The Burda Challenge 2018

A great little idea from Hila of Saturday Night Stitch and a bandwagon I’m only too happy to jump on.  I’ve been buying Burda magazines since March 1994 – and I can guarantee you that I have only made patterns from a tiny proportion of them.  I always intend to make stuff from each magazine.  When they arrive I sit down with a large cuppa and go through all the photos, then through the line drawings and I fold down the corners of the pages with items I think I like, either for me or the girls.  Sometimes I make them up, but more than often this stage is where the project stops.

This January there are a miriad of patterns I like, my favourite by far is the blouse 116.  I fell for the sleeve straight away!  Chris made a fabulous version, sealing my fate.  But alas, for me it was not to be.  The pattern needed to be graded up a size (only goes to 42) and a FBA added.  But when I’d finished the toile and put it on it was horrid.  The neckline is way to high (strangled look not good) fit across the upper chest too tight and the volume of the sleeve with that armhole just too much.

On a slim person, or even someone who’s not, but has “normal” bust size, this blouse would probably look just fine.  But on me – just no.  So disappointing!!!  But, not to worry, there are other patterns in this month to make, yes?  Yes.  But I lack suitable fabric for them…  I’m not buying fabric this month, so what I make has to come from a now seriously depleted stash.

This prompted me to dig out the January Burda issues from the boxes I can easily get my hands on, 2017 to 2010.  And I have a few options.

This from 2016 caught my eye originally and is one of those with a folded page – why didn’t I trace and make at the time?  It’s got an interesting sleeve, is nice and drapey and would do will in either of my viscose fabrics from the stash.   loove the pants too, but have already learned that peated pants do not suit people with a tummy.  Flat fronts only!

Not the top of my list, but one that had caught my eye.  It looks quick to make, but a bit of a fabric hog, and I’m wary of all that fabric in the top and sleeve with my shape…  So maybe not.

Again, quick and simple in shape, just those pesky sequins to deal with!  I might have some special fabric suitable for this, that isn’t sequined.  But it’s a bit plain looking without a fabulous fabric!

I actually really like this top from 2017, I don’t have silk jersey but some navy viscose jersey should do the job just fine!  I wonder if anyone else has made it with the matching “modesty bustier”?

Simple enough trousers to make, the top has seaming details that I found interesting enough to actually trace the pattern, but that’s where I stopped.  I really don’t like wasting fabric, so I guess I thought this might not work.  I really should have attempted a self-draft, but hey-ho.  Now time is against me and I might as well toile this and see where it leads!  I wouldn’t use anything with body, I think this shape only works on me with a soft, fluid fabric, so viscose it is!

Another I liked straight away, but got no further than bending the corner of the page.  I think it wants fabric with more body that my viscose jersey though, so that means shopping…  Oh dear.

This is daughter No2’s contribution, she loves the wrap top and I have a feeling I might have something suitable in the stash.

So, in between the coughing and the sneezing, I’ll try to narrow down my options and make progress with this.  So here’s my sign-up to the Burda Challenge 2018:

I will make a pattern from a Burda magazine each month, even if I have to go back to 2010 to find something that ticks all the right boxes!  I will use this opportunity to revisit those older magazines and maybe make something I’d marked before but not got round to making up, and will stick to the right months as the year progresses.

Wish me luck! 🙂