Burda Style: 11/12

Burda, ye have surprised me.  I LOVE this issue.  And I almost never love November! (the magazine issue, not the month. hehe.)


My favorite might be this vintage 1956 reprint, #138:

But there is a lot that I love in this one.  Love love love this plus sheath dress.  Wow. #146

Pretty sheath dress #122.  You don't see many tailored sheaths with long sleeves:

Another retro-inspired dress, #121 (also available as a peplum top):

Adorable jacket, #117:

Fitted plus tunic #142:

Love this skirt, a nice, tailored twist on a wardrobe staple, from the plus section #144:

And I probably have something similar, but I love these relaxed sweater things. They're so easy to sew and wear! #104

Another great basic, a-line skirt #124:

And the tie-neck top is included too, #109:

This issue is packed with other nice basics too, trousers, jackets, knit and woven tops, skirts.  If you don't subscribe, this is a great issue to pick up with a lot of bang for your buck!


I may be "off" my sewing game in recent months, but I wanted to take a moment to throw in my love for Burda Style/Burda World of Fashion magazine.  I well remember the days I started sewing from these magazines and the frustrations and bewilderment I felt trying to decipher oddly translated directions, no technical drawings and European fit. 

It was exhilarating!

There's a petition making the rounds suggesting changes to Burda Style magazine, and I feel your pain seamstresses.  My advice to beginners and those struggling with the crazy tracing "train tracks", the odd instructions, and the crazy fashion styled photo shoots... stick with it! If you keep working on your skills and learning new techniques, I promise the day will come when you don't really need Burda Style's directions to make that fabulous jacket or dress; you'll already possess the skills needed. 

With experience, you'll also get better and better at deciphering those train track pattern lines, more able to recognize the shapes you should be tracing for the different pattern pieces.

Experience is one of those things that you (unfortunately) can't rush or hurry along...have patience.  Burda Style remains, to me, a real treasure trove of sewing and fashion excitement, delivered right to my mailbox, every single month.  Even six years later.

(and luckily, I don't need those crack-crazy instructions very often. although sometimes I attempt them just for kicks and giggles. the nutty translations crack  me up!)

Viva la Burda Style!

Nerd Herd ~ Burda Style Most Worn Garment

Career Day at school yesterday, so my compadres and I (the Business teachers) dressed as the Nerd Herd from Chuck ... 

What do you think?  Do we pass nerd muster?

I made us badges and everything:

I used the most flattering photos I could find of us on Facebook.  Of course.


I thought you'd all get an especially big kick out of it. Not only because the nerd label is such a stretch for me (shut up Kristine) but because the only white button front shirt I own is from Burda World of Fashion 6/08 #107.  (You can read my original post here. ) Yes, I was a girly nerd. Shocking, right?

I've worn this top a bajillion times.  Not exaggerating.  I have worn it at least once a month since I made it and often more.  I need a new one.  This one is now too big.  Woot for too big tops!  (My pants are too big too, but they're from Old Navy.  Woot for too big pants!)

Question of the week...What's your most worn Burda Style/Burda World of Fashion item??

Burda Style: 8/12 and 9/12

I'm a little behind giving my picks on Burda Style.  In fact, I'm way more than 2 months behind...but I haven't been that interested in their offerings the past few months.  The fall issues are usually my favorites, so I was pretty excited to get these in my mailbox.

Unfortunately they don't rank up there with issues I will reuse and treasure.  Several garments are just repeats of things we've seen over and over.  I hate that.  And I'm not one of those who usually "disses" Burda Style.  I expect not to love every issue, or for every issue to have something I just "have" to make.  What usually happens is someone ELSE loves something and inspires me to see the contents in a whole new light.

I'm hoping that's what happens with these two issues.  So let's get started with my picks from August (my favorite of the two).

My very favorite garment, the one I want to MAKE RIGHT NOW, is dress #102:

 

Gorgeous, retro, very 1940s in feel.  Love love love it.  Worth the issue price alone.

Next, a true basic tee/top pattern with darts.  Not that easy to come by!  There are also back darts for shaping.  Top #109:

 The peplum is back, apparently. Which is good for me, I love peplums.  I remember being sad when they went out of favor in the late 80s/early 90s.  This is a beautiful, simple top and the issue has a simple skirt to match.  Peplum top #113:

Another basic, this classic silhouette with circular skirt is lovely and the style is timeless.  Dress #115:

Something BS excels at is seaming and pushing the darts/seams boundaries.  Sometimes it works, sometime sit doesn't.  I think it works here.  Dress #120:

Lastly from the August issue, another classic silhouette.  We've seen this dress before, with maybe minor differences in darts and neckline.  I still like it.  Dress #133:

Everything else in the August issue is either a complete rehash of something I like as well or better in a previous issue, or it didn't blip my radar. 

Moving onto September...less for me to like here.  In fact, I struggled to find something to feature.  I've been putting this post off because of it.  Literally, my previous September BS issues are falling apart. The covers are ragged, the patterns are all traced, the mags are worn and a bit tatty.  Oh well..there's always October right?

Let's start again with my favorite of the issue, perhaps an odd pick for me, the roll neck tee #106:

I love this very 1960s mod style of neckline, and I love the interesting dart/shaping.  Great fall/winter basic that's not "too" basic.

Next, a pretty blouse with a tie and an off-center placket.  Nice twist.  Top #118

In the interesting seams sheath dress category (it's obligatory now, right?) is dress #134:

 

I enjoy the seaming, probably won't ever make it, unless I could get my hands on the fabulous fabric they used for the magazine dress.  Beautiful. 

Something I almost never make these days, a feminine almost "English riding" jacket from the plus section, no less.  Gorge.  Jacket #137:

 And our honorable mention for September has to be this dress, a '10's does '70s does '40s shirtdress.  Another classic, but featured in a truly heinous color of brown that does this dress no favors.  A darling tiny print in a dark saturated color would be lovely though.  Dress #114:

And that's it for me folks.  I either don't love the rest of September enough or I'm so sick of the silhouette I can't be bothered to care enough to save the images. 

That being said...I believe I will drag out my September '11 issue because there's at least one top in there I would love to make, and a slinky knit waiting to be made up into it. 

Yes.  I'm sewing.  Booyah!

ps...Kristine, stop laughing. 

Burda Style 12/11

The December issue usually focuses on party and fancy wear, and I don't normally find much I actually use.  Actually...I don't know if I've ever made anything from a December issue before.  But, this one has one spectacular vintagey dress in particular, and several other noteworthy pieces too.

Let's start with the vintagey dress.  Very '40s with the fluttery sleeves (notoriously low Burda neckline notwithstanding).  #107 

This suit also has a vintage feel, Jacket #103:

and Skirt #105

Dress #102, a sweet, saucy little thing.  Better suited to spring & summer, maybe?

The cover garment (US) is this rather delicious pink coat.  It's just different enough to be amazing, AND it would look smashing with a cloche hat!

The Plus section has some repeats we've seen before, but I still like this top, #132:

  

And these trousers are a great basic, #133:

And another basic, a little unlined jacket, #131.  The fabric will make or break this one because the design lines are very plain.

Honorable mentions...  The leather pleated skirt.  I will not be making this in leather, but I do love the pleated style in a fun print for spring!

And what I immediately thought of as the Atonement dress...

 

Not a true knockoff, but  a sleek facsimile.  The color of the original is to die for though.

And let's not forget the "Nosy" outfit either.  

Isn't that just like something Betsy McCall's dog Nosy would wear??

(click for full size!)

I don't know if I'll be tracing anything from this issue right away.  I'm still tracing November!  Where did this month go, anyway??