Yay!! Finally a Burda shirt that doesn't have pleats or gathers.
Still on the never-ending hunt for a basic button-up shirt, I decided to try Burda 7136 after seeing Dressmaking Debacles' many successful versions. The pattern has almost all of the features I want in a shirt: collar with stand, sleeve plackets, back yoke, and shaped hem. I would like the pattern to have shoulder princess seams instead of darts for bust shaping and a separate front band for contrast. Both changes should be fairly straightforward.
This shirt almost didn't make it for two main reasons: (1) I misread the instructions/pictures for the front band and (2) my sewing machine acted a certified fool with the buttonholes.
Adjustments
I traced size 42 in the neck and shoulder and size 44 everywhere else. The muslin showed the need for a small FBA and petite adjustments. I made a 3/8" FBA (later eliminated) and shortened the pattern by 1 1/8" (3/8" above the bust and 3/8" in two places below the bust). I shortened the sleeve cap by 3/8" as well.
So what happened to the 3/8" FBA? I neglected to realize that the front band was folded over twice. When I tried on the shirt after completing the front, I was horrified to see how huge it was and thought the 3/8" FBA was unnecessary.
I re-cut the front, attached the pocket, and started working on the collar. It was at that point I realized that the front band was folded over twice, not once. D'oh! The adjusted front was already trashed and I didn't have enough fabric to cut it a third time. Ugh. I just went for it and took much smaller seam allowances in the bust area. The fit isn't too terrible, but definitely can be improved.
The dart is too long and high and will be adjusted on the next version.
I also have to shorten the sleeves at least two inches. They didn't seem that long in the muslin, then again, I didn't sew the cuffs on the muslin either.
Buttonholes
Maaaan let me tell you. My machine fought vigorously against sewing the buttonholes down the front. I don't know why it started acting up because it sewed buttonholes on the cuffs beautifully. And before attempting the front, I sewed six perfect buttonholes on a denim jacket with NO problems.
I guess when it was time to do the front of the shirt, my machine had enough.
This picture shows how the timing was completely off in measuring the length of the buttonhole. This is a big deal because unpicking a poorly-stitched buttonhole made by machine is IMPOSSIBLE. To gauge the size of the rectangle, the machine sews a line of tiny-ass stitches (like 0.4 length or something) on its first pass. Then it zig-zags over those stitches and repeats the same process on the other side. Trust me. I have tried to pick out those little stitches. I end up removing more fabric than thread. It. Is. Impossible!!
To say I was defeated is an understatement. I was already facing a shirt that might not fit because I misread the instructions. I *finally* found a method to attach and sew the collar stand that works for me. I sewed the sleeve plackets with no problems and set the sleeves with no puckers. All that was left was the buttonholes on the front and my machine started acting a fool.
Bruh. This shirt was headed to the trash...until I posted my frustration on Instagram. Many people suggested using snaps (duh...why didn't I think of that) or getting a new machine (been thinking of that).
Miss Celie's Pants asked if I had a vintage buttonholer. I admitted to having *cough* three and a vintage sewing machine - neither of which has ever been used.
Judge all you want. I deserve it. =P
Even though snaps were an option, I really wanted buttonholes because the cuffs already had them and I didn't want to mix the two types of closures on the shirt.
So I googled all the things on vintage buttonholers and how to use them on modern and vintage sewing machines. I found a few YouTube videos that helped a lot.
Drumroll...
Perfection! Every. Time. And they're easy to pick if I make a mistake. I don't know what took me so long to learn how to use the vintage buttonholers. Well yes I do: fear. Of what I was afraid, I don't know. Anyway. I know how to use it now and will probably never make buttonholes on my computerized machine ever again.
PERFECT!!!
Maybe a little crooked.
The vintage buttonholer comes with cams that only make round-edged buttonholes. I prefer rectangles, but I am more than willing to sacrifice my preference for ease and no frustration.
Collar Stand
Sewing the collar stand was my least favorite part of shirtmaking because mine always looked crappy. I could never get the stand to line up with the front band and my edgestitching was always uneven.
After trying many different methods, I think I've found one that works for me. The tutorial, written by Kathryn Brenne, can be found here: Build a Better Collar & Stand - Part 2. Her method seems unconventional because the stand is sewn a bit out of order and the interfaced stand is on the inside rather than outside. When I asked about this in an email, she said that because she mostly wears her shirts open at the neckline, the inside is what people will see. Makes sense. Despite questioning the lack of support on the outside band, I followed her instructions anyway.
This is by far the best collar stand I have ever sewn and I got it right on the first try! I no longer dread sewing collar stands. Squee!
Cuffs
I think there is a drafting error with the cuffs and/or sleeve-cuff seam.
The sleeve has two tucks on each side of the placket. If sewn as is, the cuff is about an inch too short in circumference. If you make this, either cut a longer cuff or make the pleat uptake larger so that it will fit. I chose the second option since I had already cut and interfaced the cuffs.
Other Stuff
Since my fabric was a small plaid, I cut the pocket, sleeve placket, back yoke, and cuffs on the bias. I did not bother matching the plaid because...um...I just didn't. The checks are so small, mismatches are barely noticeable.
Despite the mediocre fit and long sleeves, I am really happy with my shirt. I will definitely make it again after converting the darts to princess seams and shortening the sleeves. I can see why this pattern is popular. Yay!!
Up next: While the shirt was in time out, I made another denim-style jacket (Kwik Sew 2895) and skirt (New Look 6274). I am also in the process of making view B of McCall's 7627 (the sleeves take forever).
That's all for now. Until next time, peace!
L
