I may be able to save the Burda blouse

I have had an idea, and can't wait to try it! It involves taking the shirt apart, so unfortunately, I don't know that I will have time for it today. I wonder how hard it is to do those fabric covered buttons, though, and whether Walmart would have any (since that's the only place around here). Hmmmmm...

Burda 7993 Progress

I've worked more on Burda 7993. In fact, it's nearly complete. I don't know how much closer to complete it is going to get, because I don't know whether I like it. I think it's either too big or too unflattering, or both. Too big can be fixed, but unflattering probably cannot, so once I decide that, I'll decide whether it's worth finishing. Progress is stalled, anyway, because I need elastic for the sleeves and don't have any. Anyway, here's what I've got thus far:



What do you think? Is this pattern worth finishing or at least giving another try? Or is it wrong for my body type?

Edit: Ok, normally I would be far too vain to ever put such horrible pictures of me where they may be viewed by anyone (and that's something, considering the crap shots I normally post), but several people have commented in the review I did at PR that the shirt is too small for me and that I need to go up a size. So here are some awful pictures of it with no waist belt ribbon thing. Too small? I'm worried because the next size up is a 36", which is what I originally tried to start sewing with, and everything I've made in a 36 has been less attractive and flattering than a burlap sack would be.

Sewing news

I made a muslin for Burda 7993 (the cute top). I did a 2" FBA, which worked really well, except that it made the vertical darts HUGE and you can see them through the muslin. That won't matter on the real shirt, because I don't think the pink cotton I have is as thin.

I didn't bother with any of the facings yet, and though I did the collar, I didn't do it right (you're supposed to cut 2 pieces, but I only cut one, whooops!), but I don't think it will matter too much anyway.

The FBA used up so much extra fabric that now I'm worried I'll always need to get more than called for by the pattern. That really sucks, because I've already got fabric for a few projects that will need an FBA, and I had bought only what the pattern called for. I really hope I don't need more!

Anyway, back to the top. One thing I'm not sure I like about the shirt is how much the ruffle at the bottom sticks out, and another is the puffy sleeves. The ruffle kinda poofs out (which it does NOT do in the pattern picture!), and I have never thought puffy sleeves would be super flattering on me, but as the sleeves on this top didn't look very puffy, I thought it might be ok. I still don't know, because I didn't have the elastic you're supposed to put at the bottom of the short sleeve. I'm going to cut out the fabric soon, and give it a try in the real stuff. Maybe in the cute pink, I will be happier, and I am sure I can figure out something to do about the ruffle and the puffy sleeves if I just hate them. Mainly this shirt was to learn FBAs, and because I thought it was super cute, but the fabric was so cheap that I won't cry if it doesn't work out, just sigh and be a little disappointed for a day or two.

Edited to add: FBA stands for Full Bust adjustment, and so far, I am not liking how this shirt looks on me... but I still need to sew on the ruffle and get that elastic.

More Fabric Questions (Burda 7993)

I thought the Burda 7993 top was definitely one of the cutest I've seen, so I just had to get the pattern. My roommate gave me a Hobby Lobby gift certificate for Christmas (she is so sweet!), and it dawned on me that I will have occasion to wear the blouse in the near future if I make it. So, I was thinking of looking around this weekend for fabric, but I'm not sure what to look for. I have a weakness for fabrics with the sheen pictured in this top, and since I can already see it looks great in such a fabric, that's what I'd really like to find. I'm guess it's probably not something I'm going to find at Hobby Lobby, but it can't hurt to look. What is this fabric? The recommended fabrics are: Cotton fabrics, viscose, poplin. I don't think it's cotton (unless it's some weird satin cotton I've never heard of but sounds nice, hehe), or poplin. Is that viscose? I thought viscose was rayon, and it doesn't really look like rayon to me (speaking, of course, with little-to-no knowledge on the subject of viscose/rayon. I'm talking, of course, about the view with the blue top. Thanks!