Burda drawstring top

‘Well about bloomin’ time!’ I hear you say… again! After all those reviews, all those bigging-up posts harping on about what I fully intended to make, you’d think I’d have rustled up at least one of those Burda goodies by now.

Well here it is. Care of Burdastyle Magazine, May 2013 issue, the drawstring top.

drawstring top
Fashioned from a lovely piece of chiffon that was hanging around after the fabric swap at Rachel’s meet up back in April. Incidentally, if anyone can put their hands up as to whom was the kind donor I would be so happy to know.

I had no idea it was destined for this top but I was secretly hoping that whatever I made, it was going to incorporate a flower placement, both front and back. And guess what? It does!

drawstring neck
It is the most simplest top in the world. One you have to draft yourself, mind! And I don’t mind that at all as it goes.

I’ve been tinkering with all sorts of pattern adjustments recently, including an FBA. Not for me, you understand. Which is why it’s far more exciting. I am making a prom dress for my friend’s gorgeous daughter. But more news about that in a couple of weeks. The dress is a big secret until her big day!

Anyway, I digress. Back to the top. Well, actually there is nothing much more to add, other than I figured out how to cut chiffon in a straight line after I had cut it on the wonk! I thought I was being clever by pulling a thread at the hem to make sure I hemmed it even. But actually I’d cut it completely on the wonk and the whole thing ended up being about 2 inches shorter than planned as a result :-/

I used a rolled hem… not by using my rubbish rolled hem foot… but by hand. It was a slow but sure process but it worked just fine.

The pieces consist of a front and a back, seamed only at the sides, with a drawstring around the neck. The raglan armholes are rather large – much larger than the photographs show – and you will therefore require a modesty garment underneath unless you reduce them beforehand.

This is how it appears in the mag:

chiffon drawstring top from Burda May 2013I made it in a panic when I thought I was running out of Me-Made-May garments but never actually got round to wearing it because of this stupid pretend summer we are having. But it was perfect for today’s Father’s day date at Café Rouge and even got the seal of approval from my eldest daughter…Win!

drawstring chiffon top

Now, back to that prom dress…

37 Replies to “Burda drawstring top”

  1. Very elegant make! But do tell! what is the secret? how do you cut chiffon straight? It is notoriously slippy!

    and demonstrate my ignorance, what is FBA? Please?

    1. Well, I didn’t manage to cut it straight but at the end when I was levelling the hem I remembered that if you pull a thread from one end, it comes out really easily and leave a transparent channel that you can cut along in a straight line! FBA is ‘Full bust Adjustment’ I have never needed one but the lovely young lady I am making a dress for is a 32E and that needed some allocation!! More to come on that soon x

  2. LOVE your version! The big floaty flowers are fabulous! (alliteration 😉 ) I have this pattern ear-marked in my May Burda magazine to make. I just don’t have fabric for it. Happy to see that it seemed very easy to sew.

  3. Very, very nice! Love that style on you. (And your hair style – lovely and elegant and cute all at once! 😉

  4. It looks great, such a good use of that beautiful fabric! You’ve set my mind whirring, as I need some more tops for my holiday and have some chiffon lying around. I may have to steal this idea!

  5. It was me! I think, anyway – it looks a bit different now it’s made up but I’m pretty sure it’s the piece I donated. I’m so glad you chose it! I knew there was no way I’d be able to do it justice, I love it but I couldn’t think what to use it for and chiffon still scares me. You’ve used the perfect pattern for it and it looks gorgeous- very glamorous and totally you.

  6. Very glam – it looks great on you. I don’t think it’s one I’ll be making as I would be in need of an FBA and, as it has a high neck as well, it might make me look as if I am having trouble staying upright!

  7. That top is just lovely! The beautiful fabric with that gorgeous flower print just makes that top much more interesting then the plain one from the magazine. Really gorgeous.

  8. Your top is lovely. Perfect fabric. I agree with you about arm-holes. I cut out this pattern on a beautiful piece of silk. Such an easy pattern I thought – what could go wrong! Well those arm-holes are so big it is unwearable.

  9. I loved you before, but now I love you more… I’ve been looking for a pattern EXACTLY LIKE THIS for aaaaaaages…. so I went to the BurdaStyle website to see if they had it for sale (as they sometimes do with select magazine patterns), and LO!! There it was for FREE!!! I’ll be making this up very very soon… until then, big big hugs to you, and your top looks GORGEOUS!!! 😀

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