I love the fall because that’s when the best jacket patterns come out, and the cover for Burda’s October issue did not disappoint. More pictures below of this jacket in a plainer fabric so you can see all the details. The lapels and peplum are both flounces (pieces of fabric cut in a spiral so that one edge is longer than the other), and they are both double layered with raw edges. If you like the raw edge look, this saves what would be quite a bit of work hemming those. I think I like it best in a tweed or boucle fabric like on the left. I bet this would also look great in a more masculine traditional tweed because the flounces would feminize it a bit.

Have you noticed lately that the 70’s are back? I think that era always comes back a bit in the fall because damn… they know how to make a fall coat. The proportions, fabric, and styling on this one are perfection. Somehow it just doesn’t look the same on someone who is 5’2″ though. 😦 Jill needs to make this so I can wear it vicariously though her.

But, here’s a petite pattern for me! I like that this motorcycle jacket switches things up by adding contrasting panels. I think I prefer the paneling on the one on the left, but they’re both great.

This dress is the illustrated sewing lesson for the month. I really like it! One warning though – the seam lines of those inserts go right over the bust, so I wouldn’t recommend doing any strong color blocking or you’ll cut the bust in half and I always think that looks unflattering. Usually I dislike drop waists but since this one transitions into a circle skirt it gives more of an A-line silhouette… only swing-ier and more fun.

Love this top and dress as well. I’m using the word love too much this month! The front shoulder yokes shorten the length of the cowl neck making it less fussy than cowl necks sometimes are. And the color blocking on the one on the left is really fun. By the way, I’ve been seeing that these wavy pintuck knits EVERYWHERE all of a sudden… in magazines, at Kohl’s, in my shopping cart at Colorado Fabrics… Guess I better sew that up while it’s hot!

This is also an interesting variation on a standard cowl neck. The top on the right has bands which pull the cowl out towards the shoulders, while the dress on the left has instructions for hand sewing that accomplishes the same thing. Again, I bet this is less fussy than a regular cowl neck because the bands/stitching keep it in place so you don’t have to keep adjusting it. If you use a knit with some drape like on the right it almost looks like a sweetheart neckline.

Generally I stay away from baby-doll dresses because they often border on twee, but this dress is fantastic. The black lace gives it a bit of edge, and I like the split at the neckline. I’ll probably be shortening this into a top and making it up in all kinds of fabrics because that’s just my silhouette for tops.

Loose wrap blouses are everywhere right now and I really liked the look of this one… until I realized it was a dress! WTF Burda, why couldn’t you make this a blouse and a separate skirt pattern? It’s just a weird to make it a one piece dress. Not to mention I’m not crazy about the skirt. I’ll be sticking with the StyleArc Dotty blouse for this look.

This was another strange one for me. At first I thought it was a fun layered party dress, but then I realized it was two layers. Huh? I’m not keen on turning a second set of spaghetti straps, but then when I saw the look on the right I thought maybe the point was to be able to reuse the outer layer as just a top? But then I was comparing the straight neckline with the v-neck and getting confused on what the necklines actually look like. It doesn’t look like the girl on the right is wearing the second layer underneath that’s implied in the line drawing.

Once I zoomed in on the first picture, I realized that the v-neck outer layer definitely could not be worn on it’s own without shorten the straps significantly. That would be a serious Janet Jackson moment otherwise!

I’m excited that Burda has brought back the monthly designer pattern! This month’s is from Ports, and it is a very 80’s style double-breasted asymmetric dress. I like the idea of it but it might be a touch too 80’s for me. However, the buttons are purely decorative (it has a side zip to get into the dress) so you could just leave them off.

The plus size section this month was solid but not spectacular. My favorite of the bunch is this flounce skirt. The blouse is a nice basic.

This A-line dress is very on-trend. It’s not my taste, but I see some color blocking potential, and pockets are always great.

If the plus size ladies were sad about missing out on the double spaghetti strap tank top, here’s a weird double layer tank to call your own! I’ll pass. Also, did you notice how all the plus size photos have some helpful hints this month? “These blouses conceal larger upper arms”, “the flared silhoutte conceals hips and bottoms”, “the layered look lengthens the upper body”… I’m so sick of this kind of advice that assumes we’re all dressing to hide some horrible body part we hate. Can’t I just wear clothes because I like them?

I never comment on the kids section, but damn I am jealous of these kids patterns. How adorable is this girl? The satchel is a great pattern for anyone.

Just so you don’t think I’m losing my edge, here’s some fugly to snark on. Purple pattern mixing with purple tights… I shuddered when I first saw this page.

And a Burda issue wouldn’t be complete without some weird crafts. I don’t even know what to call these… beer bottle stick vases? My favorite parts of this tableau are the piece of muslin with a pumpkin applique held to a bottle with twine and the gourd shoved upside down in a bottle. I really think those would look better together don’t you think? Sadly there are no instructions to recreate this in your own home, but I’m happy to help!

Step 1: Find a dingy scrap of muslin from your scraps bag. Pink the edges.

Step 2: Applique a pumpkin to it.

Step 3: Slap it on a bottle and wrap some twine around. Make it nice and tight so your scrap doesn’t fall off!

Step 4: Shove a gourd in the bottle.

Here’s a photoshop of what it should look like:

I really think I could be the next Martha Stewart!

Here’s the preview for next month. Some of it looks alright, but “comfortable homewear” for the plus size ladies? Blech. I guess if the clothes from this month fail to hide the body parts you’re horribly ashamed of, you can just stay home!