So, I'm a slim gal, average height. I'm not that small. I think I weigh in at about 112lb and I'm 5'5". I wear a size four or six in RTW, sometimes larger, sometimes smaller. I just tried making Jacket #121; way too big. I made it thinking that with Burda's lesser ease, it might fit. Yeah, no. Their smallest size is a 38 which translates to a size 8 in US women's sizes. Then I started looking at the page with all the line drawings. Out of the 21 adult patterns, only six of them are in my size! I would wear the size 34. Well there aren't too many of them in the magazine. What do truly small women do? Ugh. Unless I want to do lots of alterations, I think Burda is out the window for me. Too bad too, because they have lots of cute stuff.
Drat.
8 comments:
This is very interesting to me. The biggest deterrent to me using a pattern out of the two Burda WOF's that I own is the tracing. Other patterns are simply a snap to trace. The second issue is working with fit from another company. I like the consistency of Big 4 sizing.
So, I'm making this Burda coat from my first Burda pattern (not from Burda WOF, though, so there are not tracing issues). Anyway, I'm a little nervous because I'm using a size 12, which is my standard base size in the Big 4. The jacket is supposed to be loose fitting, but it still worries me. Almost too loose fitting. Normally I wouldn't really care, but I'm using some nice Paron's wool. We'll see how this turns out...
Dawn, based on the size chart in the magazine, should the pattern have fit? You know I have selfish motives, as I want to make Jacket 103. And Blouse 108. And Blouse 117 for my lovely daughter.
Paula,
Based on the sizing chart it should have been too big. Sigh. I was hoping that because Burda is supposed to have less ease that it may have fit with minor alterations. I'm not upset that I made a muslin, I like making them. I am just annoyed that Burda starts many of their patterns at 38 which I think is a size 12 in US sizing. Why not start at a size 34? That is a size 8 in US. That isn't even that small. Oh well, hopefully the ones that I really like will end up in an envelope and will be my size. I think the patterns run pretty true to size, it was just a last ditch effort on my part.
Forgot to add: There are a few patterns I might make out of that magazine . . . I just probably won't lobby for a subscription.
I wear size 34 too in Burda and you're right, there aren't many patterns in that size. I downsize all the time. Here's the technique that I use - http://sewing.patternreview.com/cgi-bin/review/readreview.pl?readreview=1&ID=982.
It's not difficult and it only takes a bit more time than tracing a pattern. But then the Burda patterns are so much better drafted and fit a lot better than Big 4... In my opinion...
Oh, thanks Laura, you've given me hope!! I don't want Burda to be dead to me because they *do* have some really cute stuff.
Dawn, I need to use a 34 too. I read in Threads (I think) on how to make smaller (or larger). Just mark on the sheets a smaller size using the same shape and distance of the two previous sizes. You can gauge where the next size would be by looking at the shapes of the larger sizes. Then you can trace out.
Laura's link was interesting too.
Dawn, you should probably take a look at Patrones and Marfy. Both are sized for smaller women.
Thankfully, for women like me who have a lot of German in our ancestry, there is a Burda. I can't trace anything in Patrones without grading up.
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