Burda 4.2024 #116

Here is a simple little jacket that is an uncomplicated take on those Chanel lady jackets. It incorporates a couple of nice features: it falls nicely in front thanks to the bust darts, and the back shoulder has a dart converted to ease. Simple little things like that back shoulder easing is not always included in patterns now, and I wonder why. It helps give the wearer room to move and drive. The little bit of shaping really makes a difference on a pattern that is essentially only three pieces - front, back, and sleeve.

This is meant to be a lined cardigan with patch pockets and no closures. The original had trim inserted between the body and facings.

My fabric is a loose sweatery woven blend that came from Fashion Fabrics Club last year. The right side has a kind of tweedy boucle look, and the wrong side is a bit slick so it will slide over other layers without a lining.

Traced size 44, the size that corresponds to my full bust measurement.

Alterations: It's a short jacket, and I am tall, so I added 1" to the length. Added 1/2 inch width at the hip on front and back pattern pieces, for a total of 2" hip circumference. I'm happy with the fit.

It is supposed to be a lined jacket, but the facings as well as the lining were omitted. I bound all my outside edges with french terry left over from a top. It co-ordinates pretty perfectly.

I did make an error - did not remove the seam allowance added on back neckline. This really didn't make any difference except that the back comes up a little higher on my neck but that will keep my neck warmer and is fine with me!

This was quick to sew and will be a great fall layer in my part of the country. Since I'm paying attention to sewing complete outfits again, I'm now working on a pair of Style Arc Carlisle jeans in blue denim that will pair nicely and keep the jacket from looking too formal. After that will need to make a top (pattern, color, and fabric to be determined) to complete the ensemble, and then I'll try to get a photo of the whole thing!

Burda Magazine - expanding the size range

 Back when Burdastyle was Burda World of Fashion, they published a method for sizing their patterns up or down. Most of the time I fall into a range where I need to size many of the regular patterns up or size the plus sizes down, so I've used this often and feel confident about grading up to two sizes different. Beyond that, I'd be sure to make a muslin to check that the pieces go together as they should, just in case there was an incremental error that got compounded.

Here's a quick illustration and explanation of how to do it. In the photo, I am sizing down the pink pattern piece by one size. (It's the center back piece of a princess seam garment.) I've made my markings in black. Ignore the black curve labelled 5 on the right...that's another pattern.

Draw lines connecting all sizes at the seamline intersections. They will be diagonals at all kinds of angles. Extend those lines into the interior of the pattern piece if you're going smaller, or to the outside. 

Now eyeball or measure the distance between the sizes and start to draw your new seamline the same distance from the closest size. You want to echo their lines - so notice that the black line I've drawn for the neck starts out farther from Burda's line at the center back fold, but gets closer at the shoulder, just like all the other sizes do.

When your line reaches the next diagonal that you drew, that's where you will change direction and start another seam line.

Remember to add your seam allowances before you start cutting.

This post was written so I'd have a photo to share on Pattern Review to answer a member's question. It's such a simple concept, and not hard at all to do, but difficult for me to put into words. Maybe it will also help someone else.