Neither one thing nor the other: Burda 105 02/2021

Is it a coat? Is it a cardigan? Is it a jacket? Burda calls it a coat, but in my book a coat has to have full length sleeves and close at the front. Cardigans are usually knitted and this is made of denim. And it lacks the structure of the typical jacket. Whatever it is, it’s style 105 from the February 2021 Burda.

I normally let Burda magazines mature in my pattern stash until they’re a few years old before I make anything from them. But February 2021 had not one but two patterns which leapt straight into my latest wardrobe sewing plans and this is the first of them. I was looking for an indoor garment to layer over the top of an outfit for extra warmth. I don’t get on with most cardigans and this seemed like a promising alternative. It’s a simple sew: fairly square cut, unlined, with patch pockets and no closures.

Burda 105 02/2021 line art, burdastyle.ru

Here’s the back view. One rather odd thing about the design is that there’s no continuity of the lines between the front, back, and sleeves. Those bold diagonal seams on the front come to a dead stop at the side seams. The topstitching on the yoke hits the sleeve seam and vanishes into it. I can almost hear Esme from the Great British Sewing Bee tutting that it hasn’t been very well thought through. It would be easy enough to add diagonal seams to the back to marry it with the front, but I’m not so sure what to do about the sleeves. More top stitching on the sleeve seam perhaps? The pattern called for one line there, but it also has you set the sleeves in so I skipped it, not wanting to do it in the round. If I made this one again I’d put the sleeves in flat.

A change I did make to this version was to add a hanging loop and change the neckline seam finish. There is no neckline facing piece (probably because it would be too bulky on top of the double layer yoke) and the pattern has you sew both layers of the the collar on to the neckline and press the allowances down, leaving a visible seam allowance around the neck. Instead I clipped the allowances at the point where the facing attaches, sewed on just the outer collar between those points, and pressed them up so the inner collar hides them. The top stitching around the collar holds it in place.

This worked beautifully on one side…

And I ended up with a mess on the other. I don’t think I clipped far enough. It’s not visible when wearing, obviously, but it’s annoying.

The pockets on this thing are huge. I have long arms and I can only just reach the bottom. It’s a Tall sized pattern so perhaps that’s not so surprising, but definitely something to check before stitching them down.

When I finished this I was vaguely disappointed. It seemed to lack the style factor of Burda’s version. But I’ve worn it a few times already, mainly when feeling cold indoors, and it grew on me. I suspect it works best paired with a dress, and I don’t often wear one of those. Hopefully I’ll get some modelled photos of it soon for comparison.

22 thoughts on “Neither one thing nor the other: Burda 105 02/2021”

  1. Looks an extremely useful garment, whatever its category. I enjoy looking at your sewing diary: thanks

  2. I do not leave many comments, but all the time I’m looking in your posts you’ve made something I made or I planned to made. I loved the pattern on Burda but as I have a similar “jacket” from La mia Boutique I decided to use my jeans fabric for another jeans, which I’m wearing more, I´m glad to have chosen this way, anyway I still like the jacket, I remember the other version in black and white, quite more difficult to combine. Bye Anja

    1. Yeah I loved the black and white print version in the magazine, but it’s not something I’d wear a lot. I was just looking at your Vogue 9112 – works great in a print!

  3. Good points about the lack of detail on the back, I will probably add some diagonal lines to mirror the front when I make mine. The Russians on the Burda fotoforum joke that those pockets would hold a few kilos of potatoes in a pinch 🙂

    1. Hmm, looking at that neckline again. I think there is a way to do a clean finish there. First, I’d attach the facings to the fronts. Then do a burrito yoke, enclosing the facing ends in the yoke shoulder seams. Then attach the collar a la jeans waistband–there are a few ways to do that, but all would entail topstitching around the edges to enclose the neck seam allowance of the body pieces in the two layers of the collar.

      1. Sounds like a plan…you have to top stitch round the collar anyway so it wouldn’t be any more work. Heh I’ll have to make this again and try it

  4. It’s a hapi, isn’t it? A work jacket designed to be worn open? In any case, I like it a lot. Very nice.

  6. A cover up for cold offices! Useful! I have the Style Arc Harper in a boiled wool knit for that. Your top- stitching is impeccable, as always. I can also see you in this in slim cut pants and a tee!

  7. I’m really pleased that you’ve started your wardrobe sewing plans, because I thought this “coat”, along with the interesting top with the ties are stand-outs for me in that issue. Fantastic work on all the top-stitching – the diagonal lines and pockets really make this design. I really intrigued to see this styled in different ways – the Burda issue shows both of their versions modelled in very similar ways with a long skirt / dress.

    1. It’s a great looking piece. I do see the lack of continuity in the style lines but you can always fix that on the next one. I think it will look great with pants and your Burda top with shoulder zip. Does the coat meet in the middle? Could you add a snazzy zip for closure?

    2. Yes and it does look good with a dress, but I’m far more likely to be throwing it on over jeans. Think Suzanne is onto something with it working well with slim trousers.

  8. What a mixed bag! That neckline treatment bugs me as well – my fix is to sew the front facing to the yoke facing at the shoulders and apply as one piece, capturing the entire neckline seam inside. For a garment without a yoke, I draft a back neckline facing! I like your idea of piecing the back, diagonal lines are so interesting on large spaces. Thanks for sharing!

  9. I think this is a cool style but maybe as you say the drafting was not well thought through. For necklines like that I sometimes borrow a trick from ready-to-wear and cover the seam with some twill tape – contrasting or matching, depending on my mood.

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