This pattern is from the 9/2017 Burda Style Magazine. I bought a 3 month subscription and liked this top the minute I saw it. I drafted the pattern straight from the magazine insert, a.k.a. insanity on wheels: 4 pages, 44 patterns superimposed on one another:
Don’t worry though, the mag tells you which set of pieces to trace from which sheet, all you have to do is find them! They’re arranged by number and color, and the key to this is printed on the border of each pattern page. Full of enthusiasm for this challenge to my sewing skills, I busted out my trusty tissue paper and got to work:
I had to grade the pattern up one size, in addition to adding the seam allowance: (patterns in a raw state such as these don’t have allowances added).
Finally, after much time spent on bringing my chosen pattern to life off that plate of pattern spaghetti, I cut the fabric and began sewing. This is when the difficulties started. The fact that I was working with a stripe increased the level of difficulty but that wasn’t really the problem. The instructions in the magazine, for most all of the patterns, are bare bones: small print and no diagrams. The only picture is the cutting layout. The rest must be visualized from the instructions. All seams are numbered, but only some are actually mentioned. It’s kind of disorderly that way, imo.
I managed to make the shirt work, but not without considerable effort. I think that the individual download for this pattern would be well worth the money, because it probably comes with a more detailed and illustrated set of instructions. I added twin needle stitching for all the topstitched finishes, including the hems, but also for the join of the two asymmetric front pieces, and I’m at least pleased with the unique definitive look I achieved from doing that:
I’m still not sure if I actually assembled the cutout shoulder correctly, but I did get the shirt done, and that what counts. Although it was slated as a pattern for the transition from fall to winter, it works for the winter to spring transition just as well.
Next up? I don’t know, but I’ll be thinking about it…
Take care and thanks for reading 🙂
Sewcoordinated 