I’m on the home stretch now. This is the penultimate garment in my vague wardrobe sewing plan, Burda 112 11/2015. It’s a close-fitting sweater with French darts and a fairly cropped length. Here’s the line art, strangely with one arm cut off.
This is the ‘extra pattern in pink’ for the 11/2015 issue of Burda. There are detailed illustrated instructions and the pattern pieces are supposed to be extra easy to trace: they’re shaded to make them easy to find and they don’t overlap. And it’s a simple pattern to start with: only five pieces. Should have been straightforward, right? Wrong. Perhaps I have developed the Burda version of Stockholm Syndrome, but I had more problems with the easy to trace pink pattern pieces than I do with the regular ones. Having the pieces not overlap meant I had two giant pattern sheets to iron and wrestle with instead of one, and somehow I managed to trace the wrong hemline on the front piece despite the shading. I didn’t discover that mistake until after I’d cut out the fabric, and had to hastily make a hem facing from the leftovers, or this would have been a very cropped sweater indeed. I normally take care to check patterns after I trace them but I must have skipped that step this time.
The pattern is designed for fulled loden fabric, which doesn’t fray at all. No seams to finish! Mine’s made up in a gorgeous wool/polyester blend sweater knit from Minerva Crafts. Now I look at the website again I think I used the official ‘wrong side’ of the fabric as my right side. It has a smooth side where you can see the knit stitches, and a brushed side which looks like fleece. I didn’t want a fluffy jumper so I used the smooth side.
Like fulled loden this fabric doesn’t fray, but I suspect it’s stretchier. It sewed up very nicely on my regular sewing machine with a 90 ballpoint needle and a slight zigzag stitch. I didn’t use the overlocker at all. I hemmed it and caught down the neck facing using the sewing machine stretch blind hem stitch; it’s such thick fabric it was very quick and easy to do.
Here’s the back view. That centre back seam provides a lot of the shaping.
I had a bit of trouble with the hem flaring out. Maybe I stretched it out when sewing on the facing or perhaps it was a side effect of whatever went wrong with my tracing, but I had to unpick and take the bottom in a lot at both the side and back seams. Otherwise the fit is great. This is my usual Burda size and the only pattern adjustment I made was adding my usual extra 5cm length. I did debate going down a size because of the extra stretch in the fabric, but I’m glad I didn’t.
I think I’m going to be wearing this a lot. Thanks to my husband for the pictures as usual.
Catherine Daze's Blog 
Looks good. The release of Itch to Stitch funnel neck Gothenburg top this week got me searching through Google images for similar styles in my Burda stash, as I knew they had several, with less baggy necklines I preferred to the ITS version. Besides yours, I found 9/2010 #112 and 01/2019 #111. I think there was another one in 2020 but it was after my subscription ended so I didn’t save it. Yours is the one I preferred, and I have masses of $2/m of polar fleece to test it with.
I love this pattern – bought it from the website a couple of years ago and made in a wool ponte. I added short zips at end of sleeves to match a rtw Next jumper I have with the same general shape. It’s a great pattern I will use again when I find the right fabric. I did do one in quite a thick interlock, but it was too floppy. It needs something with a bit of structure
Such a great looking piece. The zipper with its bling is just right.
Looks like a versatile top. Love the statement zip on it too!
Very chic. This is a great pattern.
It’s the perfect understated garment that just works! Love the big zipper pull!
Zippers add so much to a simple style.
Looks good–such a nice fit!
zipper pull really makes it a stand out piece – (works so well with those trousers which also have just the right amount of detailing…. )
Looks fantastic on you!
It looks so cool! I love the zipper pull detail on the shoulder. The only word I can think of to describe it is nonchalant, but, like, in the best way possible. The style is awesome and it looks so great on you. I think it’s going to look so great as part of your wardrobe.
I love the shape of this sweater and the sip at the neck is a great touch.
This top looks great Catherine, and it is very you! Love those trousers too!
Very nice! I love this sweater and made it a second time when the first one got mutulated by the washing machine. The hem flared out both times, it is the design I guess not the stretching out
Thanks! Glad to know it wasn’t just me with the hem. I’m planning to make this again and I’ll take it in there