Burdastyle had a pattern sale just before Christmas and I couldn’t resist. But that’s the whole point about sales – they want you to chuck caution to the wind and just buy shit. And I did – 5 pdf patterns for £10.
Bargain right?
Wrong!
You forgot about the headfuckery of Burdastyle pattern instructions.
They’ve got shit pattern instructions down to a fine art. I just can’t work out their business plan. “Lets make fun sewing patterns with devilishly rubbish instructions so that people will howl with frustration chuck the pattern across the room and vow never to buy a Burdastyle patterns again until the next sale”.
Seriously Burdastyle if that’s your business plan you need a new business advisor cos it makes you ejits.
Anyhoo. Thankfully there are some wonderful blogs out there who could calmly talk me through the process of making my first ever tailored shirt. Step forth the wonderful Male Devon Sewing. I don’t know if you’ll ever read this blog but if you do I owe you some serious beers. You saved my sanity!
The fabric is some lovely soft chambray from Minerva online. I can’t remember how much it was but it was probably cheap because I’m cheap.
I made the collar stand and inside of the cuffs from a fun spotty fabric leftover from I Wish It Wasn’t Pink Dress I made my daughter. Its a nice contrast and makes me think all my husbands shirts should in future use material from my daughter’s clothes because it makes me happy.
I learnt a huge amount making this shirt.
I learnt that there are no short cuts in tailored shirt making. That it’s a really precise job. There are no bodges. There are no short cuts. Just methodical, patient, precise sewing.
Which probably means it should be impossible to buy a tailored shirt for under £50. The fact that we can probably means someone somewhere in the chain is not being paid fairly. Whether thats the cotton farmer, the garment worker or the shop worker I don’t know.
So here we go. The lovely model that is my husband hamming it up right in the middle of the village with people gawping at him as they drive by. Except he has no shame and probably quite liked it.
Sew sleep deprived 
That’s a great shirt and the contrast fabric is a lovely touch. Have you ever made anything from the magazine? And you think the pattern instructions are bad! 🙂 xx
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I keep looking at the magazine in the shop then put it down and back away quickly!
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Great job! I really want to make a shirt for my boyfriend, but have no idea how to go about fitting it properly. I’ll take a look at your link 🙂
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It’s actually tremendously easy if you follow male Devon sewing. My husband is very slim but this pattern was quite loose on him. Because you attach the sleeves before the sides it made fitting very quick and easy.
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It looks amazing! I have often looked at shirts – even the school shirts that were £5, and could not believe how cheap they were compared to how much work had gone into them.
Well done to you for your persistence! I have never used a burda pattern, not sure I will either!
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I doubt my review will have many people running to their computers to buy one!
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Well done you, no thanks to Burda 🙂
I totally hate buying Burda style patterns but sometimes…
As a seasoned stitcher, I teach several weekly sewing classes but nearly threw my toys out of the pram when I made my latest Burda 6843 jacket.
Logic plays such a big part in sewing but Burda could so definitely make our lives so much easier
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Agreed. Imagine you went to your bank and asked for a loan for a new business idea you had. You say you’ll invest in pattern drafters but ask your 5 year old nephew to write the instructions before paying the next door neighbours cat to translate them. They’d laugh you out the bank. Ruddy burda!
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Well I have read your blog and I am so pleased I could help you with your shirt. You have made a really really excellent job of it to! Well done! In fairness to Burda, yes the instructions are a little ‘vague!’ but that said the actual patterns are exemplary. They are very accurate and do make lovely clothes. I shall be doing a complete walk-through of a Burda male jacket soon too. Next step?
All the best Jamie (MaleDevonSewing)
ps thanks for the link back
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Thank god there are people like you out there in the internet to save the sanity of less savy people like me! I’ll look forward to the next tutorial as my husband is making fairly significant hints about a tweed jacket. Cheers!
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Tweed is my speciality so a tweed jacket make it will be!
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Great post and I love your shirt!
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