pattern review: burdastyle #113B

Monday, June 8, 2015


Target shirt, Madewell purse, DIY Pants (BurdaStyle #113B) c/o, Zara boots

Let's talk about pants.

If you were to talk to any of my friends, they would definitely tell you that I am not a rule breaker. Especially my coworkers. And now that you know that personality trait, you might be surprised to know that when it comes to sewing pattern difficulty, I ignore all signs. This is how I have ended up with a sheet music collection that I can only play half of. 

For a long time I have lusted over a flared silhouette. But it had to be just right. Tight & tapered with the flare beginning just in the right place. They also needed to be the right length so that I don't have to wear them with 6 inch platform heels. That is where the BurdaStyle pattern #113B comes in. 

Now, this pattern doesn't contain a lot of pieces so at first glance it doesn't seem too crazy. My thoughts: "Psshhh, intermediate? This will be a walk in the park!!" I was wrong, so wrong. Let me be clear, this pattern & construction of the pants was difficult because of my lack of pant making skills. This was my first pair!! I suppose once you move up the pattern ladder from "easy" to "intermediate", the directions tend to become less descriptive.

I should have taken more photos of the construction of these pants but my kitchen island isn't super cute. It currently serves as my pattern cutting station. I highly recommend making this pattern out of muslin first. Pants are tricky, because so many of us ladies are different sizes. So make the muslin first and then make adjustments. I cut out my size and found that while it fit around the butt, the leg portion was too big. Because I made a test, I was able to alter the pattern around my knees, setting the flare in my favorite spot. 

I think the most trouble I had was with the zipper portion. By the time I had gotten to the written zipper portion my brain was just not having it. This is the part of the pattern that I found particularly difficult. I found this video that I'm not 100% sure follows the same route as the pattern, but it does give a good explanation of zippers in trousers if you've never made them before. To find part two of this video you have to visit their website.

Today I will not be showing you the top of the pants because they are a tad bit wonky. I can assure you that the final pant does look like the product image shown! I would love to remake these pants once I find a fabric that is more similar to what is shown in the product image...beautiful soft suit fabric. I also found that the fabric doesn't translate very well in images.

So overall, I do like the pattern but may just need to give this one a go with better fabric. I would say that it is definitely worth the money, just make sure you are prepared to spend some time on the pants if you aren't very experienced.

3 comments

  1. Superb outfit, so elegant and minimalistic!

    http://lartoffashion.com

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  2. Those are killer! And I love your whole 'screw intermediate' attitude too. I think that's how you get better really quickly with sewing, is just making things you love regardless of the prescribed 'level'. You come out the other side with a tonne of confidence even if things went messy along the way. Those pics are top shelf too!

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    Replies
    1. Thank you, I'm glad you like them!! I agree, it is a great way to level up skills quickly. It just doesn't always turn out for the best, so as long as we can accept that reality, we should do great things! Thank you for reading~

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