#burdaystyle patterns

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

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