Purple Spongey - Burda Style #102 (8/2012)

When you see a dress you love you buy the entire magazine. I desperately wanted Burda Style Magazine's 8/2012 Issue. Oh how I wish they would keep and sell old versions. I ordered mine off Ebay for $12, which isn't bad at all, except one problem: It is in German. I just really wanted the patterns. I wouldn't let a little German get in my way. Besides I took a German class once.....10 years ago.... It's in this lil brain of mine SOMEWHERE.

Next we have this FABULOUS purple fabric. My first dress - the lime green LMB dress? - is made of this spongey neoprene-like fabric. Although the colour is a bit Bright. I adored the fabric though. I went into Fabricland, 2 months later, and what do I find? The exact same fabric but in this phenomenal purple shade! I'm in fabric heaven! I hoping they'll keep bringing in this same fabric in all colours of the rainbow. I love it THAT much. It is my PERFECT fabric.

This is ALSO my first Burda Style pattern! This is dress #102 from the 8/2012 issue. It it drafted to have a fitted skirt, but it looked a tad too office-secretary to me (nothing wrong with that if I worked in an office!) but I wanted it to be day-to-day wear, so I used the skirt pattern but created an A-line skirt instead.

Now, thus far, each pattern I have sewn has always required me to shorten the bodice. I have a tiny tiny torso. Like have to shorten 1.5 inches tiny torso. But, I always adjust it AFTER I cut out the pattern pieces just to make sure I don't make it too short. Well, this Burda pattern didn't require any shortening! Not sure if this would be tiny on other people or what but it worked for me perfectly.

I adored the patterns front vertical darts and square waistband. But, without instructions, I wasn't sure how to sew it properly. So I just guessed. It isn't perfect. Or perfectly straight. But I think it is a great start to sewing 90 degree angle panels.

From the time I cut the fabric to the time I finished it, it only took me 5 hours. I'm getting pretty great at this dress-in-a-day thing. It's a thing to me. But, I do admit that this fabric doesn't require any hems or edges. If you cut it straight it doesn't fray. Beautiful. Knits are wonderful that way.

The shoulders a bit fiercer than I would like, but without removing them and drafting another style, I'm not sure how to fix it. In a drapier fabric the shoulders would fall into softer pleats, but this hearty spongey knit holds it shape and sticks STRAIGHT up. But, I like the dichotomy it creates between the sweet A-Line and the Sharp shoulders. Also makes my waist look significantly thinner. YAY thin waist!

Also, the darts. Not my finest. They are really pointy. But the fabric just WON'T make pretty darts. Nothing to be done about it.

Pattern: Burda Style Dress #102 from 8/2012

Size: 44
Fabric: Purple Spongey 100% mixed fibers
Cost: 3m for $12 from Fabricland
Alterations:

• Shorted the skirt by 2 inches
• Sewed the centre pieces together at 1/2 Inch to raise the point of the V for more modesty