The Burda blue satin blouse

I'm pretty happy with this one, and it'll go out tonight to a fairly glam evening in Geneva over black suede trousers and peep-toe black suede heels. It's very easy, although Burda doesn't give us details on how to properly finish the ruffle-to-bodice seam, and clearly just ironing it into the ruffle wouldn't satisfy some of you. It really wouldn't cost Burda much to say, "Finish the seam according to taste," or something like that.

I not only top stitched the ruffle with seam down next to the edge of the ruffle itself as instructed, but finished the seam inside with a zigzag stitch—below my usual standards, but happily, not as visible as I feared. Also, I'm not satisfied with Burda's finish of the outer ruffle edge, which I chose to "clean finish" by turning over, stitching at 1.4 inch, pressing and turning again, stitching and pressing. In their photo, they have more of a "lettuce" edge while mine is smooth.

A note from a reader over on pattern review prompts me to add, don't try to make this blouse with anything synthetic. Only genuine silk charmeuse, georgette or crepe de chine will have the "hand" to drape as softly down the front as you need for this amount of ruffle. I know there are some great synthetics out there, but this is one instance when you'll end up with something different from what you hoped.

 There's something about the design, perhaps the fact it attaches at the upper left collar seam, that makes me think of Russia, although there's no high-turned collar. Who's my favourite Russian?
 For all time, actually, it's Yul Brynner, in his best role in "The Journey,"  (possibly closest to his real personality). By all accounts, he was a pretty ruthless guy after a very rough youth. He had a Swiss grandfather who migrated to Siberia and married a Russian, and after Paris and Hollywood, ended up back here in Switzerland, which claims him as a lost son. But let's face it, Swiss men just don't radiate this level of testosterone. I've never seen a movie to match this one for sexual tension. I think if Lady Ashmore had worn this blouse, the clinch with Yul wouldn't have taken so long to happen.