Burda WOF 9/2007 jumper

This pattern is shown as a trendy update of a 60's look. Burda says: "We've always kept up with the trends! When the pinafore dress/jumper became popular in the Sixties, Burda had the pattern (9/1964). This garment is now celebrating a comeback, and we feature it, of course!"

Here's Burda's description: This saucy pinafore dress/jumper is shows loads of Sixties' swing? The hemline nips the kness, the waist seam is slightly raised and a wide, shaped, self-fabric belt cinces it to the waist. Wear it over a close-fitting turtleneck pullover for the true-to-style look.

Personally I don't think these garments look that much alike. The sixties jumper had the waist at the natural waistline with a leather belt, no pleats and pockets and a higher neckline. Oh well, I guess they think it is similar.

I wanted to make this garment when I first saw this issue of the magazine. Finally I have made it from a fabric I have had in my stash for many, many years. I bought it from my 87 year old neighbor who had had it for many years. No telling how old it is. Somehow it miraculously survived without moth holes or other damage. I thought I had a lot more fabric than I needed but this old fabrics are narrow and I barely got this cut from what I had.

I'm not crazy about how this looks on me although it fits okay after my varied alterations. It just looks plastered on me. However, the photos spurred me on to renewed vigor with my diet and I'm now 3 pounds lighter than when the photos were taken. Hopefully it looks a bit better.

It is easy to sew if you mark accurately. Of course I didn't so I had to fiddle a lot with the pleats to get them symmetric and centered. I wouldn't recommend it for a beginner as the instructions, although complete, are a bit puzzling when it comes to the bodice finishing which is very clever but hard to understand without illustrations. This is the instruction that befuddles." If you sew up to that point and hold the fabric in position this will make sense. In the abstract it doesn't. This technique gives a nice finish to the bodice at the shoulders and armholes.

I followed Diane's approach from her review on Pattern Review (http://sewing.patternreview.com/cgi-bin/readreview.pl?readreview=1&reviewnum=24594)for the rest of the finishing. This creates a really polished bodice. However, in spite of the alterations I did before cutting out, I needed to go back and take in the underarms. This was awkward to do with the nice finished bodice and would have been easy with the Burda approach. Maybe that is why they construct it they way they show.