If you’ve been reading my blog posts recently you’ll be detecting a theme – stash busting and dated patterns. Here’s another example.
I’ve had the pattern for at least five years and the fabric for ten.

This pattern was a freebie in a sewing magazine I purchased whilst travelling. I rediscovered it recently whilst organizing my small pattern stash (ahem, not mentioning the extensive Burda magazine collection…).

I’d pulled out the fabric whilst looking through my fabric stash for all fabrics suitable for tops to go with my two new skirts (the mustard and turquoise ones). Why not put the pattern and fabric together I asked myself? The worst that could happen was bad pattern meets lovely but incompatible fabric.

Inspired by Giedre of Giedre Style who recently made a long sleeved top from a border print and put the border print on the sleeves, I decided to do the same. In hindsight, this very deep and linear border was not the best choice for sleeves, because the upper ‘line’ of the border looks a bit like a dropped sleeve seam, which I don’t like on me, but I sort of love the top anyway!

The fabric is a cotton silk woven from a local designer end of bolt sale in November 2012. I miss those sales! She’d used the fabric in a sheath dress with an overlay of the border running down one shoulder. I’d always thought I’d replicate it. But no. I made a border sleeved top instead.
I made some small changes to the sleeves. I cut the bottom of the sleeve out on the selvedge – I didn’t curve the edges up as per the pattern. This doesn’t seem to noticeably make the sleeves hang wrong.

The pattern has the ‘cuffs’ on the bias. Instead I cut the cuffs out double the suggested width and not on the bias- I used the same part of the border that the sleeves ended on. I sewed the cuffs on folded into thirds- resulting in a 2.5 cm finished width.

The sleeves turned out shorter than I expected given the pattern envelope photo. Other reviewers noted the same. Next time I’ll make the sleeves 5 cm longer. The shorter sleeves might have been because I made a size smaller (18) than my measurements suggested, and I have broad shoulders.
I cut the neck tie in two pieces due to fabric restructions. A centre back seams is not a problem though. Made it easier to orient my KATM label!

I made the high low hem of Style D rather than the regular hem of style A. I paid a lot of attention to centering the mirrored pattern on the front and the back.


But completely disregarded aligning the pattern horizontally. Which is a problem when you make the high low hem of Style D rather than the regular hem of style A because you think the high low hem will look good when you wear it untucked

Its about 4 cm out. So annoying. Only noticeable when worn untucked of course. So you know how I’m going to avoid that issue!

I like this pattern a lot more than I expected to, so another one is on the cards.
There’s probably lots of sewists out there who bought the sewing magazine with this pattern. But it doesn’t seem like it has been used much – not many reviews on Pattern Review. Is it just that we don’t value things we get for free? Or did the modeled photo put people off? Certainly didn’t encourage me to make it!
It is a very nice blouse! 🤩 I am so glad you found my post interesting and used for inspiration!
I find all your posts interesting!
Nice top. Unfortunate about the too short sleeves. I find it annoying when the model’s hair hides the design details. A solid colour fabric for the photo of the made up design would have shown it off to better effect.
Couldn’t agree more!
Lovely shirt Liz and pairs really well with your lovely skirt. I made this top a few years back in a rayon remnant without the tie and I agree it’s a nice pattern. Must try it again in nicer fabric. Love reading your sewing adventures too 👏
Thanks! I’m thinking my next version might be without the tie too
Lovely! Great use of the border.
Thank you. I like how this turned out with the border print. Might do it again.
just love the way you have used the border print on the sleeves! I bet the cotton/silk fabric feels nice to wear too.
Yes it’s a delight
Great use for this print! I love a raglan sleeve, too. The sleeve length does not seem shorter in your make than on the model to me. Any longer, and they would end up in your soup 🙂
They feel too short when I’m wearing them but I know what you mean.
[…] The throw was reduced to $20 – that’s $10 per meter. Bargain. Perfect way to tip my toe inexpensively into sewing and wearing double gauze. And what better way to do it than with Newlook 6471, the pattern I’ve just used? […]
glad to see you found an interesting way to use the border, I’m still pondering what to do with mine. beautiful!
Oh do you have some of that lovely fabric too? I suspect your stash and my stash have some other ‘twinned’ fabrics from the heady days of Gay Naffine fabric sales…
yes, wouldn’t be at all surprised. Miss those sales, although I don’t lack for fabric!