Multicolour Burda Frock

I have had this wild linen print in my stash for a while - I was stalled on what to make from it. The print is so bold that I felt like I had to get just the right pattern. Plus I only had just over 2 m so I had to figure out how to use it most effectively. 

I finally decided on a dress from a Burda magazine, #106 from the May 2021 issue. I've had this dress on my potentials list since this issue came out, and finally put the two together. In the magazine, it's quite a cottage core aesthetic, with lace trim. But I liked the lines of it, not too fussy in silhouette, and thought it would work nicely here. 

I carefully cut the panels so that the print would be balanced horizontally. I didn't worry about matching, as the print is so frenetic it doesn't matter, but having it all on the same plane keeps it from looking like complete chaos. I made a couple of changes - I lengthened the skirt by an inch, lengthened the ties by 4 inches, and I added side seam pockets. I thought about patch pockets but decided that those might be too much of a pattern clash. The ties are sewn into the back panel seams and can be tied in the front or back if you prefer. 

After prewashing this fabric twice, it's quite soft. It's also fairly light, too, so I will wear a slip with it - this dress does not lend itself to lining. I am pleased with the results. It highlights the fun print but having the long panel seams also helped to break up any unfortunate circular pattern placement. It's comfy and will be a fun outfit for days when I want to be noticeable! 

I am liking dresses without a defined waistline, or one that's adaptable with ties, for days when I need different choices. Another outfit from the stash! I'm about to cut another dress soon ...using some of the fabulous fabric I've had waiting for me for a long time. 

Burda Sweater in Grey Merino

 

This week I finished a very warm top made from some merino wool jersey. It's a lightweight, two-way stretch fabric, which I received from Our Social Fabric in Vancouver as part of their Sew & Show program. Once you've joined, they select a specific deadstock fabric every couple of months, and you can opt in if you want to participate in that round. You can make what you like with it -- this was my first project for them. 

I've never sewn with merino before so I had a hard time deciding which pattern I was going to use. But I knew I wanted a comfortable top that had a little more oomph than a t-shirt. I finally went with a Burda magazine pattern, 131 from the August 2013 issue. 

The fun part of this pattern is that there is an integrated scarf, sewn into the front piece. You then wrap that around your neck and tie as wished. It was a bit puzzling to lay out but once I found enough room to do so it went smoothly. This pattern has four pieces: the really large front, a back, raglan sleeve and neckband. It sewed up really quickly and easily! 

I had a hard time figuring out how to cut the scarf and the front seam that attaches it all together. Should I add seam allowance to this part? Thinking about Burda patterns, I realized they are always a little wide in the neck for me so I didn't add seam allowance to the scarf and centre seams, thinking that would narrow it just enough for me anyhow. And that worked. I added on 1/2" seam allowance everywhere else, as I usually do. 

Back is pretty plain - please excuse this strange pose 😄

The only other alterations involved shortening the sleeves - as always for me. I took off a full 2" here, and they ended up just right. This is a lightweight fabric, and I was wearing it with my poly knit skirt and poly acrylic cardigan so it did get a little bit staticky. Sorry for the wrinkles here, I hadn't shaken it out properly. 

Otherwise, this was easy to sew and comfortable to wear. It was very light on but also very warm. I found the scarf really comfy, it laid nicely and didn't pull at all once it was tied and arranged. A heavier fabric would probably hold the shape of this top a bit more, but I found it nice in this merino and enjoyed the little bit of extra puzzle to the pattern. I did worry a bit whether the wool would bother me as a base layer like this, but it was soft and easy to wear, not scratchy at all and as it turned out, I found it very comfortable and airy. A really nice experiment for me!

All styled up! 

Burda Blouse: Black & White & Red all over

I tried out a Burda pattern for a simple top that I've been meaning to make for quite a long time! It's Burda 112-01-2020, the cover image for that issue (and I've wanted to make it since then). I found a fun black & white print rayon at the thrift a while back, so thought I would try it out first in this fabric to see if I liked the pattern enough to make it again in a rich purple fabric that I was hesitant to cut up for an unknown pattern! 

I made a few little changes to this straightforward pattern. The back is cut in two pieces, with a neckline opening at the back to get it over your head. I tested the facing and determined that I would need that slit but didn't want to cut the back in two pieces, because of this regular print. So I cut the back on a fold, and changed the back facing to a deep one and just made a slit by sewing it in. I used a small elastic loop and sewed that in as I was going, since I dislike thread loops for a button, I never seem to get them the right size. This seemed to work well. 

I also narrowed the front and back centre with a 1/2" wedge at the neckline, and shorted the top half of the sleeve by one inch. I had to also shorten the bottom, full part of the sleeve by an inch because I was out of fabric! But it worked for my short arms. 

Other than the neckline change and the inherent shiftiness of this fabric, this was a pretty quick and easy project. The bottom part of the sleeve has a pleat where it attaches to the top half, and this was the most difficult thing of the whole project. The fabric kept wanting to shift, so I didn't get a perfect match, there is a small gap where it should meet, but it's not really noticeable in this print, especially with the fullness. And I didn't want to work over this fabric too much, it's quite delicate. So I left it as it was. 

Otherwise, I enjoyed this one and I like the fit of it. I think I would adjust the sleeves a little more -- shorten the top bit just a little more, and make sure I add back that inch to the bottom of the sleeve on my next go. It's a flowy shape and I think it works well in this fabric. 

It's a Tracing Day!

I have many, many patterns that I would like to make -- but many of those necessitate tracing them first. This can keep me from getting to them in a timely manner. So I decided that it was time for another tracing marathon! (well, marathon for me, I can usually manage four or five before I am done). 

I started with a retro KwikSew top that I picked up fairly recently, and have the perfect yellow fabric to match it. It was pretty simple, only a few pieces but one is really large because of the blouse front pleats! 

Then I moved on to a few Burda magazine patterns. These always require a lot of concentration! I usually highlight the lines I need with a Frixion highlighter so I can see them better, and then iron off the marks when I'm done. This time I noticed that I am going to need a new highlighter soon...

Next step, of course, is to cut some of these out and get sewing. I'm finding that my urge to actually sit down and sew is a lot less frequent that my urge to look at patterns and think about what I am going to sew. Gotta find a balance there so I can finish some summer sewing before summer ends. Always the struggle, haha! 

I have matched up a couple of fabrics with some paper patterns, though, and so I have a lot to get cutting and sewing. We'll see how it goes...

Burda Knit Dress in 80s Style!

I finished the first project from my 2025 MakeNine list! Actually it's the first garment I have made for myself this year! It's a knit dress, Burda 121-11-23 -- I was drawn in by its 80s silhouette, with those great sleeves :) 

I had a lightweight sweater knit in my stash so decided to use it up on this dress, which I was hurrying to finish before the weather warms up. I made a few small changes to the dress, not many, mostly for fit and style preferences. 

I didn't shorten the length, as I wanted it to end around my knees, not shorter as it appears in the original. I did shorten the sleeves, however - I have shorter arms so always do this. This time I took an inch out, and made a 1.5" hem. I also adapted the neckline, as a super wide boat neck doesn't work for me, and also Burda necklines are usually wide for me to begin with. I took an inch out of the centre front & back width at the neckline, and I also added another inch to fill in the curve at the shoulder. It's still a wider neckline but won't be falling off my shoulders now. 

The other change I made was to add in some pockets. It was very easy to add in some side seam pockets (using broadcloth to minimize stretching). I added them first, and then when attaching the elastic casing on the inside at the end of the process, I made sure to catch the tops of the pockets in the stitching so that they would be held to the front and given a little more security as well. That should avoid any sagging in the line of the dress. 

I think this is a fun dress and because it's a lighter weight sweater knit, I can wear it longer into the spring and again earlier in the fall. Nice touch of print in it to relieve any solid black, but a more subdued look when I don't feel like wearing jewel tones. I do find I always like a Burda pattern. 

Modernizing an 80s Burda tunic

I made one last 2024 project which I finished on Dec. 31 - just squeaking it in! The PatternReview Modernize Vintage contest helped me to hit that deadline, as I was inspired to get going on this project by that contest. Even though this is barely vintage (mid-80s) and I didn't make too many changes to it, I still enjoyed making it a lot and love the result!

It's a combination of 2 things from my stash that I've been wanting to use for a while. First is this great Burda pattern -- Burda 4709 -- which has the tunic view but also a knit skirt, pants, and even stirrup pants  - remember those?? 

I have been meaning to make the plain tunic for a while and I finally put it together with this fabulous fabric. It's a Dries van Noten scuba knit, which I won from EBT Fabrics last year. There was 1.5 m of it and I was never certain what to make with it. But it was perfect for this top. 

I made a few changes to modernize this pattern, aside from the fabric choice. I shortened it a bit, and most importantly, removed the massive 1/2" shoulder pad allowance from the pattern -- you can see the shoulder pads on the pattern cover, and I did not want that much of an 80s vibe ;) I remove it using Sandra Betzina's technique, which works very well. I think I could have brought the shoulder seam in a bit more but this is still wearable. 

The pattern has huge patch pockets as well, which I like. But this fabric was tough and really did not like pins. I ended up using clips to hold the seams together while I sewed, but when it got to the pockets I was stumped for a minute. How to fix them down to edgestitch? I finally came up with the idea to tape them down with basic scotch tape. That held them in place long enough to stitch, and then I carefully peeled the tape off. I did the same thing for the bottom hem, but just held the sleeve hems as they are quite small. 

This is a fun item, and very colourful indeed! I think I'll enjoy wearing it, as I love the colour and the style. The only thing that I'm not as excited about is the fabric itself, which feels very poly, despite being designer. But I'm glad I found a way to use it, anyhow. I want to start wearing all the fun, bright fabrics in my stash.

Basic Black with Burda

November brought a new contest challenge over at PatternReview, the Mini Wardrobe challenge, in which you were to make 5 coordinating items in 5 weeks. I was thinking about it for a while, and realized it would be very unlikely for me to make that many things in such a short time frame. However, I did put together some fun ideas, the initial one being the Merchant & Mills Factory top that I just shared. The whole concept was built from that piece. 

I thought of making a red blouse, a cream sweater or jacket, and a black skirt to go with it, and maybe a fun print dress. Of course I just finished the top, but now have completed the black skirt. The other projects will have to have their turn another day ;) 

But I am very pleased with the black skirt that I chose for this outfit. I had just enough black twill left from another project to make a new Burda pattern - I used #117 from the Dec 2022 issue. This skirt has everything I like - slash pockets, a waistband that sits at the natural waist, and a lining. I was able to make the whole skirt from fabric from my stash, which was an added bonus. I realized after I'd cut the waistband that I added seam allowance to it, as with all the other pattern pieces - but the waistband is a rectangle that already includes S.A. so I had an extra wide and long piece. But this worked out in my favour! 

The front of the skirt has two pleats on each side, just before the pocket openings. This is quite nice. I did find the pocket bags a little shallow and will extend them if I make this again; I like to be sure my keys aren't going to fall out. 

The zip closure is at centre back, and is supposed to be a 9" invisible zip that goes up to the top of the waistband. I find that messy sometimes, though, so I used the 8" zip that I had and inserted in only in the skirt piece. 

This is where the excess waistband came into play. Because my waistband had extra length, I was then able to create a 2" underlap on the left side, and add a skirt hook and eye. I prefer this closure over trying to force a zip up past a bulky seam. Plus I like to add the waistband after the skirt and lining are sewn/basted together, as I find it's a much neater finish, for me. It worked out perfectly but I do find in wearing that the back is a little tight and so I have wrinkles - should have added another inch to the back width. Still wearable though, especially if I iron it before taking pictures ;) 

I also lengthened it by 2" but because there is a slight A-line shape to it, I didn't have to add a walking slit to the back (the shorter length wouldn't need it so there wasn't one in the pattern). I actually love this skirt a lot and would definitely make iy again. I love the way it fits (slightly higher waisted to work with shorter tops like my Factory top) and the pocket/pleat combo sits really nicely on the body, no puffy bulges to worry about ;) I can always use a basic black skirt, and this pattern might just be my new winner. It's comfortable, pretty easy to sew, and I like the details. Very happy with it. 

A Real Green Dress, with Burda May 2023

 

I feel so thrilled by the fact that I have actually made something else on my 2024 MakeNine list! And I even used the fabric I had intended for this pattern :) I cut this Burda 115 from the May 2023 issue from a linen blend that's a bit heavier than I'd recalled. 

This fabric, from the sale table at Fabricland, was just okay -- when I washed it and laid it out, I realized had a few discoloured areas where an almost shadowy bluer dye was splotchy on the surface. Thankfully I was able to cut around most of these bits, but it did mean I used more fabric than technically required, and oh boy does it crease quickly. Lots of pressing ahead!

But the colour, when clear, is wonderful & I really enjoyed making this. The front tucks were what first caught my eye about this pattern & I had fun with that detail. I have been wanting to add some extra elements to some of my projects, and these tucks convinced me to try this pattern. 

There are also integrated pockets in the side panels, which are nice. Pay attention to the pattern pieces when you are cutting this out though, to be sure to connect the pocket bags to the body and cut together, or you'll have to add an extra seam.

I cut it at my usual Burda size of 42/44 but think I could have done 44 all through. It's much closer fitting at the shoulders and bust than the cover image on the magazine makes it seem -- I think the model may be wearing a size larger than her measurements might call for. Or maybe it's just my fabric choice.

Overall I feel like this was a good project, and I'm happy with the results. I don't like how to darts are fitting - they are not pressing firmly and giving a weird crease. But other than wanting to fix up the darts a bit I do like this one. When I adjust the darts I think I'll like it even more!