Finished - the birthday top - New Look 6808

It was my birthday this week - yay! I do love birthdays. I don't care about getting older - I've always loved my birthday and always will! My husband calls it a birthday festival as it is usually a week long celebration, drawn out by various catch ups with friends and family. Anyway I'll do a post with my birthday spoils another day (including gifts to self - essential!) but we were planning a posh dinner out with my besties last night at the gorgeous italian restaurant Rosetta, at Crown Casino in the city, and I wanted a swish new top to wear. I had been planning for a sleeveless number but the Melbourne spring weather has been a fickle cold and nasty beast, and so instead this long sleeved version of New Look 6808 was born. I'd actually been planning to make a long sleeved blouse over winter, to wear out, preferably in a wool blend because I get so damn cold, and had expected to be making this next winter, not at the start of summer!

This is a great basic pattern with many collar and sleeve options. I had no issues with fit, cutting a size 10 shoulder and bust, and adding some extra width at the hips. The darts were perfectly placed for me, and the only adjustment I might make in the future is to make a couple of shoulder darts in the back to help with gapage.

I made View A without the cuffs and tie. I extended the sleeve length several centimetres, and ended up cutting most of that extension off to get the 3/4 sleeve length. I omitted the neckline facings, and bound the neckline in premade black satin bias binding, as well as slightly gathering the sleeve cuffs and binding them in the same bias. I hand sewed the bias to the inside for a clean look (similar to the method recommended for the Colette Laurel pattern). 

The fabric is a gorgeous wool blend crepe, from my fave fabric shoppe, Darn Cheap, and unsurprisingly, I got it on their bargain table. One half of the bolt had some weird marks on it, so it was reduced to a marvellous $2/m, with the only issue being one had to work with a fabric width of about 80cm, rather than 150cm. I omitted the side zip (just don't like em!) and decided on a cute little surprise for the back instead:

Darn cheap have these cute little decorative zips and I've been waiting for the right project. They're not the most awesome quality, and really it is more decorative because I can easily  get this on and off without unzipping it (its a bit of a squeeze over the rest of the body but wriggling in is ok by my if it avoids a side zip). Instead of cutting the back piece on the fold, I just placed it on the selvages, adding a 5/8 seam allowance, and then left an opening and top stitched it over the top. I think this would look really nice too with a little slit opening and a top button closure. 

Business at the front, party in the back!

This pattern is fantastically drafted. I was drawn to it because I just cannot get the fit right on the Colette Laurel blouse. I still keep getting those damn horizontal drag lines from bust to armpit. My final New Look 6000 dress didn't have that issue and it really is a very similar style bodice. I must rave about the sleeves. I popped these sleeves in quickly, easily, no puckers, no excess ease. I used my usual technique of one line of ease stitches at a normal length (2.5) with the bobbin tension dropped right down. I was planning to hand baste them but just didn't need to. They are pretty much the best sleeves I have inserted:

The only other alteration I made was to shorten it - it's quite long, and I just wanted enough length for it to be able to be tucked or untucked. I see other 6808's in my future. Next time I might leave off the front waist darts for a looser feel and see how that looks.

I wore it last night to dinner (hence the slightly crumpled look) and was so pleased with it - I felt very sophisticated. My dear friend Shari (who is truly the best dressed and most stylish person I know) raved about it, and that, my friends, is praise indeed for me. 

And did you notice my new pink friends in the top photos? You know you've married your soul mate when you request a pair of flamingos for the garden for your birthday, and the reply is 'awesome idea'!