Just a hint of the seventies?

This is another fabric I saw in Edinburgh Fabrics a few weeks ago and didn't get round to buying it till last week. I've been throwing out a few RTW blouses and tops I'd bought ages ago so my cunning plan is to sew myself the replacements. 

I decided to use Burda 7079 which I've used once before here  and sew View A but adding the sleeves from View B (View B is a bit shorter than view A as it has a skirt attached). 

I made quite a lot of other modifications to this patter! I added 2" to the body length and the sleeve length too. Apart from lengthening the sleeves, they're cut as per the pattern and although wide, I love them! I also made the front neckline about 1.5cm lower. 

I didn't use the facings but made my own 25mm wide bias biding from the fabric. I've bought a wee gizmo that helps you make bias binding and nearly eliminates getting steamed fingers. Almost. It's a little bit fiddly getting the fabric poked through the metal end but after that you're away and making binding at a rate of knots! I think I'll buy the gizmo that makes 13mm wide binding too, those are the two widths I seem to prefer using.

Back to the pattern, I didn't put the slit in the front neck as I'm just not that convinced it would sit properly in this fabric. I also decided to have a go at inserting an invisible zip where the dreaded gap at the back is supposed to be. I'm not a fan of gaps at back necklines but I know you've got to have some way of getting in and out of a garment so some help is needed! I decided to do my first ever *drum roll* invisible zip as I got an invisible zip foot for christmas. Not having a scooby about how to actually insert the zip, I followed a Lladybird tutorial and it worked a dream! I even have photographic evidence!

It would have worked better and been more invisible (!) if I'd matched the pattern...something I've done on my current project, not yet completed. 

I finished the seams with pinking shears, I'm really getting into that finish for fine fabrics as it keeps the seam 'soft', if you know what I mean. 

I'm not sure if you can see the pinked seam finish and the hand stitched bias binding around the neckline, all in the photo below...but it's all there!

I think that with the wide sleeves this is more of a casual top rather than a top for work, but hey, I love it! I must try better at pattern matching though but you live and learn!