Thank you all so much for your enthusiasm and excitement over my Tessellate Tee pattern and Add On Pack! I’ve got so many different versions of this top to show you, both casual ones and workout ones, too. I’m really behind on photoshoots due to us sailing our boat to a new mooring (for the first time in 9 years!) and the associated stress making me vulnerable to some nasty bug that’s going round. But I’m hoping I’ll feel well enough to take some photos this weekend, and you’ll get to see some new backgrounds to the photos as well!
But in amongst all the moving melée (plus some added fun in sorting out a new gift subscription), the latest Burda magazine arrived so I thought I’d share my picks with you before it’s out of date!
Burda tend to have their style feature types they run at least once a year, and apparently this is the issue for the “done to death” urban safari styling for 2016. I’m really bored with the concept after so many years of subscribing, but there are some nice patterns here if you look beyond the khaki. I particularly like this boxy blouse, which I think looks fantastic made up in silk or any other soft, flowing fabrics. The wrap skirt isn’t terribly practical if you live in a windy city since that wrap is fully open in front and not just a deep pleat.
They’ve crammed a lot of safari separates into a single page here – a long sleeved blouse, trousers with an interesting silhouette (these two are also offered together as a jumpsuit), plus a dress version of the boxy blouse (funny how lengthening it just turns it into a big ol’ sack!) and a really tragic belted men’s safari jacket. Just… no.
One for the Southern hemisphere, I can only presume, because here we’ve got a teeshirt with woven back and dipped hem (and weird tiny pocket) and shorts. Not really that practical for a Northern hemisphere February, so I hope it makes some Aussies happy!
That boxy blouse also has the colour illustrated instructions for this issue. I personally am not digging the facings and the keyhole back though, so should I make this I’d omit the back opening (the front V neck looks plenty big enough to go over your head) and finish it with a narrow bias edge.
There are four variations on a men’s jacket in this issue, but this sporty version is exactly James’s style so I fully expect to be sewing up one of these when he dreams up a new design.
I’m kinda torn over this sporty dress – I like the design lines and wide collar, but I think they’ve not done it any favours in such a lightweight fabric. I could see this working better in something with a bit more heft, like a high quality scuba or ponte.
The Petite pattern this month comes in two variations – a seamed peplum top & dress, which is also seen on the cover.
I’m not really feeling the zip top on the left but I was immediately grabbed by the seamed trousers when I saw them in the first preview, thinking they were leggings. As it turns out they’re slim trousers for stretch wovens but they’ve got some great seaming front and back, so it’s not all bad news.
But I think my favourite pattern for this issue is actually the Tall pattern this month – I just love the angular seams and cowl-ish collar of this sweatshirt! I like the double layer miniskirt on the models (it’s shown about 3 times in this issue), but I think it would be scandalously short as soon as you sit down, and it seems ludicrous that she’s wearing it next to a bicycle, when I can’t think of anything less practical to wear on a bike…
I’m sad to say that the Plus patterns were pretty awful this month – lots of long layers and big sacks, but the standout pattern are these very on-trend culottes, which also happen to have the illustrated instructions, paired with a seamed teeshirt.
That’s all for this time around, but March should be appearing in my new postbox in only a week or two. Manequim magazines have mysteriously stopped after September’s issue, so I need to email customer support in Brazil and find out what’s going on… I love the inspiration, but I haven’t sewn anything from them in 2015, so I may just put a halt to it and sew more from the pattern magazines I already have (boxes upon boxes full!).