Burda Download Patter n
Fifties Style Dress – Instructions
Burda sizes 36, 38, 40, 42, 44
Length of dress from waist: 75 cm
(293⁄4 ins)
Materials:
135 cm (53 in) fabric with crosswise
stretch:
2.20 m (21⁄2 yds).
A piece of lining about 20 x 20 cm
(8 x 8 ins).
A piece of fusible interfacing Vilene/
Pellon G 785. 1 invisible zip, 40 cm
(16 ins) long and a special presser
foot.
Recommended fabrics: Fabrics with
crosswise stretch and some body,
e.g. denim, chintz, satin, gabardine.
Use stretch fabrics only.
Preparation:
The pattern pieces are printed on
24 pages framed by a thin line. Wait
until all of the pages have been
printed. Put the pages in the correct
order (see separate sheet with the
print overview).
Cut each page along the thin line at
the top and right edges, begin with
the lower left page and then stick
the pages together exactly on the
thin lines. Now cut out the pattern
pieces.
Important: Seam and hem allow-
ances are not included on the pat-
tern pieces.
Cutting out:
Use a ruler and tailor's chalk to mark
the seam and hem allowances on
the fabric round the paper pattern
pieces: 4 cm (15⁄8 ins) for the hem,
1.5 cm (5⁄8 in) at all other seams and
edges.
1 front on a fold
2 side front skirt panel
3 centre back on a fold
4 side back
5 centre back skirt panel
on a fold
6 side back skirt panel
a) 2 bias strips to face the armhole
edges for
size 36: 42 cm (161⁄2 ins),
size 38: 43 cm (17 ins), size 40: 44 cm
(171⁄4 ins), size 42: 45 cm (173⁄4 ins),
Pattern layout
for 135 cm fabric
© Copyright 2006 by Verlag Aenne Burda
size 44: 46 cm (181⁄8 ins) long, 3 cm
(11⁄4 ins) wide (incl. seam allowances).
Transfer the pattern markings to the
fabric pieces:
Use BURDA dressmaker's carbon pa-
per and a tracing wheel to transfer
important pattern piece lines and
markings (seam and hem lines)
except for the grain line to the
wrong side of the fabric pieces (see
intructions included with the pack).
Interfacing: Iron strips of interfacing
about 10 cm (4 ins) wide over the
tabs on the wrong side of the fabric
(see shaded area on pattern layout).
Construction:
■ Neaten the seam allowance at the
neck edge of the centre back piece,
press to the inside and stitch loosely
by hand.
x1
■ Lay each side back piece on the
x2
centre back piece from the marking
x1
(seam number 2). Pin the back panel
x2
seams. Stitch. Press the seam allow-
ances open and neaten.
x1
■ Lay the side back skirt panels
x2
right sides together with the centre
back skirt panel. Stitch the panel
seams from the upper edges to the
marking, go on to baste the pleats
like a seam. Clip the seam allow-
ances of the side skirt panels at the
top end of the pleat close to the
Fold the fabric
as shown in the
pattern layout,
right side
facing in.
Pattern pieces 1 to 6
Size 36 333333
Size 38 444444
Size 40 555
Size 42 666666
Size 44 777777
stitching line. Press the seam allow-
ances open from the upper edges to
the clipping and neaten. Press the
pleat folds toward the centre back.
Stitch the inside pleat seams from
the upper edges to about 10 cm
(4 ins) above the marked hem line.
Stitch the upper edges of the pleat
folds together, beginning exactly at
then end of the panel seam and
stitching in a shallow curve toward
the inside pleat seam.
■ Stitch the back skirt panel to the
back piece, matching the panel
seams. Press the seam allowances
open and neaten.
■ Pin the upper edges of the side
front skirt panels each right sides
together with the respective lower
edges of the front piece beginning
at the side edge (seam number 1).
Stitch. Clip the seam allowance of
the front 1.5 cm (5⁄8 in) wide (width
of seam allowance) next to each
marked dart line. Press the seam
allowances of the skirt joining seam
open. Lay the side skirt panels right
sides together with the front. Pin
the lengthwise panel seams and go
on to pin the bust darts. Stitch,
beginning at the lower edge. End
stitching at point of dart. Press the
seam allowances open, press the
dart flat. Neaten the seam allow-
ances.
■ Integral tabs: Face the slash lines
on the front with lining: Cut 4 strips
of lining each 20 cm (8 ins) long and
5 cm (2 ins) wide. Mark the centre.
Pin the lining pieces each over the
marked slash lines on the front with
right sides facing so that the strips
of lining overhang by 1 cm (3⁄8 in) at
the bottom and the marked centre
lies between the slash lines. Stitch
page 1 of 2
Burda Download Pattern, Instructions for Fifties Style Dress page 2 of 2

1 ■ Tabs: Gather the slashed edges of
2 up to the fold line. Conceal the ends
3 right sides together with the edges
right inter-
fabric side facing
wrong lining
fabric side
from the wrong fabric side of the
front piece as follows: along the
edge of the tab from the top to the
tip, then from the tip along the
other marked slash edge for about
3 cm (11⁄4 ins) more upward. Slash the
front and strips of lining 2 mm (1⁄8 in)
next to the tab edges, cut close to
the stitching at the pointed ends of
the slash lines (1). Trim off the loose
ends of the lining strips and neaten
the cut edges. Turn the lining pieces
to the inside. Press the edges of the
tabs (2).
■ Shoulder seams: Lay the front
right sides together with the back.
Stitch the shoulder seams. Press the
seam allowances open, neaten.
■ Neckline: Neaten the allowances
of the neckline edges on the front
and back, press to the inside and
stitch loosely by hand.
marked ends of the opening. Close
the front. Fold the tabs down onto the zip.
the right side of the fabric to do Place the other zip band face down
this. Smooth the lining pieces at the on the right fabric side of the front
cut edges of the front forward and opening edge and pin at the top
to the side. Take small running with a single straight pin. Open the
stitches by hand exactly along the zip again. Place the presser foot on
marked seam line and go on in the the top end of the zip so that the
line of the lining joining seam (3) or coil is in the notch to the left of the
machine stitch at a long stitch set- needle (5). Sew the zip in place from
ting. Push the fabric of the slashed the top to the end of the opening.
edges together along the gathering Close the zip.
threads until the edges are as long ■ Stitch the side seam from the top
as the respective edges of the tabs (marking) to the zip opening. Turn
the loose lower end of the zip back
of the gathering threads. Distribute toward the seam allowance and
the gathering evenly. Pin the edges stitch as close as possible to the first
of the tabs to the slashed edges up stitch of the zip seams. Stitch the
to the fold line, sew by hand. Fold side seam below the zip opening
the top edge of the tab to the inside likewise, beginning at the lower
on the fold line, sew in place inside edge. Neaten the seam allowances
the dress. and press open. Go on to press the
■ Armhole edges: Neaten one long bias strip at the armhole to the in-
edge of each bias strip. Pin the side. Cut off surplus zip and bind the
unneatened edge of the bias strips end with a scrap of fabric.
Stitch the bias strips on loosely at
of the armholes, leaving the ends of the armholes by hand.
the bias strips overhanging at the ■ Hem: Undo the basting at the
markings. Stitch from the wrong pleats. Neaten the hem allowance,
fabric side of the dress, beginning turn to the inside, baste and press.
and ending exactly at the markings. Stitch the hem loosely by hand.
Leave the bias strip lying right side Stitch the remaining inside pleat
facing down and fold the ends up seams across the finished hem. Turn
from each marking, pin in place. in the seam allowances at the edge
■ Lay the front right sides together of the hem toward each other.
with the back. Stitch the right side Neaten the inside pleat seams
seam. Press the seam allowances together.
open, go on to press the bias strip to
the inside at the edge of the arm-
hole.
■ Invisible zip and left side seam:
Open the zip and push the coil back
with your thumbnail to reveal the
seam between the band and the
coil. Place the open zip face down
on the right side fabric side of the
back opening edge. So that the zip
can be stitched in place exactly
along the marked seam line, calcu-
late the distance between the band
and the fabric edge as follows: seam
allowances width minus 1 cm (3⁄8 in)
band width = distance from fabric
edge. Pin the top end of the zip
band in place the calculated distance
from the edge of the fabric with a
single straight pin. The teeth of the
zip begin at the marked top end of
the opening. The bottom end of the
zip will overhang the marked end of
the opening. Place the presser foot
on the zip so that the coil is in the
notch to the right of the needle (4).
Stitch zip in place between the 4 5

Copyright 2006 by Verlag Aenne Burda GmbH & Co. KG, Am Kestendamm 1, D-77652 Offenburg.
All styles, pattern pieces and illustrations are copyrighted, commercial reproduction is prohibited.
The publisher cannot be held responsible for damages due to incorrect use of the pattern or materials,
incorrect application of tips or failure to follow instructions, or inappropriate use of the projects.