Effortless Attention

Wearable Toile: Burda 8/2015, #125B, or, 2015 Christmas Trousers

2015-12-25T14:09:00+01:00

Okay, so this year, I decided that I wouldn’t make a Christmas dress, I would make Christmas trousers! And eminently practical as I am, I made them really, really wide-legged and sufficiently loose-fitting for big meals. Never having owned any trousers like these, I had no idea whether the style would work on me, but even though I feel slightly theatrical in them, I really rather love them!

I am happy to report that they were warm enough for my mum’s traditional 2+-hour Christmas walk. I don’t always join my parents for that, but this year, my brother and I both went along—so I had a photographer and two stylists to help me take some blog photos!

(Please excuse the weird facial expression, this was the best photo of how the trousers hang on me when there isn’t a lot of wind.)

The pullover I’m wearing in the photos is my very, very favourite pullover and was knitted by my mum. I don’t really knit myself, but my mum has been knitting for ages and is awesome at it, so I usually “order” any knitwear I might want from her. Unfortunately, I’m not the only one, so sometimes there’s quite a waiting list. But the result is always worth the wait!

Pattern

This is Burda 8/2015, #125B, in a straight size 36.

Fabric

The fabric is a mystery fabric from Müller. It definitely contains some wool, so I’ll have to wear tights or leggings under the trousers, but I think it’s some kind of blend, probably with polyester. It smells a little funny. I really like the subtle pattern and was looking for a drapey fabric to make a toile of these trousers, so this seemed perfect.

Adjustments

None at all, other than hemming them to my preferred length. I am very pleased with how these fit right out of the magazine!

What I want to do differently next time

I’m not quite sure I need another pair of dramatically-wide-legged trousers, but somehow I really love these, so perhaps I do after all.

I love how the fabric I used this time looks, but it’s a weird fabric, and now that I know that the pattern fits me well, I might want to make a nicer pair from 100% wool, perhaps even lined so that I won’t have to wear leggings underneath if I don’t want to.
A summer version made from linen might be lovely to wear in the heat.
I wonder how these would look as shorts. Perhaps I should try, just for fun.

So, here is what I really looked like on our Christmas walk, other than for the photos:

Photos taken by my dad, with styling help from my mum and brother.

Finished: Tiny Houndstooth Thread Theory Jedediahs … for Me!

2015-10-30T13:34:59+01:00

Hey guys, I’ve made men’s trousers for myself! I tried on a lovely linen pair I made for my boyfriend this summer, for which I used the same modified pattern pieces as for his jeans, just with slightly wider legs. And, surprise! His trousers fit me really well, they were just a tad tight in the back and the straight waistband gaped on me. So I decided to try and adjust that already-modified men’s trouser pattern to fit me—and I’m really happy with the result!

Pattern

These are the Thread Theory Jedediah Pants, in a heavily modified size 30.

Fabrics

The main fabric is a cotton/linen blend with a tiny black and cream houndstooth pattern from UK Fabrics Online. I’m bummed that I didn’t get more of it, it’s a lovely fabric and was really cheap.

I used a black cotton pocketing fabric for the pocket bags and for lining the back yoke.

Adjustments

Starting with my boyfriend’s jeans pattern, I made another few adjustments.

I did a smallish Large Prominent Buttocks Adjustments to give my derrière a little more room.
I “drafted” a contoured waistband. I actually just sewed a straight waistband to the trousers, put them on and pinned out darts to make the waistband fit me. Then I marked the darts, unpicked the waistband from the trousers, traced the whole thing and rounded the resulting pattern pieces a bit. Ta-dah! Perfectly fitting contoured waistband!

I stole the front pocket shape from the Thread Theory Jutlands. I prefer that curved shape to the original Jedediah front pocket shape, plus these don’t gape open as much (the pockets on all of my boyfriend’s Jedediahs do, but he says he doesn’t mind at all).

I widened the legs a bit, as I thought that would look better for linen trousers.
I used a piece of ribbon to add a tiny little tab thingy to the right back pocket. I really wanted to add something unique to these, but I wanted it to be a small detail, not anything that would be very noticeable, so I came up with this tiny thing.

I lined the back yoke. I did the same on my boyfriend’s linen trousers and I think it helps stabilise the back a bit.

What I want to do differently next time

These trousers fit me quite well, so I really want to make several more versions of them—and play with adjusting the leg width and shape. I want flares! And perhaps some more slim-fitting jeans.
For some reason, I always have trouble fitting back yokes. My toiles usually look fine and then something goes wrong with the real fabric somehow. This one is okay-ish, but not quite where I’d want it to be, and I don’t know how to get it right. I’ll have to look into this some more.
I might convert the back yoke to darts for my next version. I feel like they are easier to fit, even though I prefer sewing yokes to darts.
I might want to move the back pockets around and see what works best. I find this the hardest part of making trousers, actually! For this pair, I just kept the original position, but I’m not sure the pockets are all that flattering on me like this.

Photos of me taken by my boyfriend.

Pattern Testing: Named Clothing Lexi Top

2015-09-19T22:16:53+02:00

I mentioned in my previous post that I tested two patterns from the Named Clothing Autumn/Winter 2015 collection. This is the second one, the Lexi Top. It is the pattern I was most drawn to from the new collection, actually, because it’s unusual and slightly odd, but still basic enough to be wearable. I just love those silly sleeves!

Pattern

This is the new Named Clothing Lexi Top, in a straight size 36. I made this wearable toile using the test pattern, not the final version, but the Named girls have told me that they only changed the instructions after testing.

Fabrics

The main fabric is a rather lightweight, slightly stretchy denim that I got at Müller and was planning to turn into a pair of shorts. When the Named ladies sent me this pattern, however, I decided that making it from a stiff-ish denim rather than a knit would exaggerate the odd shape of the pattern in a fun way. As is usual with Müller fabrics, I don’t know the fibre content.

I used a lightweight cotton fabric for the facings because I was afraid that cutting them from the denim would make the neckline very bulky.

Adjustments

This was a pattern test, so I just made up a straight size 36 without any fit or design adjustments at all. I just changed a few of the construction methods because I was using a woven fabric rather than the suggested knit.

I did not use a stretch stitch for anything.
I did not sew any clear elastic into the shoulder seams.
I hand-sewed the body and sleeve hems.

What I want to do differently next time

Overall, I’m actually really pleased with the fit of this top. It is nowhere near perfect, but this is a straight size of a test pattern with no adjustments at all! Keeping this in mind, I was really impressed with the result.

Now for the changes that I think I would need on another version of this pattern …

I think that the armhole shape is slightly wrong for me. I can’t move my arms as much as I would like to, and if I raise my arms, I raise the whole top along with them. It’s not very uncomfortable and definitely wearable, but doesn’t allow for as much movement as I’m used to. Part of that might be the stiff fabric—of course a denim would be more restrictive than a knit!—but part of it is definitely the shape of the armhole.
I’m unsure about the shoulder width. It seems to me that the shoulders are a tad narrow on me from the front and that the sleeve should sit a little further outside. From the back, however, the opposite may actually be true and the shoulders may actually be a little too wide for me from the back? I’m really unsure about this.
On the photo of the back, there seem to be some odd wrinkles around the shoulder blades and below. I think that these probably stem from either or both of the issues above?

If anyone has any hints for any of the above issues, or sees any other fit issues, please let me know!

Pattern Testing: Named Clothing Quinn Shirt

2015-09-01T21:41:00+02:00

When Saara and Laura of Named asked for testers for their Spring/Summer 2015 collection on their mailing list, I was really excited about the opportunity and wrote back immediately. I hadn’t actually gotten around to making any of their patterns, but I owned several already because I just love the Named aesthetic, and I figured it would give me a push to finally sew one of their designs! Unfortunately, my reply ended up in the junk folder and the Named girls only found it after the sign-up deadline. They were really lovely about the whole thing, however, and gave me a chance for the Autumn/Winter collection instead! I tested two patterns for them, but I’m more excited about this shirt, so figured I’d post it first. (:

I don’t think I have ever owned or worn a white shirt before in my life, but I actually think that this one suits me okay. I expected to look horrible in it, and I really don’t think I do. White is definitely not my best colour, but it also doesn’t seem to be the worst.

Pattern

This is the Named Clothing Quinn Shirt, in a straight size 36. I made the shirt from the test version of the pattern, not the final version. The Named girls made some minor changes to the pattern after testing, but overall my version should be close to the final pattern, I think.

Fabric

The fabric is from Müller and, as almost always, I don’t know the fibre content. It is slightly sheer and has a shiny pattern woven in that can be seen in the detail shots. Judging by a burn test and by how it behaved while I worked with it, I would say it is probably mostly viscose—though my mum was sceptical when I suggested that to her. The fabric was easy to cut, sew and press, but frayed quite a bit, wrinkles somewhat easily, and I struggled with ironing the finished garment—as you can see very well on my photos, I’m afraid!

Adjustments

Since this was a pattern test, I asked the Named girls whether it was okay with them if I changed the collar shape. I’m just really not into the kind of small, cute collar that seems to be popular right now, so I always end up making my collars bigger and pointier. Laura said that they were fine with my suggested change, so I went ahead and pretty much copied the shape of my adjusted Grainline Studio Archer pattern—making sure to keep my pattern as asymmetrical as the original. I like the result a lot more than the original, though I must admit that it doesn’t look quite as neat and balanced!
I only sewed on the left front pocket. I’m particular about the features I like on a shirt, and if I have the choice, I prefer one front pocket to two.
Okay, this wasn’t a planned adjustment, but I should mention that I botched the front vent and it doesn’t look like it should. I struggled with the instructions and had to resort to an ugly hack in order to make it look … acceptable. It was even worse before I winged it.

What I want to do differently next time

I am really impressed with the fit of both the Quinn and the other pattern I tested. It’s nowhere near perfect, but the Quinn fits me at least as well as any of my ready-to-wear shirts—with no fit adjustments at all! There are still several things I’d like to tweak, but my first attempt is perfectly wearable—and with a few adjustments, this could become a great tried-and-true semi-fitted shirt pattern for me.

The position of the bust darts is completely wrong on me, I need to lower them by about 2–3cm next time. I found this really perplexing. How could bust darts be too high on me? I have a very small bust, so I need less fabric than someone with a fuller bust would, so less fabric gets pulled up, so the darts end up lower on me than they would on someone with, say, B cups, don’t they? Perhaps my logic is flawed somehow, but I was really baffled by this. The Named girls have told me that they lowered the bust darts after testing, however, so apparently I wasn’t the only tester who had an issue with this. I’ll have to compare the test pattern to the final version to check whether the darts are low enough for me now.
I might want to give myself a tiny bit more room around the derrière. The shirt isn’t really too tight, I just think that I would prefer a tiny bit more ease, particularly when I’m sitting.
I will probably eliminate the front vent. I really struggled with sewing it, and the result shows my struggle. I thought that it was a cute detail at first, but I’m really not a huge fan of it on my finished shirt, I’m afraid.
I didn’t like the construction method for the tower plackets, the finish isn’t quite as neat as I would have liked. It looks fine from the outside, but there is a raw edge on the inside, and I don’t like that. None of the plackets on my own or my boyfriend’s ready-to-wear shirts look like this! I think that this was also rectified in the final version, but I might still steal the pattern piece and instructions from the Sewaholic Granville Shirt for my next Quinn.

I definitely want flat-felled or French seams for the side and sleeve seams! I followed the instructions this time, since this was a pattern test, but next time, I would increase the seam allowances for the sides and sleeves to 1.5cm and sew neater seams.
I would use my favourite methods for sewing the collar (including cutting a smaller under-collar) and achieving neat collar points again next time. I followed the Named instructions to the letter for the pattern test, but I’m happier with how my collars turn out when I use the other methods.
Speaking of the collar … I might want to tweak the shape a bit to make it look more balanced. The Named ladies really made sure that the original collar looks symmetrical even though it is not—and I messed that up by changing the size. I think that my asymmetrical collar is okay, but I’m sure it could look better.

I would completely eliminate every single step that says to stitch in the ditch, and replace all of them with hand-sewing. I might be the odd one out, but I hate stitching in the ditch with a passion, and I don’t mind hand-sewing details that look much, much neater when I do.

Detail photos taken by my boyfriend.

Finished: Bright Red Thread Theory Jutland Trousers

2015-08-15T09:56:00+02:00

So, I made my boyfriend some trousers months ago and never got around to writing about them. They’re red, which is a notoriously hard-to-photograph colour, my boyfriend doesn’t like to pose for photos, and he wore the trousers before I got around to taking pictures. The resulting photos are pretty bad, but sometimes you’ll just have to take what you can get.

Pattern

These are the Thread Theory Jutland Pants. I made Variation 1 in a size 30, but with the back patch pockets of Variation 2. My boyfriend would probably be closer to a size 28, but the 30 is the smallest size for this pattern, so I had to take the trousers in quite a bit in various places, as detailed below.

Fabrics

The main fabric is from Komolka and it was originally an even brighter shade of red. When my mum saw it, she thought that it was too bright for my boyfriend, and since I hadn’t been quite sure of it either, I let her convince me to dye it. (I couldn’t ask my boyfriend, since the trousers were a birthday surprise.) We used Dylon Fabric Dye in Rosewood Red, if I remember correctly. The colour is much nicer now, but still quite bright—and fortunately, my boyfriend loves it.

I made the waistband facing from a bright orange quilting cotton that I had in my stash.

I used white pocketing from Komolka for the front pocket bags. Quilting cotton pockets are fun, but I can’t imagine they’d hold up well if you put things like keys into your pockets.

Adjustments

I tried a Flat Buttocks Adjustment. I don’t quite know how much I removed, however, because I just did this using my … uh … intuition, I guess? My boyfriend could’ve used this on the Jedediahs as well and the Jutlands are wider overall, so I thought that it should definitely make them fit better. I followed the instructions for the Slash Method in Elizabeth Liechty’s (et al.) Fitting and Pattern Alteration: A Multi-Method Approach to the Art of Style Selection, Fitting, and Alteration. This was the first time that I used the book, but I found the instructions pretty clear (though concise).

I removed a 7mm wedge from centre back because the waistband was gaping a bit on the toile.
I unpicked the back darts. I had my boyfriend try on the almost-finished trousers, with the waistband basted on, and they were slightly tight around the waist. I didn’t fancy unpicking and redoing my flat-felled seams, so I decided that unpicking the darts might work. It’s a dirty fix and I would definitely not do this on the next pair, but I figured that slightly visible holes from unpicking and a slightly-off shape were much better than trousers that aren’t comfortable to wear (and thus won’t get worn).
The waistband piece was quite a bit longer than the circumference of the trousers after my buttocks adjustments, so I just attached it without easing anything and cut off the extra fabric at both ends. The instructions tell you to “ease the excess pants material into the waistband”, but I’m not sure there was any “excess pants material” even before my adjustments. I can’t say for sure, I haven’t kept a print-out of the original pattern.
I took in the side seam on both the front and back pieces by about 1cm each at the hips. The side seam is not very curved in the original, but it was still sticking out around my boyfriend’s rather narrow hips.
I slimmed down the legs by 1cm on both the front and back pattern pieces. I had to make the Jedediahs slightly wider to suit my boyfriend’s taste, but the Jutlands are quite a bit wider already and I thought that they would be a little too wide on him. I did this by following the Slash Method for the Thin Legs Adjustment in Liechty’s book, just for fun. I’m trying to learn more about how to properly adjust patterns, so this seemed like another good chance to practise. (The pattern pieces do look rather hacked up by now, I’m afraid.)
I shortened the legs by 5cm at the lengthen/shorten line.
I don’t like cut-on fly facings, so I removed them and drafted separate fly facing and fly shield pieces for a 14cm zip instead. I just really prefer a fly construction method that uses all of those little pieces.
I added six belt loops rather than the five the pattern calls for, and I placed them slightly differently to make them more practical for my boyfriend’s needs. I placed two of them at the front pocket openings, two at the side seams, and the last two 2cm from the back darts toward centre back. He says that he hates it when the end of his belt sticks out because there’s no belt loop to hold it; the side seam loops fix that issue.

I also made the belt loops slightly narrower than they would have turned out if I’d followed the instructions exactly. I just don’t really like wide belt loops.
I slip-stitched the inside waistband rather than topstitching from the outside. I don’t usually like visible topstitching on waistbands.

What I want to do differently next time

I need to improve the fit around the waist. I would like to keep the darts for next time, but I’ll have to add a little more room to the front piece, probably about the amount of the dart intake.
I think that my boyfriend has uneven hips or something, because it looks as if the trouser legs aren’t the same length on him? I’ll probably want to account for that next time.
My boyfriend would like slimmer legs on the next pair, he says. Personally, I usually prefer slimmer legs on men’s jeans, but he was fine with them as they are for this pair. I specifically asked him when he tried on the toile. Still, he wants them slimmed down for the next pair and I’ll gladly do that.
I think that the patch pockets are a little big and perhaps slightly too low. I’ll have to play with pocket size, shape and position. Personally, I prefer the shape of the Jedediah back pockets, so I might steal that pattern piece for my next Jutlands. I asked my boyfriend which pockets he wanted for this pair and he chose the Jutland shape.
The fly facing and fly shield pieces I drafted were slightly short for the zip I used. I don’t know what I messed up, but next time, I should either use a shorter zip or lengthen those two pieces a bit. They worked as they are, but the result looks a little messy from the inside.

The next pair of trousers I make for my boyfriend will probably be modified Jedediahs rather than Jutlands. I prefer the front pocket shape of the Jutlands, my boyfriend prefers the fit of his black Jedediahs—so I might just copy the Jutland pocket shape onto the (already adjusted) Jedediah pattern pieces and continue from there.

Finished: The most adorable Grainline Studio Portside Duffel Bag that ever was

2015-07-30T17:46:58+02:00

So, guys, I have made the most adorable duffel bag ever! Look!

What, you don’t think that this is particularly interesting? You have seen my three previous duffel bags—and you think that, by comparison, this one is really boring? No colour-blocking, no stripes, no nothing? Well, let me show you this duffel bag in context, so you’ll see why it’s awesome!

That’s right! I’ve made a mini version of the Portside Duffel Bag for my friend Bär—who lives with my parents and, until now, had no place to store his clothes and no bag to pack them when he travels. Poor Bär!

(Oh, and by the way, I also made Bär’s shirt. That was last summer, and I was going to post about it, but then my mum promised to knit him a matching summer hat. So I wanted to take photos of the whole new outfit—and since the new hat hasn’t been made yet … Oh well.)

Pattern

This is my fourth version of the Grainline Studio Portside Duffel Bag (three previous versions here).

I didn’t expect I’d enjoy making another of these, but this was really fun, and went so much more quickly than I expected! (Please don’t remind me that I still owe my sister a human-sized version, however …)

Fabrics

For the shell, I used the same fabric as for my dad’s bag. Bär lives with my parents, so I thought it would be fun to make his bag match my dad’s.

For the lining, I used some more of the plaid fabric I’ve used for a tank top and my Paprika Patterns Onyx test version before. I’m so glad I’ve finally used it up except for a few small scraps! Working with off-grain plaid is not my idea of fun.

I used a piece of stiff denim as sew-in interfacing for the bottom piece in order to help the bag keep its shape.

Adjustments

Uhm. I printed the pattern at 40% of the original size.
I cut both the shell and the lining from the lining pattern pieces.
I left off the shoulder strap. That would just have been way too fiddly at this size, and I don’t even know whether I could’ve found the right size of D-rings.
I left off one of the outer pockets. I was going to leave them both off in order to simplify things, but then I woke up the day after cutting out the pieces and somehow immediately knew that I needed to cut a pocket for Bär’s bag after all. So I did.
I made fabric straps again instead of using webbing.

Burda of the Past: Historical Burda Size Charts

2015-07-18T19:49:00+02:00

As suggested by Silvia the Sewing Princess, I have compiled some size charts from my old Burda magazines. I don’t have a complete collection, but I have a lot of issues from the late 60s through the early 2000s, so I’ve collected what data I have.

I’m just going to list the regular ladies’ and men’s sizes. If anyone is interested in anything else, let me know. These tables are quite some work to format, so I don’t feel like doing any more of them than anyone is interested in anyway.

I am not going to reproduce a whole new table of measurements every time the trouser, skirt or sleeve lengths change. They seem to vary a lot more than the body measurements, and I’m too lazy to account for that. I am including them for the tables I’m copying, but just note that they change more frequently than everything else.

The tables are in German in my Burda issues, obviously, but I’ve written a little table of (my own, non-professional) English translations for the benefit of any non-German-speaking readers. All measurements are in centimetres. For illustrational purposes, I have highlighted the closest bust/waist/hip measurements to mine in all of the tables. I found it fun to see how many (and which) sizes they span at different points in time.

Translations

German	English
Oberweite	Bust/Chest circumference
Taillenweite	Waist circumference
Hüftweite	Hip circumference
Vord. Taillenlänge	Front shoulder to waist (over bust apex)
Brusttiefe	Front shoulder to bust apex
Rückenlänge	Back length (nape to waist)
Rückenbreite	Back width
Schulterbreite	Shoulder width
Halsweite	Neck circumference
Ärmellänge	Sleeve length
Oberarmweite	Upper arm circumference
Dreiviertelärmel	¾ sleeve
Handgelenkweite	Wrist circumference
Rocklänge	Skirt length
[Seitl.] Hosenlänge	Trouser length [at side]
Körpergröße	Height
Bundweite	Waistband circumference
Gesäßweite	Circumference of the behind
Schrittlänge	Inseam length

September 1967

Ladies

	36	38	38/40	40	42	44	46	48	50	52	54
Oberweite	84	86	88.0	90.0	94.0	98	104.0	110	116	124.0	134.0
Taillenweite	60	64	65.0	66.0	70.0	78	84.0	90	98	108.0	118.0
Hüftweite	90	92	94.0	96.0	100.0	106	114.0	120	126	134.0	142.0
Vord. Taillenlänge	43	43	43.5	43.5	44.0	45	47.0	49	50	52.0	52.0
Brusttiefe	24	24	25.0	25.0	26.0	28	30.0	31	33	34.0	35.0
Rückenlänge	40	40	40.0	40.0	40.0	41	41.5	42	42	42.5	42.5
Rückenbreite	35	35	36.0	36.0	37.0	39	40.0	42	43	44.0	46.0
Schulterbreite	13	13	13.0	13.0	13.5	14	14.0	14	14	14.0	14.0
Halsweite	34	34	35.0	35.0	36.0	37	38.5	40	41	42.0	42.5
Ärmellänge	56	57	58.0	58.0	59.0	60	61.0	61	60	59.0	58.0
Oberarmweite	24	25	26.0	26.0	28.0	30	34.0	36	38	39.0	40.0
Dreiviertelärmel	22	22	23.0	23.0	24.0	25	26.0	27	28	29.0	29.0
Handgelenkweite	16	16	16.0	16.0	17.0	18	18.0	19	19	20.0	20.0
Rocklänge	59	60	61.0	61.0	63.0	65	68.0	70	70	70.0	70.0
Hosenlänge	95	96	97.0	97.0	98.0	100	102.0	104	104	104.0	104.0

Gentlemen

	44	46	48	50	52	54	56
Oberweite	90	95	100	105	110	115	120
Taillenweite	80	84	88	94	100	105	110
Hüftweite	98	102	106	111	116	120	124
Halsweite	38	39	40	41	42	43	44
Ärmellänge	60	61	62	63	64	65	66
Seitl. Hosenlänge	97	99	102	104	105	106	106

September 1968

Ladies

	36	38/40	42	44	46	48	50	52	54
Oberweite	84.0	88	94.0	98.0	104.0	110	116	124.0	134.0
Taillenweite	60.0	65	70.0	78.0	84.0	90	98	108.0	118.0
Hüftweite	90.0	94	100.0	106.0	114.0	120	126	134.0	142.0
Vord. Taillenlänge	43.0	44	45.0	46.5	48.0	50	51	52.0	52.0
Brusttiefe	24.0	25	26.0	28.0	30.0	31	33	34.0	35.0
Rückenlänge	40.0	40	40.5	41.0	41.5	42	42	42.5	42.5
Rückenbreite	34.0	35	37.0	38.5	40.0	42	43	44.0	46.0
Schulterbreite	12.5	13	13.5	14.0	14.0	14	14	14.0	14.0
Halsweite	34.0	35	36.0	37.0	38.5	40	41	42.0	42.5
Ärmellänge	56.0	58	59.0	60.0	61.0	61	60	59.0	58.0
Oberarmweite	25.0	28	30.0	32.0	34.0	36	38	39.0	40.0
Dreiviertelärmel	22.0	23	24.0	25.0	26.0	27	28	29.0	29.0
Handgelenkweite	16.0	16	17.0	18.0	18.0	19	19	20.0	20.0
Rocklänge	59.0	61	63.0	65.0	68.0	70	70	70.0	70.0
Hosenlänge	95.0	97	98.0	100.0	102.0	104	104	104.0	104.0

Gentlemen

As above for September 1967.

September 1969

Ladies

	32*	34	36	38/40	42	44	46	48	50	52	54
Oberweite	82.0	84.0	86.0	90	94.0	98.0	104.0	110	116	124.0	134.0
Taillenweite	56.0	58.0	61.0	64	70.0	78.0	84.0	90	98	108.0	118.0
Hüftweite	88.0	90.0	92.0	94	100.0	106.0	114.0	120	126	134.0	142.0
Vord. Taillenl.	42.5	42.5	43.0	44	45.0	46.5	48.0	50	51	52.0	52.0
Brusttiefe	23.0	23.0	24.0	25	26.0	28.0	30.0	31	33	34.0	35.0
Rückenlänge	40.0	40.0	40.0	40	40.5	41.0	41.5	42	42	42.5	42.5
Rückenbreite	33.0	33.0	34.0	35	37.0	38.5	40.0	42	43	44.0	46.0
Schulterbreite	12.0	12.0	12.5	13	13.5	14.0	14.0	14	14	14.0	14.0
Halsweite	33.0	33.0	34.0	35	36.0	37.0	38.5	40	41	42.0	42.5
Ärmellänge	56.0	56.0	57.0	58	59.0	60.0	61.0	61	60	59.0	58.0
Oberarmweite	24.0	25.0	26.0	28	30.0	33.0	35.0	37	39	40.0	41.0
Handgelenkweite	16.0	16.0	16.0	16	17.0	18.0	18.0	19	19	20.0	20.0
Rocklänge		50.0	52.0	54	56.0	58.0	60.0	62	64	64.0	64.0
Hosenlänge		95.0	96.0	97	98.0	100.0	102.0	104	104	104.0	104.0

* Added in June 1972.

Gentlemen

As above for September 1967.

March 1973

Ladies

	32	34	36	38/40	42	44	46	48	50	52	54
Oberweite	82.0	84.0	86.0	90	94.0	98.0	104.0	110	116	122.0	130.0
Taillenweite	58.0	60.0	63.0	66	72.0	80.0	86.0	92	98	106.0	114.0
Hüftweite	86.0	88.0	90.0	94	100.0	106.0	112.0	118	124	130.0	138.0
Vord. Taillenl.	42.5	42.5	43.0	44	45.0	46.5	48.0	50	51	52.0	52.0
Brusttiefe	23.0	23.0	24.0	25	26.0	28.0	30.0	31	33	34.0	35.0
Rückenlänge	40.0	40.0	40.0	40	40.5	41.0	41.5	42	42	42.5	42.5
Rückenbreite	33.0	33.0	34.0	35	37.0	38.5	40.0	42	43	44.0	45.0
Schulterbreite	12.0	12.0	12.5	13	13.5	14.0	14.0	14	14	14.0	14.0
Halsweite	33.0	33.0	34.0	35	36.0	37.0	38.5	40	41	42.0	42.5
Ärmellänge	56.0	56.0	57.0	58	59.0	60.0	60.0	60	60	60.0	60.0
Oberarmweite	24.0	25.0	26.0	27	29.0	32.0	35.0	37	39	40.0	41.0
Handgelenkweite	16.0	16.0	16.0	16	17.0	18.0	18.0	19	19	20.0	20.0
Seitl. Hosenlänge	103.0	103.0	103.0	103	105.0	105.0	105.0	107	107	107.0	107.0

Gentlemen

As above for September 1967 (except for trouser length).

August 1974

Ladies

	32*	34	36	38	40	42	44	46	48	50	52	54*
Oberweite	78	80	84.0	88.0	92.0	96	100.0	104.0	110.0	116.0	122.0	128.0
Taillenweite	57	60	63.0	66.0	70.0	74	80.0	86.0	92.0	98.0	106.0	114.0
Hüftweite	86	88	90.0	94.0	98.0	102	106.0	112.0	118.0	124.0	130.0	138.0
Vord. Taillenl.	42	43	44.0	45.0	46.0	47	48.0	49.0	50.0	51.0	52.0	52.0
Brusttiefe	24	24	25.0	26.0	27.0	28	29.0	31.0	32.0	33.0	34.0	35.0
Rückenlänge	40	40	40.0	40.0	40.5	41	41.5	42.0	42.5	42.5	43.0	43.0
Rückenbreite	32	33	34.0	35.0	36.0	37	38.0	39.0	40.5	42.0	43.5	45.0
Schulterbreite	12	12	12.5	12.5	13.0	13	13.5	14.0	14.0	14.0	14.5	14.5
Halsweite	32	33	34.0	35.0	36.0	37	38.0	39.0	40.0	41.0	42.0	43.0
Ärmellänge	58	58	58.0	59.0	59.0	59	60.0	60.0	60.0	60.0	60.0	60.0
Oberarmweite	24	25	26.0	27.0	29.0	31	33.0	35.0	37.0	39.0	40.0	41.0
Handgelenkweite	16	16	16.0	16.0	17.0	17	18.0	18.0	19.0	19.0	20.0	20.0
Seitl. Hosenlänge	107	107	107.0	107.0	108.0	109	110.0	110.0	112.0	114.0	114.0	114.0

* In April 1975, sizes 32 and 54 were removed, but the other sizes remained the same.

Gentlemen

There is no regular men’s size chart included in this issue, or any of the ones up until the end of 1974. In April 1975, there were just three men’s sizes, 44 through 48, but those were still the same as in 1967.

December 1975

Ladies

	34	36	38	40	42	44	46	48	50	52
Oberweite	80.0	84.0	88.0	92.0	96	100.0	104.0	110.0	116.0	122.0
Taillenweite	63.0	65.0	67.0	70.0	74	80.0	86.0	92.0	98.0	106.0
Hüftweite	88.0	90.0	94.0	98.0	102	106.0	112.0	118.0	124.0	130.0
Vord. Taillenl.	43.0	44.0	45.0	46.0	47	48.0	49.0	50.0	51.0	52.0
Brusttiefe	25.5	26.0	27.5	28.5	29	30.0	31.5	32.0	33.0	34.0
Rückenlänge	40.0	40.0	40.0	40.5	41	41.5	42.0	42.5	42.5	43.0
Rückenbreite	33.0	34.0	35.0	36.0	37	38.0	39.0	40.5	42.0	43.5
Schulterbreite	12.0	12.5	12.5	13.0	13	13.5	14.0	14.0	14.0	14.5
Halsweite	33.0	34.0	35.0	36.0	37	38.0	39.0	40.0	41.0	42.0
Ärmellänge	58.0	58.0	59.0	59.0	59	60.0	60.0	60.0	60.0	60.0
Oberarmweite	25.0	26.0	27.0	29.0	31	33.0	35.0	37.0	39.0	40.0
Handgelenkweite	16.0	16.0	16.0	17.0	17	18.0	18.0	19.0	19.0	20.0
Seitl. Hosenlänge	107.0	107.0	107.0	108.0	109	110.0	110.0	112.0	114.0	114.0

Gentlemen

Again, no men’s size chart in the December 1975 issue. Here’s the one for November 1975:

	46	48	50	52	54
Körpergröße	172	174.0	176	178	180
Oberweite	92	96.0	100	104	108
Bundweite	82	86.0	90	94	100
Gesäßweite	100	104.0	108	112	116
Rückenlänge	45	46.0	47	48	49
Rückenbreite	39	40.5	42	43	44
Halsweite	38	39.0	40	41	42
Ärmellänge	62	63.0	64	65	66
Schrittlänge	80	81.0	82	83	84

January 1977

Ladies

As above for December 1975.

Gentlemen

	46	48	50	52	54
Körpergröße	172	174.0	176	178	180
Oberweite	92	96.0	100	104	108
Bundweite	82	86.0	90	94	100
Gesäßweite	96	100.0	104	108	112
Rückenlänge	45	46.0	47	48	49
Rückenbreite	39	40.5	42	43	44
Halsweite	38	39.0	40	41	42
Ärmellänge	62	63.0	64	65	66
Schrittlänge	80	81.0	82	83	84

August 1978

Ladies

	34	36	38	40	42	44	46	48	50	52
Oberweite	80.0	84.0	88.0	92.0	96.0	100.0	104.0	110.0	116.0	122.0
Taillenweite	63.0	65.0	68.0	72.0	76.0	80.0	86.0	92.0	98.0	104.0
Hüftweite	88.0	90.0	94.0	98.0	102.0	106.0	110.0	116.0	122.0	128.0
Vord. Taillenl.	43.0	44.0	45.0	46.0	47.0	48.0	49.0	50.0	51.0	52.0
Brusttiefe	25.5	26.5	27.5	28.5	29.5	30.0	31.0	32.0	32.5	33.5
Rückenlänge	39.5	40.0	40.5	41.0	41.5	42.0	42.5	43.0	43.5	44.0
Rückenbreite	33.0	34.0	35.0	36.0	37.0	38.0	39.0	40.5	42.0	43.5
Schulterbreite	12.2	12.5	12.7	13.0	13.2	13.5	13.7	14.0	14.2	14.5
Halsweite	33.0	34.0	35.0	36.0	37.0	38.0	39.0	40.0	41.0	42.0
Ärmellänge	58.0	58.0	59.0	59.0	59.0	60.0	60.0	60.0	60.0	60.0
Oberarmweite	25.5	26.5	27.5	29.0	30.5	32.0	33.5	35.0	36.5	38.0
Handgelenkweite	16.0	16.0	16.0	17.0	17.0	18.0	18.0	19.0	19.0	20.0

Gentlemen

As above for January 1977.

August 1980

Ladies

	34	36	38	40	42	44	46	48	50	52
Oberweite	80.0	84.0	88.0	92.0	96.0	100.0	104.0	110.0	116.0	122.0
Taillenweite	63.0	65.0	69.0	73.0	77.0	81.0	85.0	91.0	97.0	103.0
Hüftweite	86.0	90.0	94.0	98.0	102.0	106.0	110.0	116.0	122.0	128.0
Vord. Taillenl.	42.5	43.5	44.5	45.5	46.5	47.5	48.5	49.5	50.5	51.5
Brusttiefe	25.0	26.0	27.0	28.0	29.0	30.0	31.0	32.0	33.0	34.0
Rückenlänge	40.0	40.5	41.0	41.5	42.0	42.5	43.0	43.5	44.0	44.5
Schulterbreite	12.2	12.5	12.7	13.0	13.2	13.5	13.7	14.0	14.2	14.5
Halsweite	33.0	34.0	35.0	36.0	37.0	38.0	39.0	40.0	41.0	42.0
Ärmellänge	58.0	58.0	58.0	58.0	58.0	59.0	59.0	59.0	59.0	59.0
Oberarmweite	26.0	27.0	28.0	29.0	30.0	31.5	33.0	34.5	36.0	37.5

Gentlemen

As above for January 1977.

May 1985

Ladies

	34	36	38	40	42	44	46	48	50	52
Oberweite	80.0	84.0	88.0	92.0	96.0	100.0	104.0	110.0	116.0	122.0
Taillenweite	64.0	66.0	70.0	74.0	78.0	82.0	86.0	92.0	98.0	104.0
Hüftweite	88.0	90.0	94.0	98.0	102.0	106.0	110.0	115.0	120.0	125.0
Vord. Taillenl.	42.5	43.5	44.5	45.5	46.5	47.5	48.5	49.5	50.5	51.5
Brusttiefe	25.0	26.0	27.0	28.0	29.0	30.0	31.0	32.0	33.0	34.0
Rückenlänge	40.0	40.5	41.0	41.5	42.0	42.5	43.0	43.5	44.0	44.5
Schulterbreite	12.0	12.5	12.5	13.0	13.0	13.5	13.5	14.0	14.0	14.5
Halsweite	34.0	35.0	36.0	37.0	38.0	39.0	40.0	41.0	42.0	43.0
Ärmellänge	60.0	60.0	60.0	60.0	60.0	61.0	61.0	61.0	61.0	61.0
Oberarmweite	26.0	27.0	28.0	29.0	30.0	31.0	32.0	34.0	36.0	38.0

Gentlemen

As above for January 1977.

February 1988

Ladies

As above for May 1985.

Gentlemen

	44	46	48	50	52	54	56
Körpergröße	170–174			175–178
Oberweite	88	92	96	100	104	108	112
Bundweite	78	82	86	90	94	98	102
Gesäßweite	92	96	100	104	108	112	116
Rückenlänge	44	45	46	47	48	49	50
Halsweite	37	38	39	40	41	42	43
Ärmellänge	63	63	63	64	64	64	64
Schrittlänge	80	80	80	81	81	81	81

May 1991

Ladies

	34	36	38	40	42	44	46	48	50	52
Oberweite	80.0	84.0	88.0	92	96.0	100.0	104.0	110	116.0	122.0
Taillenweite	62.0	66.0	70.0	74	78.0	82.0	86.0	92	98.0	104.0
Hüftweite	86.0	90.0	94.0	98	102.0	106.0	110.0	116	122.0	128.0
Vord. Taillenl.	43.0	44.0	45.0	46	47.0	48.0	49.0	50	51.0	52.0
Brusttiefe	25.0	26.0	27.0	28	29.0	30.0	31.0	32	33.0	34.0
Rückenlänge	40.5	41.0	41.5	42	42.5	43.0	43.5	44	44.5	45.0
Schulterbreite	12.0	12.5	12.5	13	13.0	13.5	13.5	14	14.0	14.5
Halsweite	34.0	35.0	36.0	37	38.0	39.0	40.0	41	42.0	43.0
Ärmellänge	59.0	59.0	60.0	60	61.0	61.0	61.0	61	62.0	62.0
Oberarmweite	26.0	27.0	28.0	29	30.0	31.0	32.0	34	36.0	38.0

Gentlemen

As above for February 1988.

March 1992

Ladies

	34	36	38	40	42	44	46	48	50	52
Oberweite	80	84	88	92	96	100	104	110	116	122
Taillenweite	62	66	70	74	78	82	86	92	98	104
Hüftweite	86	90	94	98	102	106	110	116	122	128
Vord. Taillenl.	43	44	45	46	47	48	49	50	51	52
Brusttiefe	25	26	27	28	29	30	31	32	33	34
Rückenlänge	41	41	42	42	43	43	44	44	45	45
Schulterbreite	12	12	12	13	13	13	13	14	14	14
Halsweite	34	35	36	37	38	39	40	41	42	43
Ärmellänge	59	59	60	60	61	61	61	61	62	62
Oberarmweite	26	27	28	29	30	31	32	34	36	38

Gentlemen

As above for February 1988.

March 1994

Ladies

As above for March 1992.

Gentlemen

	44	46	48	50	52	54	56	58
Körpergröße	168	171	174	177	180	182	184	186
Oberweite	88	92	96	100	104	108	112	116
Bundweite	76	80	84	88	92	98	102	108
Gesäßweite	94	98	102	106	110	114	118	122
Rückenlänge	45	46	47	48	49	50	51	52
Halsweite	37	38	39	40	41	42	43	44
Ärmellänge	62	62	63	63	64	64	65	65
Schrittlänge	74	76	78	79	80	81	82	83

April 2001

Ladies

As above for March 1992.

Gentlemen

	44	46	48	50	52	54	56
Körpergröße	170	172	174	176	178	180	182
Oberweite	88	92	96	100	104	108	112
Bundweite	78	82	86	90	94	98	104
Gesäßweite	94	98	102	106	110	114	118
Rückenlänge	46	47	47	48	49	49	50
Halsweite	37	38	39	40	41	42	43
Ärmellänge	63	63	64	64	64	64	65
Schrittlänge	78	79	80	81	82	83	84

2003 and beyond

I don’t own any Burda magazines after the January 2003 issue. I own a copy of Burda Easy from Autumn/Winter 2013, which seems to still use the same ladies’ measurements table as in March 1992. It does not contain a men’s size chart. If anyone owns any Burda magazines from before September 1967 or after January 2003 and wants to help me fill in the missing data, please get in touch!

Burda of the Past: My Pick for 1971 (Burda 9/1971, #9760)

2015-06-18T09:27:27+02:00

Yay for my very first completed Burda of the Past project! It has been a long time in the making, but I think it’s really fun and very wearable, so I’m quite happy with it.

Patterns

The trousers are Burda 9/1971, #9760, trousers with a matching waistcoat, in size 38/40. In 1971, that meant a waist measurement of 64cm (!!), with a hip measurement of 94cm. My hip measurement is close, my waist measurement … is not that close. And no, I haven’t made the waistcoat (yet). I was going to, but this is pretty much a wearable toile, and I really didn’t want a blue denim waistcoat.

I have decided that it would be fun to include the original model photos of my Burda of the Past projects, as styled in the Burda magazines—so here you go:

I’m wearing my new trousers with a Grainline Studio Scout Tee I made a while ago from a cheap viscose crêpe I bought at Müller because it was 100% viscose and I liked the colours. It was a bitch to work with, but the result is decent enough—and very comfortable to wear when it’s hot! I made a straight size 2, as far as I remember, and didn’t take any notes because the process was very uneventful.

Fabrics

The main trouser fabric is a rather heavy denim from Müller. It is allegedly 97% cotton and 3% elastane. It is pretty stiff, with a slight stretch, but since I didn’t want the flared legs to droop, it had to be a fabric with some body, and this just about fit the bill.

I used a scrap of cotton plaid fabric for the fly facing and bound the seams with bias tape I made a while ago from a lightweight pink floral cotton fabric.

Adjustments

So, as I mentioned above, this pattern was probably about a size too small for me—but since Burda magazine patterns only came in a single size (or sometimes two) back then, there was nothing much I could do other than make a toile and adjust it until it fit. Going by the measurements, I actually thought that this might be the closest size to mine, but Burda patterns didn’t have any excess ease back then, it seems. The first toile didn’t even come close to fitting around my waist or derrière even though my hip measurement pretty much matches the measurements chart, and the fabric has some stretch.

I asked my mum to help me with the fitting, since it’s a pain to pin adjustments on one’s own behind. We unpicked the side seams and cut the waistband apart at the side seams as well. We then pinned wedge-shaped pieces of fabric in to make the pattern fit around my waist. We were going to do a Large Prominent Buttocks Adjustment as well, but my mum was really happy with how the darts looked after adjusting the side seams, so we left it at that for the second toile.
My mum also drew in new side seams. I ended up moving the original seams to the front by about 2cm, but at an angle around the waist/hips, so they would be straight at my sides.
The above two adjustments made the waist quite a bit bigger and reduced the hip curve to an almost-straight line. I do have a waist, but I have somewhat narrow hips and I often have to adjust hip curves on trouser or skirt patterns.
My mum also pinned out a wedge at centre back to adjust for my swayback. I took about a 1cm wedge off the back pattern piece at centre back.
I lengthened the back piece at the top by about 2cm at centre back, tapering to nothing at the side seam. The trousers initially came up higher in front on me than in the back and that just looked really odd. I’m sure that’s because my behind takes up more fabric than the pattern expected, and since I didn’t do a proper adjustment for that, it didn’t surprise me much that I needed more fabric there.
After the second toile, I did a small Large Prominent Buttocks Adjustment after all, since there was still a tiny bit of pulling in the back. I only added about half a centimetre of ease, but I thought that that might make a difference, and I think it did.
At first I was going to sew single-welt pockets instead of the double-welt pockets the pattern calls for, but then I changed my mind and left them off altogether for this iteration. I still like the idea, but this fabric is very stiff and my practice pocket didn’t look great, and since I didn’t even know whether the trousers would fit and/or suit me, I decided to save myself some work by leaving the pockets off altogether.
I drafted separate fly facing and fly shield pattern pieces instead of the cut-on fly facings the pattern had. I just really prefer to construct a fly from all the traditional pieces, I suck at the other construction method. I also made the fly topstitching a little wider. It was really narrow on the original pattern, which looked odd to me. (I’m sure it was perfectly normal for the 70s and I was tempted to leave it for more authenticity, but then I chose to adjust it for my personal taste after all.)

What I want to do differently next time

I seem to have overdone the ease around the waist, and I think that I lost a little weight between fitting my toile and finishing the trousers—so now they sit lower on me than I wanted them. I should probably either remove a little ease around the waist and upper hips again next time, or add belt loops, or both.
I’d definitely like to slim down the legs above the knees, and possibly make them slightly wider at the hem. I feel like this pattern is a very toned-town version of 70s flared trousers, and I think that a more pronounced flare might be fun.
Having said that, I might also try a version with straight legs. I like the overall fit, so I’m thinking that this pattern might work well for all kinds of trousers if I adjust the leg width and shape.
I might convert the waistband to a contoured one next time. It’s the main thing that I’m slightly unhappy with on this version: The back gapes a bit when I sit down. It’s nowhere near as bad as it is for any and all ready-to-wear trousers I own, but I think that a contoured waistband would probably improve the fit in the back. I thought that for trousers that sit at the natural waist, it wouldn’t be necessary, but I might have been wrong—or perhaps it’s mostly because the trousers don’t actually stay at my natural waist.
I should have been more zealous about trimming/grading the seam allowances, particularly inside the waistband. It has ended up quite bulky and doesn’t look very professional.
Pockets, definitely! I still want a version with slanted single-welt pockets in front, and I think that I’ll try that for the next version that isn’t made from quite as stiff and heavy a fabric. I’d also like patch pockets in the back—if only they weren’t so dang hard to position! And I might even play with adjusting the front piece to add jeans pockets—which won’t be completely trivial because of the double darts in front.

Photos of me taken by my boyfriend.

Pattern Testing: Paprika Patterns Onyx Shirt, plus Summer Pyjamas

2015-06-07T19:23:48+02:00

So, guys, here’s your disclaimer: I’m a bit of a Paprika Patterns fangirl. I adore the Jasper Sweater/Dress, and when Lisa asked for testers again for her new pattern, I jumped at the chance—even though it’s a woven T-shirt, and how many more of those do we really need?… Lisa didn’t disappoint me, she came up with something slightly different (dropped shoulders, a fun crop top version with interesting waist darts)—and she was as lovely to work with as she was last time. She takes her testers’ feedback very seriously, and I really appreciate that.

I made three versions of the Onyx before the pattern was even released. It’s quick and easy to make—particularly the sleeveless version—and everything fit together nicely for me. I first made the crop top version in a plaid, so that version still shows some flaws that were fixed in the final version of the pattern and/or that I figured out after my first try: 1. the bias binding around the neckline and armholes is too wide (the width wasn’t specified in the test pattern, but now is), which makes the neckline, in particular, not sit quite right; 2. the armholes are too small for me and not quite comfortable; and 3. the crop top is too short on me.

Patterns

This is the test version of the Paprika Patterns Onyx Shirt. The plaid version (which is my “official” test version) is a straight View B in a straight size 2. The floral viscose version is also a View B, except for the View A length—in a size 2, graded to a size 3 for the hips.

The matching pyjama shorts for my summer pyjama set are another pair of Measure Twice / Cut Once Darcy Boxers, with the exact same adjustments as I made for my boyfriend’s tractor-print version. Yes, my boyfriend and I wear the same size of boxers. They fit us slightly differently, but they look fine on both of us, so I didn’t feel like adjusting them any further for myself. I left off the (faux) fly and French-seamed them this time.

Fabrics

The plaid fabric was left over from a tank top I made last summer; it’s off grain and so I figured I’d finally use it for something in order to get rid of it. I cut the back on the bias because I really didn’t feel like matching the plaid on my test version, but I couldn’t just not match it either.

The floral fabric is 100% viscose and really soft and drapey. I got it for a steal from Müller. I don’t love the print, but the quality felt nice and I liked the colours well enough, so I figured it would work for a possibly-wearable toile, or something like summer pyjamas.

Adjustments

The plaid crop top was my “official” test version, and thus I made it exactly as drafted.

For the pyjama top version, I made a few little adjustments:

I graded from a size 2 to a size 3 for the hips. The fit of the pattern is somewhat roomy, but I hate it when my tops are too tight around my derrière, so I wanted to make sure there would be enough ease—and I’m quite glad I did.
I shortened the pattern by 3cm. I think that the original length actually looks lovely, but I measured the finished length as stated on the pattern while wearing the matching boxers, and I thought that it was slightly too long to look good with the very short shorts. I think that I was right about that and I’m quite happy with the proportions of the set.
I lowered the armholes by 1cm. On the original crop top, they are slightly too small and cut in a bit, which isn’t very comfortable. I don’t know whether the original armholes would work for me if I added the sleeves, but I do know that I like my adjusted ones a lot more for the sleeveless version.

What I want to do differently next time

I generally despise high/low hems, but I kinda like the dramatic one on the Onyx crop top, and overall I think that that version is fun. But it’s definitely too short on me—I’m not a teenager any more, and I’m already wearing high-waisted shorts with it in the photos! I’ve actually made a slightly lengthened version already, but I made the mistake of lengthening both the front and the back pieces, and now the fabric pools in the small of my back—so I’ll have to unpick the hem, shorten the top a bit in the back, and sew a new hem, and I haven’t felt like doing that yet.
I’m really happy with the fit of the longer version. If I’d meant to wear it as a regular T-shirt rather than a pyjama top, I wouldn’t have shortened it, but together with the boxers, I think the length is great. When (not if!) I make a T-shirt version to wear outside the house, I’ll probably stick with the original length.
I want to try out the sleeves, and when I do, I’ll try the original armhole again. It might feel fine with the sleeves even if it doesn’t (on me) without them.

Photos taken by my boyfriend.

Finished: Stripey Cloth Habit Watson Bra & Bikini

2015-05-18T09:09:00+02:00

Dear creepy Internet people, are you ready for another instalment of our Adventures in Small-Busted Bra Fitting? Yes? Here we go, then!

Yes, the fabric makes this bra a little … disorienting? dizzying? I wouldn’t have chosen stripes for a bra, particularly since I had no intention at all of matching them, but I happened to have some scraps of this fabric and it was the exact kind of fabric that I wanted to use for my next attempt at a bra, so I went for the craziness. Few people—other than, of course, you creepy Internet folks—will ever have to see me in this thing.

Pattern

This is another version of the Cloth Habit Watson Bra & Bikini—and yes, I’ve made the matching knickers this time. Two pairs, actually. I cut a size 32A for the bra again, like last time, but with some further adjustments, as detailed below. I’ve made the knickers in a straight size S.

Supplies

The main fabric is a cotton jersey with some elastane left over from making a tank top. I lined the bra in black viscose/elastane jersey left over from my Drape Drape dress.

I used the same elastics from Verstrickt & Zugenäht as last time, except for the bottom of the bra and the waistline of the knickers. For those two places, I used a slightly wider, stronger red elastic that I got at Müller a while ago and that I’ve used before for making knickers.

The rings are from another disassembled old bra and the sliders are from Verstrickt & Zugenäht as well.

Adjustments

For my original bra adjustments, see the post about my wearable toile.
I took in both the inner and outer bra cup pieces by about 5mm, as explained in the Watson sew-along. Going down a cup size was not an option for me since there’s no size 32AA in the pattern.
I made full pattern pieces for the front and back of the knickers, the bra cradle and band. While I was at it, I added 3cm to the centre back of the bra band—a little less than last time, I think, as suggested to me by Amy.
I also drew a smooth curve from the side seam down to the centre back of the bra. I decided I’d rather sew the ends of the straps to the band than follow Amy’s method. The original instructions are fine, but they’re more work and rather unnecessary since I’ve eliminated the back closure. Plus I like this shape better.

I actually sewed the bra straps to the bottom of the band in addition to the top and anchored them under the elastic. This is a clever little detail that I copied from a ready-to-wear bra.

What I want to do differently next time

The bra fits a lot better than my wearable toile, particularly in the cups. There’s no weird puckering or excess fabric there any more, and the “support” is better—if that makes any sense, even if I don’t really need it. I do feel like it’s a little too tight, however, which can be seen most clearly in the back view. So next time, I am going to add a little ease to the back band, I think.
I made some kind of measuring or calculation mistake when redrafting the bra back band and ended up with a really skinny band. I don’t like how that looks, so next time, I’ll have to increase the height of the band.
The knickers fit me well and are comfortable, but they’re a little skimpy for my taste. I think that I would be more comfortable if they were a little higher-waisted, so I’ll probably raise the waist a bit for my next version(s). Amy even explained how to do several kinds of knickers alterations in her Watson sew-along—including adjusting the rise.

Photos taken by my boyfriend.