Audrey Hepburn is one of my favourite star when it comes to style. I was so glad when Burda June 2011 issue showed this Hepburn style top (No. 122) . This would be perfect for work. FYI, architects like to wear black a lot. Reason number 1 – black goes with most things. Reason number 2 – we think we look more clever in black (oh maybe that’s just me!).
Blouse Top 122 from Burda Magazine’s June 2011 issue
I used plain black lawn instead of satin as recommended as I need the blouse to be machine washable. To add a bit of interest, I added white satin bias binding to the neckline and the sleeve hem. I also used the left over fabric to make a removable corsage with silver thread stitches.
My Bias Bound Hepburn Blouse
The corsage is made of 6 circular fabric pieces each about 8cm diameter, I just pinched the back of each circle and hand stitch them together to form a flower like look. Then I borrowed hubby’s glue gun and stuck it to a clasp which is usually used for making clip on earrings. I could have used a brooch pin but I thought the clip on solution is better so I don’t make lots of holes in the garment.
The removable corsage with silver embroidery thread
The back of the corsage with the earring clasp
As for pattern alteration, I reduced the bateau neck by about 2cm on each shoulder to avoid bra strap from showing. Otherwise it seems to fit okay. I used some straight grain fusible stay tape to stabilise the neckline and the shoulders within the seam allowance. This worked out really well. I can now declare that my neckline will never stretch out of shape!
Altering the neckline by redrafting the curve
Going back to the bias binding detail, I used machine stitching to secure the right side of the binding to the right side of the garment. I then used hand slip stitches to secure the remaining folded edge of the binding to the wrong side of the garment. I hope you can see the tiny white slip stitches in the photo. The long line of machine stitch worked as a guideline for hand stitching.
Hand slip stitching the bias binding onto the blouse’s wrong side
And here’s me in photoshopped vintage!
Photoshopped vintage me!
