Hi Darlings!
For the last 12 months, I had the honor to be a part of Burda Influencer Team - a team of 10 creative women, where each of us got to make a new Burda garment every month. Today, I would like to take a look back and share what I learned along the way, as well as check out what I made throughout the year.
First, I will start with what I learned during this project and for me there were 2 major takeaways:
1. PDF patterns are not scary. I was always a big fan of Burda, but I have never tried a PDF pattern before - I was team ‘tracing patterns’ all the way. It might sound ridiculous, but I was sort-of afraid of PDF patterns: all that printing, taping and cutting out seemed like a lot of work. Plus, there was a chance to print out on wrong scale and get either too big, or too small pattern as a result.
But all these fears disappeared with my first project: turns out, printing out only one pattern is much easier than trying to find correct lines in pattern ‘map’ on the magazine version. I struggled with taping pattern together at first, but I got better with time and now I have a speedy technique to tape everything together super quickly. And about scaling? I didn’t have any problem with it and all patterns I tried came out exactly how they supposed.
I am so glad this project helped me overcome my fear of PDF patterns - turns out, they are not scary at all!
2. Having a clear sewing goal allowed me to sew more. I will not lie to you: as much as I love sewing, sometimes life overtakes and it’s easy to push “me time” (aka, sewing time) to the side. But having a clear sewing goal of sewing 1 Burda pattern each month allowed me sew more - I had to find time for this, so I did!
Now, let’s take a look at all creations I made during this year!
JUNE PATTERN: Sleeveless Peplum Blouse 07/2015 No. 114B
To say beginning of last summer was busy, would be an understatement: I graduated from sewing school, got married and went on honeymoon, all within a couple of days. So for my first project with Burda I needed a quick, yet cute pattern - I picked this Sleeveless Peplum Blouse and made it in two versions. This blouse really has a "Wow!" factor and I got so many compliments wearing it! To read my full pattern review, please check this blog post.
JULY PATTERN: Lace Dress 09/2012 No. 108
If I would have to pick my favourite pattern ever, there is no doubt I would choose this pattern. It's simple, yet elegant and so so versatile - I made it more than 5 times already and loved it each time! Definitely recommend checking out this pattern and if you would like to read my full pattern review, you can find it here.
AUGUST PATTERN: Couture Dress 08/2016 #113
Out of all patterns I made during Burda project, this dress was definitely the most difficult to make (probably that's why they called it 'Couture dress', ha). But all the effort was paid of once I finished this dress: it's a stunner! If you are an advance sewist, I definitely recommend checking out this pattern - it's a challenge worth taking!
SEPTEMBER PATTERN: Darted Dress 08/2017 #111B
So many darts, but so worth it! My patience was tested while making this dress, but results made it worthwhile. Doesn't this look like something Donna from Suits would wear? I loooved this pattern!
OCTOBER PATTERN: Pleated Skirt 10/2017 #109
October gave me a chance to make my first pleated skirt and clean my fabric stash at the same time, by sewing up this bright orange denim that was in my closet for more than a year. This might not be most exciting pattern on the planet, but it has a simple, yet elegant design - perfect for everyday wear in the office! For my full pattern review, check out this blog post.
NOVEMBER PATTERN: Sheath Dress 03/2016 #120B
This pattern is a WINNER - breathtaking, gorgeous, elegant and comfortable, all at the same time. Looking at these photos makes me want to sew it again - I just looooved it! I truly recommend checking this pattern out and for my full pattern review, please check this blog post.
DECEMBER PATTERN: Pleated Peplum Top 08/2013 #115
December is ussually associated with holiday season, so I wanted to make something red and festive - this peplum top looked like natural choice to go with. Though I loved how it turned out, I have to be honest here: the cleavage was a bit too deep for my taste, so I ended up not wearing this top... But I liked the pattern and might be repeating it in the future with a bit higher cleavage!
JANUARY PATTERN: BurdaEasy Coats HW/2014 #1C, D
My first garment in 2019 was this warm long coat - perfect for freezing weather we have over here in January. I love love love big pockets in this pattern and how lucky was I to find two matching fabrics for this coat?! I wore this coat so much this winter - elegant and stylish, yet comfortable - everything I look for in a pattern! My full review on this pattern is in this blog post.
FEBRUARY PATTERN: Utility Jumpsuit 02/2016 #110B
I am always very proud of my makes, but I am SUPER proud of this one: I was always afraid of making pants (hello pear figure fitting issues!), so a jumpsuit was out of question for me. But I am tackling new designs this year and it was time to overcome this fear. What can I say? I loove this pattern and turns out, I am a jumpsuit person, lol :))) I will definitely be making more jumpsuits in my future and in the meantime you can find my full pattern review in this blog post.
MARCH PATTERN: Bow Sleeveless Blouse 01/2019
The moment I saw this blouse, I knew it's worth attention - can we take a moment to appreciate this big bow? I love this design and might be repeating it in the future, because it's a great office wardrobe staple. My full pattern review is in this blog post.
APRIL PATTERN: Plumetis Dress 04/2019 #120
I cannot begin to describe how great this pattern is! So beautiful, comfortable, breezy and easy to make - is there anything else one could wish in the pattern?! I got SO MANY compliments on this dress - this pattern is definitely a winner! For full pattern review, check this blog post.
MAY PATTERN: Shirt Blouse 04/2019 #105A
Just as Plumetis Dress above, this shirt is from my greatly praised Burda April magazine. I haven't reviewed this pattern yet, so I will use the opportunity to do so now!
Made adjustments. Instead of pattern suggested straight hemline, I made curved one, by shortening the front by 15 centimeters. This adjustment made the front fall nicer and honestly, I think it looks better than the original version! Other than this, I sewn everything like it is (even used very similar fabric as Burda did, ha!)
Sewing Techniques. This time, I didn't use many techniques - just regular straight stitch and overlocker on edges.
Favourite part about the pattern. The back - it's gorgeous and it's the key reason I chose this pattern for.
Notes after wearing the garment. This shirt feel so nice and comfortable - I wore it a few times already to the office and loved it!
So here it is - my year with Burda, followed with 12 beautiful patterns and 2 lessons. Which one was your favourite one? Mine is probably Plumetis Dress or Jumpsuit, but I wore my Winter Coat and the Red Striped Dress the most!
Thank you for reading and wishing you beautiful upcoming week!
Julie