It doesn’t happen very often that I see a design inside a Burda magazine and I instantly have to make it. But when I saw this asymmetric, high necked, surplice jersey top in the January 2024 issue, I just had to make it!
This pattern comes in two versions – I actually made no105, the top version. For some reason it’s not available to buy as a pdf but 104, the dress version, is. They’re basically the same and you’ll just follow the shorten lines for the top if you buy the dress.
The front pattern pieces are asymmetric and really quite cool – the pleated side is hidden underneath and only goes down to the waist, and the gathered side is the one predominantly shown.
I wanted to make this in a solid colour so it wouldn’t detract from the draping, and the Allure Black Melange Soft single knit jersey from Lamazi Fabrics was in my stash! This is the same fabric as the dark green jersey I made my flock coffin teeshirt which I adore. It’s so soft and stretchy and drapey and so “vintage teeshirt”.
Sadly, it looks like Lamazi aren’t selling this fabric anymore though – there’s only renmants left?? I’d buy up so much if they did!
(It was quite windy for our photoshoot!)
The pattern called for 1.6m and it was a bit tricky but I managed to fit it into 1.5 with some careful placement of the asymmetric front pieces, and no adjustments to the pieces. One of the downsides to this pattern is that it only goes up to size 44! I made this largest size, and frankly I’m lucky I can even fit into that these days after 4 months stuck in bed…
The other downside is the instructions – they’re the usual sparse Burda instructions, except that they completely forgot to do anything about the back neckline! Nothing is mentioned in either in the instructions or the pattern, and for either the top or dress view! I drafted and cut out a facing instead of a band so it was more like the fronts, but seriously wth Burda, this isn’t like you?!?
Thankfully the construction was fairly smooth, except I mistook a placement notch for the waist and misaligned the fronts initially. Thanks to all the basting I only needed to unpick basting stitches instead of overlocking thankfully.
I really love the “Old Hollywood glamour” feel of this look! And with the soft, stretchy fabric, it’s just as comfortable as a teeshirt. I could really see this being a great, modest party look in a stretch velvet or something glitzy, too. It feels like one I’ll definitely make again.
I’ve found a lot of Burda surplice (crossover) tops to be a bit fussy in the past so I don’t wear them much, but with the high crossover, pleats & gathers on this one it’s actually really easy to wear. And even though the facings aren’t attached at all, they actually stay in place really nicely.
This took me about a week to sew, from tracing to cutting to hemming – normally I’d make it in an afternoon. But it’s not like I need many clothes right now when I rarely leave my bed (except trousers, since hardly any fit anymore!). Taking photos was another matter – it took a few weeks before I could face being in front of a camera…
How I mostly wore it…