Sunday 24 November 2013

My first Burda jersey top!

I have been recently to the Richmond Theater to watch the play "Jeeves & Wooster" and because we arrived early, I had the opportunity to have a look into WHSmith. And what have I found among their magazines? A Burda sewing magazine. There were actually two issue, but I only liked the Burda Style Special autumn/winter No5/2013. So, I bought it.



I never used a Burda before, but heard already a few stories about how badly explained everything is. And forget about any nice illustrations! Never mind, I wanted to give it a try. I chose pattern 0010A, which is a jersey top. I decided to make it with long sleeves because I am always very cold in winter.

They made a fury jersey top.
In the left bottom corner you can hopefully
see the pattern.
The top has little pleats at the front and back of the sleeves and the sleeves go up to the neckline. The neckline is finished with a little strip of fabric and at the back you have a little slit that you have to close with button loops and button. According to my high bust measurement, I am size 34. So, I cut 34 at the bust and graded up to size 37 for the waist and hip. It was my first Burda pattern and I had no idea how good the fit would be on me :) But I think it is not bad!



Fabric: A dark purple jersey, which I bought at Goldhawk Road (which will go perfectly with my planned Beignet Skirt). It is a little bit thicker than the basic T-shirts you can buy in the shops.

Tracing: To begin with I had to trace the pattern (I always do anyway), because there were so many on top of each other. And it took me ages, especially because you have to add the seam allowances and then in the evening with no bright light, it was a bit difficult to see all the lines through my tracing paper. Also, at the sleeves pleats there was some weird shaping going on.

The placket is a bit stretched. Maybe I need a broad shoulder adjustment?

Construction: Apart from the pleats and necklines no problem at all. I used my overlocker most of the time and my twin needle only for the topstitching. As you will notice, my pleats don't look similar at all. I gave my best, but somehow they did whatever they wanted. Next time... (yep, there will be a next!) And the neckline? I think I might have misunderstood the instructions here, because it was very difficult to attach such a narrow neckband and also my neckline stands now slightly up. What about the placket and button loop? Weirdly enough the placket is pulled open. Probably because my shoulders need a bit more room? I might add another button/buttonloop here (the pattern instructions call only for one) and see if that helps.

Watch these pleats! I prefer the one on the right :)

Have I worn it yet? Yes, twice and I like it a lot. The only odd thing is that I can feel the sleeve seams. As the sleeves are not super tight, it can't be that. The seam is just a normal overlocked one, so maybe I can feel the threads? I was hoping the threads would soften after washing, but didn't. Did you ever have such a "problem"?

Will I make it again? Yes! I will make the dress version and I am finally going to use my flamingo jersey that I bought at the blogger meetup in Goldhawk Road in August!

PS: I am still thinking about making garments from my sewing list. But I am sure winter will be long...

12 comments:

  1. Lovely top! This pattern is on my to-do list so I loved reading about your adventure with it :D

    I, too, have the weird "I can feel the seams" feeling. Then again, I'm very sensitive to touches and feels so I just figured it was my weirdness!

    Great job on your first Burda. They are so addicting!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! They are a few more patterns in that issue that I am interested in. So maybe there will be more makes :) I am glad, I am not the only one who feels the seams. But it only seems to be with this garment. The others are fine. Good luck with your Burda! I am looking forward to see your make as well!

      Delete
  2. Well done on your first Burda pattern! I too have a magazine here but haven't braved it yet. What a score finding it in WH Smith too, mine is rubbish so I had to order on line. I'm really looking forward to seeing your next version.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you :) It was only by chance that I got the magazine because the WHSmith in my area doesn't sell them either. Now I always have a look when I see a WHSmith, but actually haven't found another issue that a liked. You have to take your courage and just jump into the project as you would into cold water :) I am sure you will be fine!

      Delete
  3. Very cute! The colour looks great on you and I like the little details that make it different from your standard raglan jersey top, like the pleated sleeves and the back opening. :)
    As a tip for tracing out magazine patterns, I've heard that some people highlight the pattern pieces with a colourful marker to better see which pattern pieces to trace. And there's this little seam allowance guide which you can magnetically attach to your scissors...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ah, I didn't know that this is a raglan! I had to google it :) Thanks for enlightening me! Its a great idea to highlight the pattern lines, because I had to search for ages when I "lost" my line. And I have to check out the little seam guide as well. I tried to tape three pencils together, which gave me the right size, but the pencils kept moving up and down - so no joy.

      Delete
  4. I had a look at a Burda magazine in Smiths and was put off by how confusing the pattern pages looked so well done for buying it and managing to make this! I love the colour, great for this time of year!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! I also don't know here I took my courage from to buy the magazine :) But they use loads of pastel fabrics in there, that's probably why. And regarding the color, I noticed I have quite a few purples in my stash. First it was petrol, now purple, hihi.

      Delete
  5. Pretty top, love the colour and the style makes it a bit fancier than a regular long sleeved top. I've used online Burda magazine patterns before but haven't purchased a magazine as I will quite likely only use 2 patterns out of it. However I'm going shopping tomorrow, I might pick up a copy.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks :) I hope you found an issue that you like! I actually think the Burda magazine is quite cheap, because you get loads of pattern for ~5£. So even, if you make only 2 out of it it is still cheaper than buying a single pattern. Although I have to admit, I love indie patterns because they are so detailed :)

      Delete
  6. That is really pretty, Ela! You got a great fit too!

    ReplyDelete
  7. This is lovely. I love the colour, and the pleats at the shoulders.

    ReplyDelete

Related posts

related posts plugin for wordpress, blogger...