Burda Archives - The Finished Garment

The latest project from my junior apprentice, Kid No. 1, is a bag.

This is Burda 8235, Bag & Case, View A, which has languished in my pattern stash for so long I can’t remember when I got it. It’s part of the Burda Young series and great for beginners.

We made it a bit more complicated. For the exterior, we used a two-colour combo in twill.

Then, instead of a fabric strap, we used webbing, a rectangular ring and adjustable slider. This looks great, but honestly, I think it’s just easier and quicker to make the bag this way.

This bag is lined, and we used quilting cotton with a fun crab pattern. So cute! The pattern is Water Babies Crab Stripe by Sugarly Designs.

We also added pockets to the interior using some of the extra twill. One side has two larger pockets you can use for a phone, and the other side has smaller ones that are better for pens and smaller items.

The bag is just large enough to hold a standard notebook (US letter sized/A4).

For the front, we added two magnetic purse snaps following the directions in the excellent video, How To Install Magnetic Snaps, by Janelle MacKay of emmalinebags.com.

The bag pattern doesn’t call for interfacing, but the twill is pretty hefty and the bag design is not that structured. Still, we added some to both panels where the snaps are located, for long-term durability.

Everything got two rows of topstitching. For the record, Kid No 1 did all the stitching. I mostly helped getting the modifications organized.

This bag looks great and is super practical. I have some nice complex bags patterns, but this was fast and the results were great.

As a bonus, Kid No. 1 made a pin cushion using the Hedgie Pin Cushion pattern from Sam Hunter and Janome. This is a free pattern and it makes a cute mouse, or a hedgehog, depending on how many pins you have. lol.

Summary

Pattern Review: Burda 8235, Bag & Case, View A. Hedgie Pin Cushion from Sam Hunter and Janome (free).
Fabric: Twill in two colours and quilting cotton (Water Babies Crab Stripe by Sugarly Designs) all from The Fabric Club.
Size: N/A
Cost: Pattern: ??? Materials: About $30.
Sewing Level: Beginner. Very Easy.
Modifications: Added bag magnets, pockets, and used webbing with a rectangular ring and adjustable slider for the strap.
Results: Great!

I made this dress two years ago, but since I took some good photos this weekend and I haven’t blogged it yet, I thought I’d do that that now.

This is Burda Kids 9702. It comes in sizes 18 months to 5. But if you’d like it in a larger size, it appears to be almost identical to Burda Kids 9755 which comes in sizes 6 to 11. I really like this pattern, so I just recently bought the larger one as well.

I made view A, a sleeveless dress with gathered skirt, buttons in the back and a bow tied in the back at the waist. It isn’t especially clear in the technical drawings, but view A has an almost empire waist, while view B is longer in the bodice. I would probably use the longer bodice if I were to make the dress again. I skipped the flowers on the waistband.

I like the bow in the back. It's girly, but not so much that it annoys me. — I like the bow in the back. It’s girly, but not so much that it annoys me.

I made it this dress a size 5 when my daughter was a size 4. It’s meant to be tea length, but it was extra long at first. But I’m glad I didn’t shorten it because it has lasted two years, which is amazing when you consider how much she’s grown over that time. Crazy!

This was a really easy pattern to make. The instructions were great and there were no hitches – just straight forward sewing. It was also quite quick. It’s a classic style, and I’ve tried other patterns in a similar style before, but this one has been the best. I cannot recommend it enough.

This dress works really well with a big print and it's comfortable for the summer. — This dress works really well with a big print and it’s comfortable for the summer.

I made the dress in quilting cotton. The fabric is Pick A Bunch Organic Blooms in Sunflower by Nancy Mim’s from Robert Kaufman. Quite a mouthful! But really cute, and the larger print works well with a longer skirt. I had a tough time choosing the thread. The entire dress is topstitched, and the colours are so different. In the end I went with a dark pink that matched the fabric background.

This dress has gotten a surprising amount of use. It’s one of my daughter’s favourites. It’s great for summer, but she also layered it over shirts in the fall and spring. But it looks like it’s almost time for a new one, she’s growing so fast!

Summary

Pattern Review: Burda Kids 9702.

Fabric: Pick A Bunch Organic Blooms quilting cotton in Sunflower by Nancy Mim’s from Robert Kaufman.

Size: 4.

Sewing Level: Beginner.

Modifications: I skipped the roses on the waistband.

Results: Great. I would strongly recommend this pattern and will definitely make it again.