Four Simple Burda Tops

Long post ahead about things I'm very glad to have.

Here are four minimal (quick and easy to sew) tops made from the Burda Style magazine, all made over a long weekend. Tracing them back to back made it easy to compare patterns. I had thought that except for the tee shirt, they would all be basically variations of one basic pattern, but they were not. There were variations in shoulder slope, the depth of the armhole, and of course necklines from style to style. To me this shows that there is some thought - maybe even finesse - that goes into even these really basic shapes.

#113 from 02.2025  is a box top with darts, V neck, and deep sleeve bands.  It's also supposed to have center front and center back seams that I eliminated. The example in the magazine photo cut striped fabric on the bias so there is chevroning down the front and back. Darts in a box top seem like a good idea - they can help that box hang just a bit nicer. Sizing - I used Burda's size charts to pick the base size using my full bust measurement, then traced the shoulder and neckline one size smaller and afterward added about 3/8" at the hem for a total of an extra 1-1/2 inches of hip ease.

The fabric is an all-cotton double gauze.

The photo on the mannequin shows the original width of the sleeve bands. These would be fine if you were making the top in more of a blouse weight fabric, like a rayon challis or some silky type. With the dropped shoulder, it all adds up to a 3/4 length sleeve. The double gauze had too much body for such a wide band, so it was shortened to the elbow length you see in the modeled photo.

with shortened sleeve bands

If you trace #113, you actually have an option of sleeve lengths because you can simply leave the sleeve bands off and have a shorter sleeve. This is what Burda did for the related style, #114. That one is cut on grain, has a round neck with a quarter zip, and the shorter sleeves. The main pattern pieces are the same. So you can mix and match your options to make several different-looking tops from this pattern.

Next up, something even simpler. This one is 5.2024 #120. They don't come much more minimal than this dolman sleeve box top with a boat neck. Front, back, turn under the neckline, sleeves, and hems and you're done. I made a neckline facing and stitched it down because I'm not a fan of a turn-and-stitch finish there.

This was made up in a cotton/linen knit with no spandex. It has drape similar to a cotton interlock but hardly any stretch. A loose style that just hangs from the shoulders seemed to be the best choice. 

Tracing and sizes: again, I traced a size smaller than my bust size for the shoulders and then at the sleeve edge just continued on for two sizes (this lengthened the sleeve a mere quarter of an inch or so) and continued tracing the underarm and body using the larger size. Also added length to the body. I'm very pleased with the way this fits nice and securely on my shoulders. It's very comfy to wear and I like the way it looks, too.

The previous style in this magazine, #119, uses the same pattern pieces but with longer sleeves, longer body, and a V neck. So again, if you trace off all the options you can make a few tops that are not exactly the same.

This brings us to the third top. I sewed a white basic tee shirt. Who does that?? I did and I'm glad. This was a very nice fine cotton interlock. Beefier than the tees in the tees in the shop, it has a quality feel. I solemnly swear not to eat anything with tomato sauce when wearing this tee.

It's #127 from the 2.2024 issue, a very basic short sleeve tee with a round neck, loose fitting, with very subtle shaping in the side seams. Sleeves were lengthened to the elbow. When I use this pattern again, I'll narrow the shoulder seams a bit. 

Lastly, a shirt that is not plain white. It has a gray stripe! So here's a different loose knit top with a boat neck that is meant to suggest a breton-type stripe tee. This one uses the pattern 122 from the 9.2024 issue, which is supposed to be for woven fabric, but it's companion style, number 121, uses the same pattern pieces and is for knits. It's the same except the sleeves are cut wide all the way down and it has a turtle neck.

This stripe is a modal/lycra knit.

Although these tops were not challenging sewing, or exciting because of the print or color, they were not boring to make. Partly that was because the sewing went so quickly. The thing that really motivated me, however, is all the thinking I've been doing lately about a neutral wardrobe. It is fun to sew with pretty colors and fun prints, but I'm realizing that most of those kind of clothes don't get worn a lot. Those of us who sew do it for differing reasons. For some it's all about creativity, for others it's more like puzzle-solving. While I enjoy the activity of sewing, the real reason I sew is to make my own clothes. A collection of clothes made just the way I want them and that make me happy when I wear them is my reason. And that seems to mean a lot of white tops. 😉

Itch To Stitch Vikos x 2

 

This is a pattern that I think will be very versatile because it can be reworked many ways. As it is, it has a bit of a folklorish vibe to me because of the neckline and wide topstitched facing. It reminds me of a smock or some of the old patterns from Folkwear, except that Vikos is not a hugely voluminous cut. It can be either a top or a dress, and comes with a short sleeve or a 3/4 sleeve that can be finished with a vented cuff or rolled up with a tab.

I did some flat pattern measuring before making up what ended up being a wearable muslin. The sizing chart put me in the same size as my previous Itch To Stitch top and that consistency gave me confidence. Before cutting the muslin, I widened the sleeve 1/2", lowered the bust dart, shortened the top by 1-1/4" (it's fairly long), and graded out two sizes at the hip. I made all these changes as I traced the pattern, hoping that I could keep the tracing nice and neat and maybe not need to re-do it.

the muslin

The muslin was made from a drapey rayon/linen blend left over from a pair of Style Arc Bob pants. I do make quite a few pants but don't put them on the blog often because it is such an ordeal to get decent photos of them. Back to Vikos - I think the very short sleeve included with the pattern is cute, but wanted more coverage. The sleeves on the muslin are cut elbow length because that's all the fabric I had. I was pleased with the fit except that it seemed like there should be a little more uptake on the dart. That was the only fitting change made after the muslin.

the fixed boo-boo

When the top was laundered to get it ready for its glamour shot, the fabric frayed right at the base of the notch. It's pretty narrow there where you need to clip and I thought I went right down the center. I hope I saved it by tucking the ends in, applying a drop of Fray Block, and clamping it in a hemostat to dry. When you look closely you can see the fix, but it's not glaring enough to bother me. I hope this will hold up through the next wash. I also learned from this test garment to use interfacing with more body to keep the corners of the neckline from flopping open.

the cuff

The second version was made from Brussels Washer, another rayon/linen blend that is slightly heavier than the test version. For this one I was able to make the cute vented cuff. This is just the sort of detail I like.  On me, the 3/4 sleeve is a bit long and I'll shorten it next time. And on this one I went ahead and applied some Fray Block to the tip of the neckline slit before washing.

Here's the lovely bathroom mirror photo of me wearing it. Both my versions were made from drapey fabrics which allow the neckline to splay open a bit (even with stiffer interfacing) causing the armscye to droop down the arm a little. Maybe a slight narrowing of the shoulder is in order. I can see making this again, turning the facing to the outside and maybe embellishing it with some pintucks or contrast topstitching. I might also make a tracing with a plain scoop neckline and use this pattern as a basic woven top. Really, you could transfer all kinds of necklines onto it. It would work well with a little popover-type placket, too. Vikos may well reappear on the blog in other iterations.