Burda jacket November 2025, no 117

The weeks flew by again and this jacket has already been worn twice! So much for keeping up with my blog 😳. 

I'm quite happy with the result, it's very comfortable to wear and I don't feel restricted in my movements. The way the sleeves are constructed works well. The design lines would show better with a different fabric. 

The shape of the sleeves is a bit rounded and shaped more narrow at the end. See my previous post about the issue I had with Burda's instructions for adding 4 cm seam allowance to the sleeve hem. I used a facing as described in my post.

Here you can see the inset of the under sleeve and side panel. Needs some extra attention and precision sewing. Again, it would be more of a statement in a different fabric.

The pattern doesn't call for a lining, but with the extra interfacing spots at the points and especially my fabric I liked to have a lining. There were extra steps for the sleeves here too, as the circumference changes quickly at the hem. Won't discuss it here, but something to think about if you would use this pattern and want to line it too. 

An overview of my changes:

• Made the body 3 cm longer, default adjustment for me
• Used a facing at the sleeve hem
• Slightly shaped the waistline to make it less boxy
• Added lining
• Used thin raglan shoulderpads

The photos don't really do it justice, light is a problem at the moment, grey and short days!

Jacket from Burda November 2025 - part 2

The jacket is coming along nicely, but I don't have photos yet of a more complete jacket. Days are getting shorter so light to take good photos is more difficult. So a few more photos of details and observations on the pattern instructions.

This photo shows an extra detail of the sharp corners that have to be clipped to the stitch line. Burda advises to add a fusible interfacing at that point. I fully agree on that but have added small stitches in that corner as extra "insurance", especially for my fraying fabric. Using a small stitch length makes that the fabric remains stable. The corner is exact, the other stitches are within the 1.5 cm (5/8") seam allowance.

Clipping the seam allowance of the neckline. Clips are not made to the stitch line, but remain at a small distance from it (2 to 3 mm). This makes sure that there is enough room to have a nice smooth neckline when turned without any sharp corners. When you clip to the stitch line a sharp corner could be the result. A remark on Burda's instructions: they say to be "extra careful when you use knitted fabric". Why?? You should always be careful when clipping corners, not just knitted fabric. 

Which brings me to another issue: the instructions tell you to use only stretch/knitted fabrics. I really don't understand that and is wrong in my opinion. You probably can use a stable knit like a ponti di roma but it's perfectly fine with a woven fabric like mine.

Then something that is really strange, especially in a pattern that is shown with "step by step" instructions. In the cutting instructions they tell you to add 4 cm (1.5") for the hem of the sleeves. HOW?? The sleeves are tapered and have a rounded hem!! They don't tell you how to cut the hem allowance.

These are the three pieces that construct the sleeve. The red line is mine, not part of the pattern. If you would cut 4 cm in a continuous line, would turn it up you are missing a significant amount in circumference as this sleeves is tapered (quite a bit). And because it's round it wouldn't be easy to do either. 

My solution is to make a facing for the sleeve hem, the red lines indicate where I want that to end. I will trace these parts and cut a separate facing. 

I really love Burda patterns and don't mind their limited instructions. But adding  4 cm and then just tell you to fold it over and sew it would not work.

This jacket is unlined but I prefer a lining. Making the lining is my next step. 

Jacket from Burda November 2025

My current project is a jacket (or cardigan jacket) from the latest issue from Burda, November 2025. It's the cover project and lovely in the fabric they used for it. As I am trying to use stash for a while (cupboard overflowing 😳), my version is made from a fabric that's at least 10 years old. Well matured! I made a pencil skirt from it and always meant to make a jacket from the fabric too, but as things go, it was forgotten.

Today I used for cutting and preparing. Normally I don't use wide seam allowances. This fabric is very loosely woven so I did use 1.5 cm (5/8 inch) seam allowances and used a handy tool to mark them (Burda magazine patterns don't include seam allowances). 

 

This Prym tool has a larger wheel that you hold along the paper and a smaller wheel with a dispenser to mark a line with tailor's chalk. The default markings are 1.5 cm, 2.5 cm and 4 cm. I would have loved it even more  if there had been a possibilty for 1 cm allowances, but alas. It comes in handy though when I want the 1.5 cm seam allowance. Mostly I use carbon tracing paper to mark the actual stitch line, but with fabric like this that's hardly visible, if at all. 

On parts that I want to be exact, the darts, the points that have to be clipped,  I basted the stitch lines. After cutting out, I serged all edges, to prevent the fabric from fraying. 

In the video you can see the use of the tracing wheel. 

Suit finished

Photo overload ;). I'm very happy to be able to say I have finished the jacket and the pair of trousers to go with it. Though if I'm honest, I'm not too sure I will wear it together much. It's a lot of green!

 

The label is one that I had laying around, no special meaning to it. It came in a package with several text options. Both the jacket and the trousers are lined with Venezia lining. A lining that I love as it feels very comfortable against your skin. 

I hope to make photos of me wearing the suit, but as that may take a while it's here on the dressform and hanger for now. 

The difference of a sleeve head

 

In the photo above you see the same sleeve! Can you imagine? I added a sleeve head and all the wrinkling was gone. I must say that, even though I know that it is a game-changer, I wondered whether it would be enough or that I would have to re-do the upper part of the sleeve. Not necessary. 

I used the method described by Ann Rowley. The link shows her Flickr album where she explains the method. 

Thank you for your comments. They are very much appreciated, though I do understand that there is no time to comment every time (Dorothé). When I was last active on this blog about two/three years ago I already experienced problems with replying to comments. That has not changed. Even though I'm logged in, I can often only comment anonymously. So I'm sorry I'm not replying, I keep trying!

 

Progress

The jacket of my green suit has seen progress this week, though it isn’t finished yet. The inner construction of the front is done, I added a shoulder placket for extra support as I do in most jackets I make. 

The sleeves are sewn in but they don’t have the sleeve head and (small) shoulder pad yet.

Getting there, it’s the sleeve inner details, hemming and the lining to be done. Hope to finish it in the next few days. If the work we need to do on our house goes as planned.  

An unusual start

 If you’ve followed my blog in the past, you will know that I often do things my way and don’t follow instructions. The same is true for the order of construction. This time I started with the sleeves instead of the body of the jacket. No logical sewing reason, just that I had limited sewing time and postponed working on the inner construction of the body. For that I want real dedicated time. 

For the jacket I chose the less complicated route. I’ll remember the petite jacket for another time and have chosen the May 2006 jacket:

For spring/summer jackets I like 3/4 sleeves. This pattern has those with this nice curved hemline. Buttons will be attached later. 

Some of the inner construction visible here. The facing is interfaced with a thin fusible interfacing. After applying that I marked the stitch lines with carbon tracing paper. 

The curve is trimmed with pinking scissors to make the curve smooth. 

I trim the corners to minimise bulk. 

Next step will be sewing the front with a shoulder shield/placket. 

Old Burda magazines, I love them

Thank you for the lovely comments and kind words on my blogging again. I can’t say how much it means to me that you read this after all the time I neglected this blog. 

The green suit I plan to make is not yet cut, I’m considering two jacket patterns and can’t decide yet. Let me share the options.

First the pattern that was my initial plan, until I realised that it was a ‘petite’ pattern for shorter women. It is from rhe February 2006 issue. I browsed all of my magazines (and I have a lot) to look for a similar shape for the sleeve but the only pattern that was close was a petite pattern too! 

  

If I would choose this pattern I must make changes I’m not too sure about. A muslin would be a first step. 

The other jacket is this one, from the May 2006 issue:

  

Both have 3/4 sleeves that I like but this one has a different style. It is in regular sizes. I know what to change for my figure on this one, Burda being consistent in drafting makes that easier. I love Burda patterns for that. And I love the older magazines better than the current ones, though there is improvement at the moment. There were so many repeat patterns and simple designs! 

This is my favourite trouser pattern right now, from a 2000 issue! I made it twice in the last month, adapting length and width a bit between the two. Will try to make photos of them and planning to use it for the green suit too  

A burgundy red suit

I realised that I have not published anything of what I've sewn in my sewing week in October. The coat plan was abandoned because I was so unsure of the pattern and didn't want to spend that precious sewing week and ending with a garment that I was not happy about. Well, we can always change our minds😀

So I worked on a suit instead. Burgundy red, quite uncommon for me but I have decided that this winter I would not only sew black ;). My winter wardrobe was getting a bit boring!

Both garments were made with Burda patterns. The trousers are from the March 2019 issue, the jacket from the August 2019 issue. 

As always the inside got some extra interfacing, shoulder placket and sleeve head. 

A special lining is always fun! 

I've worn the suit a few times already. Thought it might be formal, but it doesn't feel that way. 

Jacket modeled on me

I have a few catch-up posts to do. Let me start with a post with only a few words. This is the jacket I finished a month ago but didn't yet show wearing it.
I'm very pleased with it and have worn it a few times already. The sewing details are in the previous post.

Jacket from Burda February 2020

Though the muslin of the Knip Mode jacket was a huge disappointment I was still in a jacket sewing mood. I spent an evening trying to draft that jacket myself but it was too complicated. I do have some pattern drafting skills, but this was out of my league.
Then February Burda came along with this pattern. Not as complicated but still lovely lines. Add to this my confidence in their consistent pattern drafting and I was on my way tracing this pattern.

I compared the traced pattern to my sloper and added a little bit to the hip area and made it up in the fashion fabric immediately. My fabric was 1.50 meter wide, a little wider than the fabric used in the magazine and I managed to cut this from only 1.55 meter of fabric. You can see that some pieces are rather close to each other, I defnitely did not use 5/8 inch seam allowances! The only change I had to do was cutting the center back facing with a seam instead of on the fold. Minor issue in my opinion.


 
This is the fabric I used, bought at Croft Mill Fabric.


Construction was pretty straightforward. As most of you know I construct my jackets with a bit more internal structure than instructions in general tell you. This jacket has a shoulder shield (see picture), sleeveheads and a thin shoulder pad. The last two I forgot to take a photo of.



This "belt" is a nice detail and waist accent. Found this lining that suited the jacket very well. Any plain lining would have been fine of course.




Partly unzipped. The zipper was taken from a skirt I made a couple of years ago. It was still in mint condition while the fabric of the skirt was turning from black to grey. It even has a bit more of a story, because I bought this Riri zipper when I was in New York and met Nancy K again. Quite a few years ago now, wish I could do it again. Wish I could find this more special zippers locally too but never found a source for them.



Now I'm working on an easy project, here's a sneak peek. A dress from Burda January 2019. I was just too tired to put the sleeves in tonight.



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