Tuesday, November 15, 2011

{Blogiversary Week} The 'Hawk's Eye View' Dress

My new dress is from the BurdaStyle Sewing Handbook that I got for free as part of the Sew Weekly challenge this week!  I'm so curious if any of you have sewn with BurdaStyle patterns?  This is only my second dress and it's something I'd like to do more!



The book includes five patterns: a dress, a skirt, a blouse, a coat and a handbag.  In addition to these five base patterns, there are countless variations on each pattern (2 variations for each pattern with detailed instructions and up to 30 different photos of variations of the pattern from BurdaStyle readers!).  I choose to  use the basic dress pattern as my inspiration and starting point!

Similar to the BurdaStyle magazines, the patterns are printed on the same page.  The book has two patterns to each big sheet of paper.  Below is the skirt and bag pattern (each one in a different colour):

You're supposed to trace off the pattern.  Unless, of course, you can't find your tracing paper and you know you're not going to use the bag pattern (or the flounce on the dress) in which case you can cut the pattern directly!

I wanted a bit of a mod look but with a longer hemline, so I took the basic collar line of the dress pattern (which is very 60's!) and didn't cut out the keyhole or ruffle bit for the dress.  I also knew that I wanted to have different fabric on top and bottom--to create an illusion of separates!


One of the dress variations in the book is from our beloved Casey (of Casey's Elegant Musings)!  I really like her variation and hope to go back at some point in the future to make it!  For that pattern there is a great illustration of how to self-draft front and back facings for the dress.  The fabric I was using for the bodice is a delicious Japanese Kokka lightweight gauze fabric.  It's slightly see-through on its own so I ended up underlining the entire bodice with white cotton. The original dress design has instructions for lining the entire dress, but since I was only underlining the bodice, I used Casey's instructions for creating the facings!


I also had a bit of fun hemming the dress with some matching red bias tape:


I handpicked the zipper using Tasia's tutorial (switching thread colours between the top and the skirt).  I used a 22 inch zipper, which runs down the back of the dress.  The gauze fabric is great because you can't even see the handpicked stitches:


We trekked up to Arthur's Seat yesterday for these photos.  It's has such an amazing view over the city and I just love the look of the volcanic rocks!

 

We saw some amazing Harris Hawks on the hill!  They were moving too fast for us to catch them on our camera. Apparently, there's been a hawk that escaped from the nearby Holyrood Palace that now lives on the hill!


Here's what they look like close-up (photo from Free Photos):

I can just hear you now...'Debi, don't you live in Scotland?  Doesn't it get cold there?'  Why yes, it does!  I would never wear a sleeveless dress this time of the year....without a jacket.  Actually, this dress is perfect for layering to get a suit effect!  In fact, this is how I was wearing it at work yesterday--with a nice wool jacket (from....guess where?  You're right....it's from Ness).  This was the first item I bought from their autumn/winter line and I wear it nearly every week!  I must say that I have also been eyeing a certain Burda cape pattern that I think would look delicious in this navy twill (with red piping?) to go with this dress for a bit of variation!!  I can't decide if I will make the Burda pattern or use a delicious vintage cape pattern??


I do love the Ness jacket (it's called the 'Laura' jacket in Garnet) because it's got elbow patches!!  I must remember to put those on my own sewing projects--they are so nice!


I really like the shape of the dress and can see so many different variations!!


Giveaway
I'm offering up reader's choice of one BurdaStyle downloadable pattern. This giveaway is open to all my readers anywhere in the world. To enter, just leave a comment on this post and talk to me about your thoughts/experiences on sewing with BurdaStyle patterns (downloadable, from the magazine or the Burda patterns).  I definitely want to learn more about these patterns.  Enter your comment by midnight (London time) on Saturday the 19th for a chance to win a BurdaStyle downloadable pattern (it comes as a pdf that you print off, tape together and use).
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53 comments

  1. My mum has quite a lot of the Burda magazines, and a lot of clothes she made us when my brother and I were younger were sewn from the magazine patterns. I remember helping her trace the patterns out! I have a few of the Burda magazines, but haven't made anything from them yet... However, I have traced a pattern for a light jacket, and I have the fabric....just a matter of actually cutting the fabric and sewing it up!!

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  2. Wonderful dress! Love the little red accent belt. I subscribe to Burda and have sewn a few Burda patterns and really like them. I must admit, the best part is receiving the magazine in the mail - such a treat in the mailbox! The magazines contain dozens of garments, so there is a lot of value in the subscription. The only problem is finding the time to sew all the patterns.

    PS - the pattern lines are much, much closer and layered in the magazine then in the book - much more difficult to trace.

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  3. I've actually only ever used the Danielle dress pattern on Burdastyle - I really like that pattern because there's room for variation with it.

    I've got a few patterns from the website to make - the cape in particular, so hopefully they'll be as easy to put together as the Danielle.

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  4. The only Burdastyle pattern I've worked with is a bit of an oddball- a couple summers ago I got ambitious and made myself the Alison swimsuit. I was pretty pleased with the result, and I'd really like to try some of their other patterns!

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  5. I've sewn a couple of Burdastyle.com patterns: the Anda, the Tunic Top With Crochet Flowers and the Bustier Dress with Draped Detail (via Gertie's Bombshell dress class). I'd make all three again (with minor adjustments)

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  6. Wow Debi, this dress is so flattering on you and I love the separates effect you created by using two different fabrics...I'd love to try that myself sometime! It really is gorgeous on and I can't wait to see what variations you come up with!

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  7. I haven't ever made a Burda pattern so it is something I would enjoy getting a chance to try out. :)

    Congrats on 2 years blogging! I've been reading the Sew Weekly blog for a few months now.

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  8. I haven't worked with any Burda patterns yet, most of their patterns are too small for me :( I just got the book in the mail though and have everything cut out for the skirt! The idea of having no seam allowances freaks me out for some reason, although I am definitely excited to learn! I've only been sewing since June (the shame!) so my next lesson to conquer is pattern grading. I love the Jenny skirt pattern for download and there are great tips on grading up from bloggers! I wish I could've helped you out, but your dress is beautiful...you did a great job!

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  9. I love the interpretation, I think the book is great for trying to create your own flare. I have just started using the Burda Style, I have made two items blouse and trousers, I find the lack of instructions a stuggle.

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  10. I am still very new to sewing and haven't actually tried a burda pattern yet. I ahve a few saved and want to try so many. But I am trying to stick to the one project at a time thing (which is kind of bogging me down right now..hmmm).

    You dress turned out lovely.

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  11. I did have a Burda World of
    fashion catalog a little while ago and while I enjoyed some of the styling, I didn't use any of the patterns and gifted them to someone else. I have a very large pattern stash that serves my needs. The multi-pattern sheets are rather cumbersome to me. Your dress is lovely and it looks great on you. I think the multiple options presented with the patterns is a great opportunity for the sewist to stretch her skills.

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  12. I love the Burda patterns but in all honesty haven't got round to actually using any - there are plenty in my favourites though. The one I really would like to have a go at though is the Jenny pencil skirt.

    Your dress is gorgeous and really does look like separates - its a great idea and something I think I'd like to have a go at! Hurrah for my friends at work getting me the Burda book for my birthday next week!!

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  13. I've sewn several things from the magazine and from the Burdastyle site. I'm not sure which is more time consuming: tracing those spiderwebs of pattern pieces from the magazine, or printing + trimming + taping + cutting the PDFs! I'm working on my 2nd Jenny from Burdastyle today; once you get over the prep work, having the sturdy printout is great!

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  14. I've never actually sewn with a Burda pattern before, but I just bought my first Burda Style magazine this past week, so will be experimenting very soon. I don't know if I will be bothered by the fact that the seam allowances are not included, although I just saw a great tip for that on Tilly's blog (from her readers' comments).
    I'm intrigued by that spiral pattern piece in the picture above! What is it for???
    Great dress with a great choice of fabric! And beautiful scenery as usual!

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  15. Oh, and by the way: I know you weren't around in the early '70s, but those colours are SPOT ON! The combo of navy double knit or twill + red-orange, especially in an op-print like yours is soooo 1971. I think I may have even had a little jumper like that with a white plastic belt buckle shaped like a flower.

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  16. I have a Burda pattern that is sitting on my dressform 60% sewn and just waiting for me to finish it! The directions are simple and clear.

    I have a couple of downloaded patterns from burdastyle that are in the cue (the anda dress, especially!). I've been considering subscribing to the magazine, I'm just trying to cut down on the amount of paper that enters the house!

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  17. I adore your version of this dress; you look amazing in it. I'm not buying any more patterns or books until after the holidays, because I always ask for them for Christmas, but I can't wait to get my hands on the BurdaStyle book!

    I've never sewn any Burda patterns, but they seem to be popping up everywhere I look lately. I read a tip somewhere that said that you can tape two pencils together when you're tracing Burda patterns so you have a seam allowance built in, and I think that's genius (if anyone knows where that tip is from to reference it, I'd appreciate it!).

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  18. I made the mistake once of giving my students a burda pattern from a magazine. After several hours of trying to explain the difference between all the colours we finally got somewhere. Not tried them myself yet!

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  19. I have yet to try a Burda pattern- although I do know a lot of the online sewists seem to like them ok- although I hear a lot of complaints about their lack of seam allowances!
    Nevertheless, I hope to try one some day :) I admit I love the fact their site has downloadable and free patterns :)

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  20. For me, the Burda magazine patterns run big in the shoulders - it's taken me too long to figure out that I should cut a smaller size and do a FBA. That being said, my Burda patterns are some of the favorite things I've sewn! They have a little more interesting style to them than the Big 4, and I actually like the process of tracing the pattern, adding seam allowances, and labeling everything.

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  21. from your first dress to your most recent, these are two of my favorite debi made things! (miss purple is third. oh but wait then there's the trousers. oh! campbell dress!)

    never mind. i love all your stuff.

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  22. LOVE your dress - it looks fantastic on you and I like the separates effect.

    I decided I wanted to sew more from my growing collection of BurdaStyle Magazine, so I sewed 2 knit tops (2/2011 -102) this spring and fantastic pants in the summer (6/2011 - 114). In fact, I'm wearing one of the tops today. I love the fit of their patterns - they are not into excessive ease, IMHO. I haven't had any flops or fails, although tracing the patterns could seriously jeopardize one's eyesight!

    My next two projects for myself are the dress on the cover of last September's issue (9/2010-122) and the Karl Lagerfeld skirt that was on that October's cover (10/2010-136). Both will need some lengthening.

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  23. I have never sewn a burda pattern before. They seems somewhat intimidating for a newer sewist like myself. Mostly because I need to add seam allowances myself and trace the patterns, both being time consuming for a newbie. I have searched the site several times though and have seen many patterns I would love to try.

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  24. Love the dress! Love the separate-y feel of it! And I love the Arthur's Seat photos-- I visited Edinburgh for the first time this summer and was blown away by how beautiful it was! Hiking to the top of Arthur's Seat was definitely the highlight of the trip.

    I've started a couple of Burda patterns, but never finished them (the fit and sizing seemed very off and I didn't have the chops as a newbie to sort it out). I think I'm ready to dive in and try one now!

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  25. Debi - you look GORGEOUS ! Prob one of my favourites on you. Such a flattering cut to the dress, beautiful choice of fabrics and HOT DAMN I love that jacket ! What an ensemble. :-) If I were to win I would download the Jenny skirt as I LOVE all the versions that I have seen. I must admit I get the Burda Mag, but am too frightened to trace any of the patterns as the pattern sheets just look like a MASSIVE MESS. I think I may bite the bullet though soon as some of the October offerings are far too gorgeous to be scared of :-)) xxx

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  26. vintage cape all the way, especially after the stunning specimen you made earlier this year!

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  27. Like you, I haven't sewn much with burdastyle patterns - at all, in my case! But I have a couple bookmarked.

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  28. Debi your photos are wonderful. You have gone to so many beautiful places to photograph your creations. I love it and look so forward to you posts.
    No I've not ever sewn with Burda but could try.

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  29. I have only used one of the free downloadable patterns before (I've had a sewing machine for about a month) and liked it. I drool over the Burda patterns whenever I need to a pick me up at work.

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  30. It looks fantatsic and I love that you used diferent fabrics to give the impression of separates.

    I have only used one Burda Pattern, and that was for the Bombshell Dress!

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  31. The dress and jacket combo looks so fantastic.

    I've sewed three burdastyle patterns. All made me happy that I do muslins and test sews. The purchased one was a skirt that had unclear instructions as to the cutting part (!!!!) and thus you ended up with ruffles that were too short. The coffee date dress on the website turned out great once I did all kinds of modifications to it but the vest ended up not as simple to modify as I'd hoped...So I'm game to try burdastyle again-with a muslin!

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  32. See I thought that was Calton Hill from the first photo! it's a fantastic dress!

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  33. I have not sewn any BurdaStyle patterns yet. I have one from Gertie's bombshell class that I am going to start on.

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  34. I have not used any burda patterns. However, this week I was at the bookstore, pouring over their new book. I have asked for it for Christmas and should be able to rectify my burda-less life soon!

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  35. That's a cute dress Debi! I've sewn about 3 or 4 things from the magazine. They are a challenge as there are so many patterns on one sheet of paper making it difficult to see. My tip is to go around the pattern you want in a felt tip pen first (with broken dotted lines) so you can see it easier to trace! Atrocious instructions but the magazine really is a bargain with so many patterns for the price of one magazine.

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  36. Ah, I didn't realize you were in Edinburgh! Lovely place, lovely dress :)

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  37. Love this dress, love the colors and effect between! Burda sewing I guess for you now is as vintage sewing patterns for my ... I grew up with Burda, a child and I did not know American patterns until I entered this wonderful world of blogging. The only recommendation is to try a size smaller than that indicated the magazine, it's great.

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  38. I just ordered the book today. Also, I am enrolled in a sewing class to start soon, so I am excited.
    Love your dress. Also, the shoes!

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  39. I just discovered your blog via sew weekly and I'm hooked! The vintage dresses you have made are so beautiful and impressive (especially for a new sewer like myself). I have never sewn with a burda pattern before, but I have been eyeing a number of nice dress patterns that would be perfect for the upcoming Australian summer :).

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  40. I've never used the online patterns, but I looove the Burda print patterns. They seem to carry a lot of the basics that American companies overlook, especially in men's and boys'. You do need a good sewing reference or lots of experience, as the instructions are rather spare, but all in all I'm a huge fan!

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  41. I've found the fit and sizing in the magazines is different from the paper patterns. I've used heaps of the paper patterns, but only one of the magazine ones; it came out smaller than the paper ones. I love Burda's fit in paper patterns, though I have been known to use other brands too, including Ottobre design.

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  42. LOVE your version of the dress! I just got my copy of the book and need to start cracking on a pattern. I like that you went for a separates look, and the the red makes everything pop!! Oh, red, you fabulous color you. Fabulous work!

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  43. I've done a couple of the downloadable Burda patterns -- they're not bad, you just have to completely ignore the instructions. and remember to add seam allowance!

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  44. You are just too generous! A pattern giveaway a week! I would prefer to try out one of your lovely vintage patterns, but I can't resist adding my name to the hat for a BurdaStyle pattern as well. Especially not after seeing what you and the other Sew Weekly ladies have done with the patterns in the book. Bravo! Wonderful as always!

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  45. Since I live in Germany, the only patterns I have ever been using were burda-patterns. From my experience, theyre useful just as base patterns, you cant really do anything else with them since they arent vintage at all, too wide in the shoulders, to wide in the waist area and too narrow in the bottom area. Moreso, since Ive been using Burda for a few years already, I noticed that they have more and more simple and unusable patterns. So I would say, dont use burda if you arent ready to make one million adjustments. :)

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  46. i haven't used a burda pattern yet, but i would love to!

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  47. I've only sewn from one BurdaStyle pattern - it was my pencil skirt that I made this summer. The skirt was simple enough to sew up and the directions were quite easy - but finding all of the information was the hard part. There was one piece of information that was not included with the downloaded portion of the pattern instructions - I had to go to the project page on BurdasStyle to find important information, like the fact that seam allowances are not included in the pattern. Although it is a bit of a annoyance to add seam allowances, it is more annoying to not have that stated in the directions! I'm not sure if all patterns are that way, or maybe once you sew with Burda, you just know to add seam allowances. Thanks for the chance at another giveaway!

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  48. So far I've only sewn a few of the free Burda patterns. I find the instructions can be a little vague, but I usually manage to get a wearable item in the end.

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  49. This dress is so much fun! I love the print on the gauze fabric. It looks great with that jacket, too. What a gorgeous location for a photo shoot!

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  50. I must admit to only having a go at sewing from a Burda Style pattern once so far - the dress pattern from when we all made black dresses and aprons. I really like a lot of the patterns they put up on their website, so I am intending to try a few more though! The one I have used so far was pretty easy to put together, and I have plans to use it again. :-)

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  51. I like the hidden red at the hem. :)

    I don't have any experience with Burda patterns of any sort, so I can't say.

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  52. So adorable! I absolutely love the gauze, and the overall mod look. Of course, the red hem tape is just too fun!

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I read each and every comment--thank you so much!

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