Feeling Better About Burda

For a while, I was a little worried about my beloved Burda. I didn't find much to inspire me in many recent issues. The English web site was in the middle of an overhaul and I found it incomplete when compared to the other languages. In order to see the previews, I had to navigate the German web site. It's a good thing "magazine" in German meant magazine in English. Luckily, things changed with the February offerings and I felt all warm and fuzzy about Burda Style again. (I'm even getting used to calling it "Burda Style".) After looking at the website, I found several pieces I liked from the February Burda Style and the Spring/Summer Burda Plus. There were many other pieces I liked, but these had the best chance of getting sewn.

I liked Blouse 137 because it had "classic bones" and suited my plain-vanilla taste. The pleated trim along the placket and cuff kept it from being too bland. Self fabric piping could be substituted for the pleated trim.


Dress 138 spoke to me. I always preferred tailored or sporty dresses over frilly and frou-frou. Now that I've done single welts, I'm not put-off by the pockets on this dress. I could be very lucky and find the pockets are faux welt pockets.


I saw more things to like in the Burda Plus Spring/SummerPreview.

Blouse 414A would work well in a SWAP with Dress 138 above. The flaps are an attractive design feature in both. If I were the kind of woman who could finish a coordinated wardrobe, this blouse and dress would definitely be included.



I like Blouse 418 as shown, a lightweight, gauzy linen over-blouse. I might even be tempted to wear a cami and expose some skin if I had this blouse. There is enough substance to the blouse to draw attention away from my bare shoulders and arms.


I always shied away from loose-fitting , high-waist tops and dresses for fear of looking pregnant. But 410B has a little shaping in the waist area and I might just get away with it.


I won't love every issue the way I loved February Burda Style and Spring/Summer Burda Plus. The web site changes coincided with two or three months of patterns that didn't move me and for a fleeting nanosecond I wondered if I should look elsewhere for patterns. Fortunately, Burda redeemed itself. I have always believed Burda offered the most interesting plus size patterns and I wouldn't find the same variety anywhere else. I was happy to find so many pieces I liked in one month.