit and wonderful photos.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXxx
What a sweet little top. I love the bow, the collar and the pleat detail on the back. Incredibly impressed that you created this!
oh nice!!! very original and fashion outfit, the blouse is so cute!
First off, glorious Sue thank you for linking up to Shoe Shine! I wish I also did GINGHAM SHINE because you are stellar in that top! Love the color, and the bow detail. Just lovely! Now let me peek at your shoes- 24k of shine! Stellar!
I love gingham!
Sue, I'm curious as to how you liked using a Burda pattern? I've never tried any of theirs, just wondering if they are easy to use, easy to fit, etc? I remember swearing off Butterick patterns at one time (as did my mom) because they were terrible.
Love that vintage ensemble!! and the colors, so bright and bold!
http://lefragmentmode.blogspot.fr/
Thanks Sacramento!
Thank you Bella. It's fun linking up with your Shoe Shine. I LOVE shoes!
Me too, me too!
Hmmm…well, I will tell you honestly that I really liked this pattern. BUT, I used to sew Burda a lot in the eighties and would always grumble about the pattern instructions. Back then, you had to add seam allowances yourself. And, always, somewhere along the way the instructions failed me. Having said that, in the end, I would end up with a pretty cool garment. On this blouse, I liked the fit, and I found the instructions easy enough to follow. I did, however, construct the garment a little differently than their instructions in a few areas. They tell you to sew the side seams of the blouse and then fit the sleeve into the hole. I find that cumbersome, and sew the sleeve onto the armhole and sew the entire sleeve sleeve and side seam in one go. I also sewed the front facing at the bottom hem inside out, flipped it, and completed the machine stitched hem. These are little things that you pick up along the way, I guess. This is only my first foray back towards Burda patterns, but I'm hopeful that future patterns will be just as straight forward to work with. Back in the day, my first choice for patterns was always Vogue. Now, that I buy patterns from thrift stores, I'm not so fussy, LOL.
Hey! Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to leave a lovely comment.
Cute! Such a perfect outfit for you. I'm looking forward to seeing the next rendition of this pattern.
My Mom and my sister would absolutely adore you, like I do. My Mom wanted me to be an excellent seamstress like you are and my sister is an absolute, wonderful seamstress. Your outfit today reminds me of an outfit my sister made for my Mom. Isn't that interesting how that all works out? My Mom was very hip in her day. Both she and her Dad were hipsters in their later years and I think I have that in my blood, too. Especially now while I blog about fashion like I am young and full of fun. Hahahahaha. Thank you, Sue for your nice and sweet compliment! (warms my heart) ♥
Ooooooh! Yes, a tiara! And maybe some Oliver Goldsmith sunnies….
Oh, Sue, that blouse is perfect on you! And once again, we see your skill. Thanks for the money tips. LOL. I have never been to Canada, but would love to visit some day. I will be saving my pennies and hope to convert them to, was it loonies and toonies? 🙂
XOXO
Lynn Dylan
Tkd for linking up Sue!
You have such great style too, happy that you are sharing your grand self!
Happy weekend to you!
Arianexo
Love your blouse, you did a great job here. Matches perfect with your outfit 🙂 lovely pictures, wish I was at a warm beach now …
Lovely! Lovely! Amazing to think that I could shuffle off down to our local fabric store and get the same pattern. How cool is that? Thanks for tip about sewing the set in sleeves flat, then sewing up the underarm seams all in one. Never tried that, but I will! Anything to make those damn set in sleeves look acceptable.
Glad to hear you now have a fabric stash. I thought everyone had one. Mine grows bigger every time I go near a fabric store with a sale on. Can I resist fabric at £3 a metre or less? Apparently, no, I cannot. I'll be sewing in my coffin at the rate I'm going.
Much love from ex-Vancouverite in England,
Rosemary of http://www.foreveronthecatwalkoflife.blogspot.com
Ooh I love it! The bow is a nice touch, and I love the interesting back! It looks great on you!
Nice color combination!
Haha, It´s true!! We´re “Style Soulmates”! Yeah!
So beautiful a dress. Thank you so much for visiting my blog. Fun to meet in the big Syber world. You are also creative, I can see. It is not always I am lucky with my sewing, but I keep the suit. It's a great color you have chosen. I have around your blog. It's colors in style. You have an eye for colors
Bonito look, un color precioso. Besos
Loving your outfit, you look fabulous in this print and colour. Perfect shoes. I just adore your style.
This gingham blouse you made is sooooo fantastic! I really want one for myself! I love the cropped shape and the bow at the neck is glorious! The pants were such a great deal and fabulous that you could tailor them to you perfectly!
Rebecca
http://www.winnipegstyle.ca
That blouse is soooo super cute! and your whole outfit goes so well together. The perfect picnic outfit 🙂
You don't have to be Audrey Hepburn to be photogenic. So much personality comes through your pictures. And I'm totally geeking out over your made-by-you blouse. Hooray for sewing machines! And green gingham! Darling outfit…I'm looking forward to seeing this blouse pattern in your “heavy rotation”.