The pattern is available for download from the BurdaStyle web site Criss-Cross Top The upper front has V-shaped pleats and overlapping bands secured to the side seams. A style which adds “stuff” in the right place on my pear shape, no bust body. I traced the pattern, added the markings for pleats and band locations, and cut out the fabric with the appropriate seam allowances. All good, then I read the sewing instruction and tried to follow them. I could not figure out what center seam they wanted me to sew or how to form the pleats. Part of the confusion may have been my early morning brain fog. But I had total frustrated until I decided to folded the paper pattern along all the pleat lines. Then the fog cleared.
Learnings
The red lines are the center front. I thought the center front line at the bottom was part of some fancy complicated pleat. When you fold the pleats the three red line align to form the center front.
Center front seam is from neckline point to fold line for first pleat.
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| Front with center front seam sewn and pleats |
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After that the sewing was smooth sailing. The fabric is some kind of super stretch woven, with a crinkled surface, probably poly/rayon/lycra, that I picked up off the giveaway table at a recent sewing retreat. It was the perfect fabric for this top. I did not need a zipper in the center back seam because of the stretchiness of the fabric. I initially sewed up the top without the bands to make sure it fit in the waist and hips. The top actually looks good without the bands as there is a “V” at the center front of the peplum, but be aware the front peplum waist seam does not align with the back peplum waist seam. The bands covers the the front peplum waist seam. I also made my normal alterations, lengthening the back, added back shoulder darts, and the reduced shoulder seam by ½ inch. |
| Burda 1 2017 top 118 |
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| Burda 1 2017 118 back |
I really like this top.
Impressive that you worked that out and the top turned out beautifully. The color and style just look lovely on you.
ReplyDeleteVery cute..love that color! Such an interesting design. Kudos to you for staying the course- those pattern lines sure look a head-scratcher. It really became a lovely change of pace.
ReplyDeleteThat top is a lovely shape on you!
ReplyDeleteThis looks so good on you! Such a lovely top in the perfect shade of blue.
ReplyDeleteLovely top that looks great on you! Thanks for explaining how to construct the front, as this is a pattern I hope to make soon.
ReplyDeleteReally nice! Good work. :) I like the colour too.
ReplyDeleteIt's very elegant. Thanks for posting the details about the pleats - fascinating to see how it comes together!
ReplyDeleteI like it too; looks so nice on you. I may consider trying this one so thanks for explaining those pleats!
ReplyDeleteOMG! The pattern piece looks impossible to figure out without instructions to go by. Glad you figured them out because that is a very elegant top that looks great on you. I also like the way you paired it with the gray pants - blue and gray look so nice together - and I love your earrings, too!
ReplyDeleteGorgeous!
ReplyDeleteSo kind of you to explain how that pattern comes together. It looks great.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful top! Definitely one of those patterns that you can't fold up and put away before you start stitching.
ReplyDeleteI like this pattern too, just need to find the right fabric for it, that's a very helpful diagram you posted of the pleats, thank you!
ReplyDeleteThis is beautiful. I think you've nailed the fit perfectly - much more so than Burda's for their model.
ReplyDeleteThis is beautiful! You've nailed the fit perfectly - much better than the model in the magazine!
ReplyDeleteall of your patterns turned out beautiful!!
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