Thursday, May 10, 2007

Burda top

The current project is a Burda WOF top, number 104 from March 2006. When buying this issue last year I really liked it, and never made it (how many projects do you fancy and in the end find you have no time/fabric, some other project took priority .....?).
But it has been on my mind now a couple of weeks, and started to make a bra that will not show the shoulder straps. That set is in my drawer for 4 weeks already! Suppose it says something about me, starting with the bra instead of the top. (I confess that lingerie making is addictive).

It is a Burda pattern, so no seam allowance, which I don't mind. For
critical items like collars I always cut off the seam allowances from patterns that include them as working with the actual seamlines is much more accurate (personal opinion of course).

This is the way I work with most patterns that not include seam allowances:
I use tracing paper and a special tool, of which I don't know the English name.
On the photo you see a sheet of a much used tracing paper. One sheet lasts very long.


  1. Cut the pattern pieces (usually double), with the pieces on the wrong side of the fabric. If pattern piece must be cut from a single layer, it must be at the right side of the fabric.

  2. Trace the pattern piece with tracing paper under your fabric in a color that you can't see from the right side of the fabric, pattern pinned to the fabric. Mark darts and other important markings on the pattern.
  3. Remove the pattern paper
  4. Turn the two pieces of fabric. With slippy fabric or stripes (like my photo) you might like to use pins to keep the pieces together very accurately.
  5. Trace over the first tracing line
  6. Ready
Of course you must be careful with white or delicate fabrics. I try to use white tracing paper on white fabric. But always test the combination of fabric/tracing paper.

For collars, cufs etc. that will have a fusible interfacing, I cut out the exact pattern piece, and iron this between the traced lines. Very accurate and no extra bulk when turning the collar or cuff.

Hope this is helpful.




1 comment:

  1. It's a tracing wheel... and I didn't realize Burda made thier own tracing paper. Way to corner the market!

    ReplyDelete