Burda July Preview

Okay, who are you and what have you done with Burda?

After a stunning, almost year-long run of bland (at least in my eyes), Burda has come back strong in recent months. May had that fabulous collection of plus-size dresses, and June had another 4 garments I wanted to make. Only one, the so-called "saggy boob" dress, has been finished, but I'd like to get to a few more before the next issue comes out.

Except now, according to the preview recently posted, Burda has added another couple of things to my endless list of things I want to sew.

And what they've come up with this time . . . am I alone in thinking that they've been possessed by Patrones or La Mia Boutique? Except, of course, for the bizarre fashion photography, especially in the "college" spread, which is classic Burda.

Some of this stuff, while interesting, may or may not be wearable by this 40-something body. I'm reserving judgment on a few designs until I see the line drawings.

I'm liking the leather jacket at right. I've got some leather put aside that has mentally worked its way through at least 4 patterns. It would be nice to finally use it. And I like the side zip. Wonder if Burda calls it "witty" or if they've come up with another word.

I'm not sure about my feelings for the two white dresses. The one-shoulder one has the potential to be stunning, but I want to see how it's constructed before I commit. The other one, with the straps and gathers and shaping in the middle, could be one of two things. "Oh, what a great dress," or "watch out, she's gonna blow!"

I'm really afraid things just wouldn't stay put in that one. The one-shoulder drape looks like it could conceal some serious structural components, if need be. And there would be need.

The dress at the bottom feeds into my usually unrequited love of fluffiness. I like ruffles. I like girly fluffy dresses. I just think I look ridiculous in most of it. That dress, however, is more gathered than fluffy, and while ruffles abound in the "romantic" section, especially the ruffle-shoulder blouse, which the Selfish Seamstress has so satisfyingly mocked already, I think I could carry that off. The neckline is severe enough that it counterbalances any excess fluff.

In the realm of wearable ruffling, I'm thinking that I'm going to try out that first skirt above. Not the pink ruched wonder, the more straightforward skirt at the top with all the busy-ness located at the hem. Which is not to say I won't tinker with the length and shape of the skirt to suit me; it's the frou-frou that I like, and I can put that on any kind of skirt.

Possibly I've developed advanced mind-reading skills on my sewing journey, and the reason that gray pinstriped, ruffled skirt has been on my mind is Burda was about to give me this? No? I knew you were going to say that.

There has been sewing going on, but until tonight, nothing particularly interesting. I didn't have a project started, so when I felt like sewing I forced myself to do some pieces for next year's craft show.

Tonight I couldn't take it any more, and I took one of my new pieces of fabric - yes, there's been some shopping going on - and I turned it into a pencil skirt. Burda has a pencil pattern for every fabric, and this one was completely plain, for my fabric that . . . wasn't. Pictures to follow, hopefully soon.