Burda 01.2025 #116 jacket to bathrobe

Presenting my 2025 Resort Collection. 😄

First project of 2025 addresses my need for a swim suit coverup. I've started a water aerobics program and the walk from the locker room to the pool (and especially when wet from the pool to the locker room) is long and cold. This program was not part of a new year's resolution. I actually started right after Thanksgiving because I didn't want my efforts to meet the fate of most resolutions! A couple of months' experience at the gym let me know what I wanted in the way of equipment/accessories. Something absorbent and warm was top priority. This robe should take the place of the extra towel I've been packing.

Rather than search for terry cloth yardage, I found some oversized beach towels on sale at Land's End. 3 of them gave me plenty to work with as far as positioning and matching stripes, and kept fabric costs low. They shrank up a bit and thickened considerably after a pre-wash. It's really kind of like a french terry, with loops on one side and a smooth surface on the side with the stripes.

Here it is, fresh out of the dryer, and photographed without pressing because that's how it will always be seen. In fact, it will usually be fresh from the gym bag and will probably look a lot worse.

Style-wise, I wanted something just a little different from the usual kimono bathrobe. Something that would cover up my neck a little bit for added warmth. Something without a lot of seams to shed terry cloth lint. This unlined jacket from the current issue of Burda Style had a raised neckline and loose goes-over-anything kind of fit.  It had caught my attention because the original length, just below the waist, would make it a great little jacket to go with wide legged, high waist pants. 

Another attractive feature was the way the sleeves are narrow at the wrist. That's an easy alteration to make, but it was nice to see them that way in the line drawings and photos. The effect of a loose fit can be offset a bit by just tapering the sleeves.

One nice thing about tracing patterns id that it alerts you to drafting niceties. That shoulder line might appear straight , but when you put a ruler on it the slight concave and convex curves become apparent. There is shaping and draping built in there. Thank you, Burda. 

No changes other than adding at the bottom to make it knee length, and removing the slight taper at the hem - cut it straight up and down.

Construction was really simple since there are just three main pattern pieces. Burda gives the pattern two dots out of four for difficulty, but the only thing remotely challenging is the neckline dart.  Unless the fact that this style has traditional Burda instructions rather than the more complete, illustrated instructions that some styles have gets it an extra dot.

My only construction problems came because of the thickness of my fabric. The serger balked, so my seams were finished with zig zag overcasting on my regular machine. Actually, the stitches sink into the pile so that no one could tell the difference anyway.

In the magazine, they made this little jacket in a boucle-like fabric they say is a jacquard and also a very chunky knit. Both are cute. Simple lines like this are a good showcase for interesting fabrics. They also recommend sweatshirt knits and firm jerseys. All would be nice and cozy. I could see making this again with the intended short length when a really interesting knit comes along.