patterns

Thinking of Making Burda Shirt Pattern 6326? You May Want to Read This First…

Projects

I decided to make a simple looking shirt pattern from Burda. Being a somewhat experienced sewer, (I’ve been sewing since at least junior high) I did not think I would have any problems with this pattern. Think again!

But it seems I am not the only one who had problems with this pattern. A youtuber threw her project in the bin. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mqjBTHHWFk Another reviewer found the neck facing pattern piece the wrong size (ME TOO!). https://sewing.patternreview.com/review/pattern/164799 I only wish that I had seen these reviews before I bought my pattern. Thank goodness it was on sale, it is not even worth sale price.

The back neckline facing was way too short (we’re talking 4 inches too short!). I drafted another one to fit the back neckline, cut it out, attached the interfacing, and sewed in place to the front side facings. All was well.

Moving on to the the sleeves, I found another problem. Come-on Burda! Now the sleeves were too big to fit in the arm holes. No, things could not be stretched or made to fit the hole. I had to rip-out the sleeve stitches and re-sew the seam to make it a smaller diameter, trim, press and it fit. Ok, now everything should be fine.

After putting in the buttonholes, I tried the top on. The neckline looked bad. What! I should have tried this on before I did the buttonholes. Ugh! How on earth was this neckline supposed to be attached!!! It called for cutting two pieces of each neck facing piece. I was supposed to add an extra strip to the neckline otherwise there would be three layers to cut buttonholes through. But it looked horrible on. The neckline wouldn’t lay flat and was ugly. Luckily, the buttonholes did not go through the front shirt piece since the facing was put on in the extended manner. I ripped out the extra facing all around the left side piece with buttonholes, re-cut the side with the buttonholes, fused interfacing to it, re-attached it and watched the following video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjkUd9m_nMk where a similar neckline is put in without this extra facing piece. Just as I suspected. The extra facing went in the bin.

This was strike three for Burda in my oppinon. I did not toss the project in the bin as I liked the fabric. That’s the only thing that kept me going. “I must save the fabric,” I kept saying to myself. However, I won’t be spending my money on Burda patterns in the future.

Does Burda have a quality control department? Do they test their patterns? There are real pictures of the garments on the package, so they are making the pieces. Are these pieces made with patterns or are the patterns made from these garments? Whoever is drafting the patterns is not making them accurately and the directions are horrible.

There is also no size for the buttons. None that I could see anyway. I would recommend a size 1/2″ or 12mm button.

I finally finished my shirt! It shoud have taken a day. Instead, I honestly have lost count of the number of days spent ripping out seams, creating new pattern pieces, re-sewing, re-ripping, wadding things up, throwing things on the floor, screaming, complaining, etc…

So, would I recommend this pattern? It’s bloody well unlikely! I doubt that I will ever make another Burda pattern again. However, I will wear the shirt, as it did turn out fine with the tweaks I made.

As always, Happy Sewing! (And if it’s not happy, it’s the project, not you.)

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Let’s Go Fly a Kite

Projects

It’s the little things in life that can bring enjoyment. Stopping to smell the roses, watching ducks swimming in a pond, seeing a rainbow, and watching kites flying in the sky. Why not bring a little enjoyment to yourself and others? Let’s make a kite!

I tried making paper kites when I was a kid. We would cut old sheets to use as tails. Sadly, my paper kites never really flew. They usually just bounced along after me on the ground as I ran around the yard. This could be due to poor kite design, lack of wind, or just not knowing what I was doing. Who knows?

In college, I took a fabric design course in which we had to dye fabrics, tie-die fabrics, batik fabrics, and stitch fabrics. After we had finished our tie-die fabrics, the professor gave us instructions to turn our fabric art into a kite. Cool! What was even cooler was that this kite actually flew! The kite flew so well in fact that I didn’t have to run around the yard to try to get it in the air. Wow!

The sled kite that I made is quite simple and inexpensive to make. I think it makes a perfect first kite as it is so simple to get up into the sky. It also rolls up to a nice portable little bundle. So let’s get started!

Finished Sled Kite

Sled Kite

What you will need:

  • newspaper
  • black sharpie marker
  • yardstick
  • tape
  • material (to fit the pattern size you make)(white muslin to tie-dye/or cotton pattern)
  • thread
  • needle
  • scissors
  • thimble
  • straight pins
  • tape measure
  • iron
  • ironing board
  • 2 wood dowel rods size 36″ x 3/16 (cut to size)
  • coping saw
  • pencil
  • small piece of sand paper
  • tie-dye kit (optional)
  • kite string on spool with clip
  • fishing swivel (optional)

The first step is to make a pattern for the kite out of newspaper. Take two pieces of newspaper a tape together to make one large piece. Next take a yardstick and decide how long the kite will be. The number should be easily divisible by 3. I choose 27 inches. Take your marker and mark a line 27 inches. Then cut along this line.

Mark line at 27″
Cut at line

Now that you have this you will need to make a grid on your paper. The grid will be 3 squares by 2 squares. Each square should be the same size. Since I chose 27 inches….3 goes into 27 nine times. I will have six squares that are 9 inches. Cut along outer edge.

Make Grid

Now take your yardstick and place it diagonally on the top left square from bottom to top and draw a line. Then place your yardstick from the top right of the same first square to the bottom right square of the last square of the top row. Draw a line. Cut on these two diagonal lines. This is the kite pattern. The bottom edge should be placed on the fold of the fabric. It will be a mirror image when opened.

Mark diagonal line
Mark second diagonal line
Cut at diagonal lines
labeled kite placement guide

Here comes the creative part! Fabric choice! My suggestion would be something bright and eye-catching. (Pale blue or white will not be exciting in a sky of the same color.) This is where tie-dying comes in….take white muslin and tie-dye the fabric to your liking per box instructions or buy a fabric with a pattern already printed. Such materials to consider would be any light cotton such as a batik print. Once the fabric is chosen, fold the fabric to fit the pattern piece and pin the pattern to fabric with the fold edge (in my case the 27 inches) on the fold of fabric and cut fabric. (Do not cut the edge with fold.) When the fabric is open it will be the entire kite.

Take the fabric and fold over the fabric 1/4″ on one side, press with iron and then fold again to make a 1/2″ hem. Using a slip stitch, hand stitch the side in place. Repeat for all sides of kite leaving a small gap on the ends of the top and bottom to insert wooden dowels.

Slip stitch hem leaving space for dowel rod to be inserted

Cut wooden dowels with coping saw to fit in hem pocket in top and bottom of kite. Sand the cut end of dowel and insert into hem pockets. Tack in place to kite material with thread by using needle to whip thread around the dowel about three times and at three equal distances along the rod.

Cutting dowel rod
Tack dowel in place to kite with thread

Cut a piece of kite string about 2 yards long. Thread one end into the head of a large needle and stitch to farthest side point on kite. Then stitch the other end of the string on the other side of kite and thread through plastic clip,. (If the kite string does not come with a clip/ring you can use a fishing swivel. Attach this to your kite line.

Stitch kite string to farthest point on kite
Thread through plastic clip on kite spool

Find a safe place to fly your kite. This should be away from traffic, power lines, trees, storms, etc. Be sure to pick a windy day. The windier the better. Some places are naturally better for flying kites. Usually places close to the bay or beach are great places to find the perfect wind.

Face away from the way the wind is blowing. Hold the kite in the air by where the strings meet close to the ring. When you feel the kite catch the wind, give it a little more line until you slowly let it go higher and higher. Adjust the line if it does not feel tight enough or begins to drop by reeling the line in a bit.

Have fun and go fly a kite!

(Be sure to send me a picture if you actually make a DIY Sled Kite!)