Pattern Review: BS-05-2013-103

Another quick and easy summer top!  Ok, maybe not "easy" (there was some cursing at Burda instructions and stitch unpicking), but quick.  And lightweight.  And still summer appropriate.  I seem to be on quite the Burda tear of late - it has been sort of torturous to keep getting good issues (well, at least up through June) and not have any time to sew from them.  So I am really happy to be able to get use from my subscription this year.  This time I made another top from the May issue:

BS-05-2013-103

This was a top that I liked when this issue came out, and after deciding to make the tank top out of my striped knit remnant, I thought I would throw this one in the mix too.  I used a recently purchased burnout knit from fabric.com to make it.  The fabric wasn't the best (when you have to work extra hard to get pins through your fabric, you know you are in for some "fun"), but actually ended up going together much better than I expected.  And I still love the colors and print, though I am not as thrilled by the silhouette as I thought I would be.  Still, I expect to get quite a bit of use out of this shirt, so I am happy I took the time to make it.

My new twist front shirt!

A view of the back.

Close up of twist detail.

Pattern Description:  Knit top with twisted knot detail in center front.

Pattern Sizing:  Burda sizes 36-44.  I used a size 38 around the neck and shoulders, grading out to a size 40, then using a size 42 just over the hips.

Were the instructions easy to follow?  Ummmm.... no.  I mean, yes, during the easy part, it was very straightforward.  But during the only difficult part no.  I felt like Burda spent too long telling me to do unnecessary basting and pinning (I used a serger for major seams, and my knit loved to stick to itself, so I could have ignored a lot of those steps), and not enough time explaining how to do the knot twist.  And I think the construction order is screwed up.  So, here is my advice: follow the Burda instructions until they tell you to sew the right side front to the lower front - skip that step.  Continue to follow instructions through the point of making the twist knot.  Pin the right front/bottom front (between mark 1 and the slit opening) and look at what you made.  If it looks like the line drawing, go ahead and sew the right front/bottom front and finish your top according to instructions.  The right front should be going over the left front, then connected on the other side of the knot.  If you follow the Burda instructions I don't know if it is possible to have this turn out correctly.  If you do it wrong like I did by explicitly following the Burda instructions it should be pretty easy to figure out - you won't be able to sew the right side seam.

Did it look like the photo/drawing when you were done with it?  Yes!  I had to use the line drawing to make sure it was correct before I sewed the side seams.  But I think mine looks close to the original, though the model's terrible posture makes it hard to compare to the photo.

What did you particularly like/dislike about this pattern?  Likes: This was a pretty quick top to make, even with the twist detail.  So you get something that looks complex with little effort.  I like the knot detail as I think it is interesting.  It is very comfortable to wear, though you will need a camisole underneath as the front is very low and open, and the arm hole openings are a bit low as well (though I think that is necessary for mobility purposes).  Dislikes: I thought the seam for the front top and bottom halves hit me in a rather unflattering location, and the top tended to gape a bit more in the front than I would have liked.  I think if I used a heavier knit with more drape it might not have been as problematic though, so part of it may have been my fabric selection.

Fabric used:  A polyester rayon blend burnout knit.  I bought it from fabric.com, and I have leftovers, so I expect to be using it for some more projects in the future.  It wasn't terrible to sew on, but my pins didn't want to go through it, and it has almost no recovery.  But it is a pretty pattern and it was pretty cheap, so I guess I can't complain too loudly.  Now I have to see how it holds up in the wash.

Pattern alterations or design changes you made:  None.

Would you sew this again?  Would you recommend it to others?  I think I might sew this again.  I like the top, but I am not as in love with the style as I want to be.  The shirt itself is very pretty (and I am quite proud of my finishing as it looks very neat inside and out), but the style is not as flattering to my figure as I would have hoped.  I don't dislike it though, and I think a different fabric selection might help to change my mind about the pattern.  I would recommend it, as it is a fairly easy top to make (once you figure out the twist) and very comfortable and easy to wear.

Conclusion:  In the end I like my shirt, but I don't love my shirt.  It is something I think will get a lot of use anyway - it is great for running errands and general life stuff, but it isn't something I would wear on a date or out to a special event.  I am pleased with my shirt, but not overly excited.  It is a good pattern, and I might revisit it, but I expect I will find a lot of other patterns I would rather make in the meantime.