Cascading Roses

I hope you all had fun wondering what the fabulous linen fabric, in my previous post, would become.  I sure enjoyed working with it and in the end could not decide on just one side.  So without further delay here is the completed outfit.

I used Kwik Sew 3520 and Burda 8497 to create this look.

I'll talk about the skirt first.  Basically all I did was cut the dress pattern off at the waist.  There are sixteen wedge shaped pieces.  I cut 8 out on each side of the fabric.  I inserted an invisible zipper at the center back.  I then cut a facing piece the width of my waist and interfaced it.  I used this to finish the waist.  The skirt panels go all the way to the top.  My invisible zipper applications keep getting neater and neater.  Yay!

The Burda top pattern is a well drafted pattern and pretty easy to put together.  I used a light-weight cotton sateen, from a flat sheet that was just the right shade of off-white.  I really hope it holds up! The front edges have a facing that I understitched then topstitched down.  The front of the blouse does not gape if I tie the waist snugly, even when I sit down.  I am so pleased about this.

The elbows have darts for bending.  I forgot to take a picture of this, but I think it is a neat detail.  The only thing that isn't clear on the pattern is that it tells you at step 8 to "Finish allowances on back neck edge together."  I made a flat fell seam along the back neck edge so that I didn't have a serged edge there.  It is a much neater finish.  You could also apply a bias strip there, but it is a 5/8" seam so you have plenty of fabric to do a flat fell seam.  I have to say I was impressed with how well the blouse front and tie met together.  This is an example of perfect drafting.

I ladder stitched the tie to the front on the back side so I would not have to topstitch here. 

I also had great success setting in my sleeves.  No puckers this time around.  Here is the opening for the tie at the side seam. 

The only other thing I would recommend on this pattern is:  to get a nice curve on your hem, it is important to make a basting stitch along the edge, and gather the thread a little bit.  For instance, if you've allowed 3/4" for your hem, then baste along the edge of the curve at 3/8", gather the edge a slight bit, then press using the stitching as your guide.  Turn up again the final 3/8" and you should have a fairly smooth curve to topstitch down.

Can you believe the weekend is here already?  I have guests arriving tonight and staying until Wednesday morning.  My DS's final soccer games and potlucks are this weekend.  My seventeenth wedding anniversary is Saturday, but celebrating will have to wait, since my DH is off island for business until next Tuesday.  (Maybe he can get me a new camera to make up for it! He he.)  Busy, busy, busy...Hope you all have a good one!