It’s the last issue of the year, boo hoo! Oftentimes Burda have some easier projects (including menswear) you can make for gifts in their December issues, but this one’s just for ladies and girls. I initially wasn’t that impressed with this collection, but the more I looked through it, the more I found myself drawn to a few…
I’ve often admired the sequin tops other sewists have made, but I’ve never quite gone as far as to buy some sequin fabric for myself. This boxy jacket might change that, however!
This dress is the Tall offering this month, and even though the shorter, peplum top versions works fairly well, I pulled this out because the simple act of adding a straight skirt onto the curved seam means the model looks absolutely pregnant. Not really a look anyone wants, and it seems like a good idea drafting-wise. But in practice? No!
I’m really not a fan of the dress (square neckline, yes, but the puffy sleeves and awkward pleat at empire waist? Urgh.), but I love the little girl’s coat! Like the trench cape a few issues ago, I’d totally make this if it were in adult sizes!
This little boxy jacket for girls feels like the sister to the ladies’ sequin jacket above. They’re both for special fabrics and have a similar fit and seam lines, without feeling too “mini me”.
I utterly love the asymmetric collar on this coat, plus the off-centre closure, and (though it’s hard to tell in the garment photos) the hidden pleating just above the pockets would really give this some wonderful shaping. They’ve gone one step further and appliqued fancy lace over a portion of the wool coating, which I just love. Two thumbs up for this one, Burda!
Half of the details are hidden inside this cape, but a look at the pattern pieces shows there’s been a great amount of thought and detail gone into this. The shaggy fabric isn’t to my liking (too Fozzy Bear!), but that’s easily remedied.
This tube dress seems like a bit of a cheat – yes, it’s technically a little different from the one I made from the April 2014 issue but not really enough to warrant another pattern only a few months later, surely!
Hurrah, a designer dress pattern, from JC de Castelbajac (whom I must admit, I’d not heard of previously). I’m not entirely sold on the big side pockets, though they feel a bit Maison Martin Margiela, and on closer inspection they’re actually an integral part of the dress rather than just patch pockets slapped on, which makes me warm to them more. I also like that they have openings cut in at the sides for your hands to go (rather than from the top, as you’d expect.)
I love it when Burda do pyjama patterns, and this time around we get some truly wearable ones, including a camisole, nightgown, shirt-gown, and… bra and french knickers! Now, the bra is only a “bra top” so it couldn’t really be adapted for lingerie use, but it’s definitely a start (though I’d leave off the girly ruffles, personally).
I also really liked this more classic pyjama combo – a short sleeved shirt and capris made up in flannel with nice piping accents. There’s another pair of wide-legged pyjama trousers included, too, if that’s more to your liking. Lots of options for mix & matching amounts the different variations, too. And those little ballet slippers get an additional pattern, along with a sleep mask and cloth organiser.
This Plus dress with the geometric panels is just stunning. Fabulous design, flattering lines, and a great look for the party season. You could make it coolourblocked like Burda have here, or even alternate the shiny & matte sides of a satin like I did for my swirl sheath dress if you wanted a subtler look.
Now then. The addition of shiny fabric bands to one’s Plus-sized backside is a questionable fashion choice to begin with, but direct your eyes towards the upper right of the page…
WHAT?! Who doesn’t have panties “to hand”? Ever? But would have panty hose to chop up?! This just boggles my mind.
It’s been suggested that perhaps this was a translation issue but a) when confronted in the past, Burda have vehemently insisted they use native English speakers for the English translations, and b) two pages previously the “Extra Tip” box suggests wearing shape wear under the geometric dress, so it’s not like they didn’t know the term!!
And finally, we get a little online freebie from Burda – a cute little wristlet pattern. You need to go to BurdaStyle.de and use the code “Handbag2014” at checkout, and you’ll be allowed to download the pdf for free. It takes some wrangling if you’re not familiar with German, and you need to be a registered user, but it does work. But the pdf has German sewing instructions, so I’ve included the English instructions below.
This is the final Burda magazine for 2014 (boo!), but hopefully I should have a few Manequim magazines yet to arrive. All us international subscribers received some Taylor Swift teenybopper magazine instead of the October issue (which Abril tend to do in a mixup about once a year, thanks guys), so I’m still hoping to receive a replacement for that, and they always do two November issues, too.
Oh! And if you’re as fed up with browsing Burda’s official websites as I am, take a look at Burdavisor.ru. The website is in Russian, but if you download the .zip file, and open up the resulting .htm file in your browser, you can view all the patterns going back to 2004! You can filter by issue, garment type, fabric type, size, and see the tech drawings right alongside the fashion photos without having a bunch of extra clicks. The .htm file is in Russian and English, and it’s so much easier to use than even my own cataloguing method or Osinka.ru. Merry christmas!