Burda 8218 + Burda 7746 + Burda 7499 = Vest Ensemble Success!

Well, this outfit has been one of my biggest challenges so far, and I am happy to have completed the look.  Here is a reminder of what inspired me to create this ensemble.  I've already blogged about the construction details of the vest here.  Although I am showing the vest with a sleeveless blouse, I am thrilled to be able to pair it with long sleeve tops too.   I will share with you my thoughts on the Burda 7746 pants and Burda 8218 blouse.  I have made significant design changes to the blouse.  Here is the completed ensemble:

I am thinking I should have made the blouse about an inch longer than the vest, since you see hints of it below the edge of the vest.  I wonder what you all think about this?

The Pants


Burda 7746 is rated easy, and if you have experience with pants, I would agree.  The fabric is mid-weight rayon, with a flowing drape, that is at least 10 years old.  I did make one design change.  The pattern uses a rectangle for the waistband, and I wanted mine to curve around my waist, so I used the waistband from Vogue 1204, which is one piece and curved.  I also added one inch total to the waist at the side seams, tapering back into the original side seam about 5 inches down, and took up a 3/8" seam from the waist through the hips to give me a little extra room.  This caused a tiny bit of wrinkling around the center back seam, but I can still take that area in just a smidge if I want to.  However, my inclination is to leave it alone since I will only be wearing untucked blouses or knit tops with these.  I originally hemmed these at a 7/8 length with a cuff, but agreed with so many fashion experts out there regarding this particular length, that it is unflattering.  It shortens the look of your leg.  I am much happier with keeping my legs looking long.  These pants are going to be a versatile addition to my wardrobe for sure!  Here are some close-ups.

The Blouse:

Burda 8218 is also rated easy.  I'm not sure I would call this easy with trying to fit the under-collar to the front and back, but the drafting was good, because it did come together nicely.  You must also hand-stitch the facing of the collar to the neck back and shoulder seam allowances.   I liked the idea of having a shawl collar with my vest and this is why I chose this pattern.  The blouse is semi-fitted.  I am okay with this, because I intend to wear it with the vest.  However, if I wear it separately the looser fit also keeps it cool.  My fabric is pima-cotton broadcloth, which I found out tends to wrinkle quite a bit, but feels cool next to the skin.

The design of the blouse has been altered in that I cut in the sleeves like the vest.  To do this I laid the vest pattern piece over the blouse pattern piece and cut the armholes following the vest lines.  I did the same thing with the bottom points on the front of the blouse.  The armholes are finished with self-fabric bias strips.  Here are some pictures of the blouse:

I just couldn't tear myself away from this project to start a dress for tomorrow night, so I think I will go with one of my other creations for date night on Saturday.  Have a great weekend everyone!