#burdastyle

Stripes Gone Wild: BurdaStyle Twill Dress 121 07/2021

This is a modern dress with some vintage details. The length and flare of the skirt is reminiscent of the 1950s when a tiny waist and a large skirt were popular. The shirt-waist front bodice on a dress then coupled with a side opening was popular for much of the 20th century. It allowed for the kind of complex details you see here reminiscent of a shirt-waist or blouse–double-breasted button front, shaped neckline, and collar–without having to bring the buttons all the way down to the hemline. Instead, a snap placket in the side seam lets you pull the dress over your head. Here, a zipper is used instead.

Playing with stripes has always been popular as they are among the simplest patterns. By placing them on the bias and matching them for forming chevrons, you can create a playful and dynamic look as you see here. Imagine leaving the stripes all straight on a less-flared skirt and you can see that the entire dress would become much more sober in flavor.

Choosing stripes does mean more work matching the stripes. Careful cutting is key, and then basting and checking before final sewing is necessary. Still, I always enjoy bias chevron skirts in the summer as they seem to capture the spirit of the season.  

You can find it here as a pdf, so you either find a place the prints large images, or you use a lot of tape: https://www.burdastyle.com/twill-dress-121-burda-style-07-21.html

BurdaStyle,March May, I meant May, 2022 (it is freezing where I live)

This issue is ready for summer sewing. On the cover you see a lively shirt dress #102 in a red, white and blue print that is the subject of one of the full sewing lessons included in the issue. As you can see in the sketches, the unruffled version appears as #102. The other full sewing lesson offered, which includes inserting a zipper, is for the high-waisted trousers #113. Of course, portions of these lessons are applicable to other patterns, and they are in addition to mini-lessons found in the Glossary at the back of the sewing instructions for all the patterns. 

My favorite of the issue is a dress #107 with draped collar, surplice bodice, cap sleeves and a skirt cut on the bias. They show it in the solid color and also in a print, and it would work for either work or play depending on the color or print you choose. If you prefer a different skirt than bias cut, it would be easy enough to swap it in. I am thinking that something with a few soft pleats would echo the gathered that marks the collar. If you prefer a bit more sleeve, it would be easy enough to extend them. The easy blouse #109 (which becomes the top for the jumpsuit #108) also has simple gathers. It makes the most of a fabric choice with some drape, such as a soft rayon challis or cotton voile or silk crepe. I am always keen on easy ways to fabrics that drape well.

As you can see from the sketches, there are several plus-sized dresses including surplice styles and a sheath. Really a lot of choose from in this issue including children’s wear. This issue does include all the patterns as a series of coded lines printed over on one another. So you need to trace them out on your own paper. It takes more time, but you gain some twenty-odd patterns in multiple sizes.

Find it at your local bookstore, newsstand, or fabric store,or online here: https://www.burdastyle.com/subscription-burda-style/subscribe-to-burda-style.html

The Great Button Tryouts: Music Class Blouse from BurdaStyle

This is my last installment to finish off this blouse. Buttons can be conspicuous–think of rhinestone buttons on a silk evening blouse–or very inconspicuous–most men’s shirts. Or somewhere in between. I like to try out buttons by laying out the various possibilities all at once, and then to finalize the selection, the same button multiple times.

You see in the top photo the various contenders. With so many colors in the fabric print itself, red, blue and white were obviously all in the mix. I settled on blue in part because they were more noticeable than the white, and less noticeable than the red. The red ones seemed to bring yet another element into the mix which seemed too much. The white ones simply disappeared. While the blue gave some structure to a busy print by walking in a sober line down the front of the blouse.

It is still a playful blouse meant for summer weekends, but now its actual structure became apparent. I may this from a rayon print at Fabric Mart.

For the pattern, which is part of a collection called Music Class that has a decidedly vintage air, go here: https://www.burdastyle.com/short-sleeve-blouse-01-2011.html

For the Fabric Mart, which has an ever evolving set of discount offerings, and right now has some very nice swimwear prints, go here: https://www.fabricmartfabrics.com/

BurdaStyle April 2022

It’s spring and this issue has a wide range of patterns as these images prove. From casual wear to a vintage wedding gown to work wear, there is a little bit for everyone.

The the cheery blouse on the cover 110 A,B, has its bodice opening off-center to the wearer’s left, but the peplum below opens at the center. It is lengthened and given buttons to appear as the shirt dress 109 A B.

The dress you see here is the raglan-sleeved 115 which is shown loose, perfect for a hot day, but could take a belt as well if you prefer. They made it in viscose which has drape and gives it a more slender silhouette as it falls close to the body.

The wedding gown Dress 121 dates back to 1957. It is fully lined, has a long, gored, flared skirt, a fitted bodice with scalloped lace overlay and then the lace alone for the sleeves. They suggest silk satin which is a traditional choice.

Then there is Blazer 119 whose front overlap goes off-center to the same degree below as the line of the lapel does above. It has welt pockets and buttons at the waistline, and can take its own wide belt.

This issue offers up 10 dresses, 1 in plus sizes; 3 blouses that aren’t shortened versions of the dresses with 1 in plus sizes; the gown; 3 jackets, 1 in plus sizes; 1 pair of pants in regular sizes and 1 in plus sizes, and 1 skirt in regular sizes and 1 in plus size; lastly, a vest in plus sizes. So 23 patterns for women, and then 1 coat and 2  dresses for girls, plus one shortened to a blouse. There are some diy table setting projects, and instructions on how to make roses out of bias strips of fabric (my tip: they are best in diaphanous, ombre fabrics).

You can find it at your local fabric store, newsstand, or bookstore, or here:  https://www.burdastyle.com/subscription-burda-style/subscribe-to-burda-style.html?gclid=CjwKCAjwloCSBhAeEiwA3hVo_ZSCsbE17BNkzAWdNUkKVeiVHWrLOtHlfi_F70u0OPV4jpP7a3DZPBoCx7kQAvD_BwE

Square Sleeves and Round Yolk: The Music Class Blouse

This blouse at BurdaStyle is also dubbed Short Sleeve Blouse 01/2011 and comes as part of a collection called Music Class which has multiple vintage details on its blouses, jackets, and coats. This one in particular intrigued me. The original used loops for the buttons, but I decided to extend the front facings to center the buttons and use buttonholes. Other than that, I did no modifications.

While we don’t often see sleeve attached to blouses with square armholes, they can be found in patterns from the 1930s. We we find one here on a sleeve that flares over the top of the arm and narrows to nothing when it reaches the under arm. I attached the sleeve to the blouse on the vertical seam and then laid the sleeve over the blouse front along the horizontal seam, with seam allowance tucked under, and edge stitched it. Earlier pattern designers preferred laying a pattern piece (with seam allowances pressed under) on top of a another piece and edge stitched when they had a right of acute angle in a design.

Today, we are often told to reinforce the angle seam line with stitching, then clip to the inner corner and then sew the pieces together even as the seam allowance near the clip become TEENY TINY. This creates a far less stable seam and leads to errors during and unravelings after. Laying over was and is often wiser.

Another feature of this blouse is the fabric gathered to the yoke. We do sometimes see gatherings on blouses, especially to replace a dart with the fullness over the front bustline. But we don’t often see them on a rounded yoke to which both front and back and top sleeve edge is gathered. As you can see, you attach those pieces to one another, gather them along their edges and then attache them to the edges of the yoke.

This creates a very soft look around the shoulders, as you can see from their photo, so long as the fabric has a lot of drape. I am using a rayon challis, so it is working. Anything crisper and the sleeves would appear to be taking off in flight, rather than draping, and the whole might seem massive.

I will show you the finished product soon. Meanwhile, you can find this pattern for yourself here. This is PDF pattern that you need to print out, tape together, and add seam allowances and hems. 

https://www.burdastyle.com/short-sleeve-blouse-01-2011.html