Modernizing an 80s Burda tunic

I made one last 2024 project which I finished on Dec. 31 - just squeaking it in! The PatternReview Modernize Vintage contest helped me to hit that deadline, as I was inspired to get going on this project by that contest. Even though this is barely vintage (mid-80s) and I didn't make too many changes to it, I still enjoyed making it a lot and love the result!

It's a combination of 2 things from my stash that I've been wanting to use for a while. First is this great Burda pattern -- Burda 4709 -- which has the tunic view but also a knit skirt, pants, and even stirrup pants  - remember those?? 

I have been meaning to make the plain tunic for a while and I finally put it together with this fabulous fabric. It's a Dries van Noten scuba knit, which I won from EBT Fabrics last year. There was 1.5 m of it and I was never certain what to make with it. But it was perfect for this top. 

I made a few changes to modernize this pattern, aside from the fabric choice. I shortened it a bit, and most importantly, removed the massive 1/2" shoulder pad allowance from the pattern -- you can see the shoulder pads on the pattern cover, and I did not want that much of an 80s vibe ;) I remove it using Sandra Betzina's technique, which works very well. I think I could have brought the shoulder seam in a bit more but this is still wearable. 

The pattern has huge patch pockets as well, which I like. But this fabric was tough and really did not like pins. I ended up using clips to hold the seams together while I sewed, but when it got to the pockets I was stumped for a minute. How to fix them down to edgestitch? I finally came up with the idea to tape them down with basic scotch tape. That held them in place long enough to stitch, and then I carefully peeled the tape off. I did the same thing for the bottom hem, but just held the sleeve hems as they are quite small. 

This is a fun item, and very colourful indeed! I think I'll enjoy wearing it, as I love the colour and the style. The only thing that I'm not as excited about is the fabric itself, which feels very poly, despite being designer. But I'm glad I found a way to use it, anyhow. I want to start wearing all the fun, bright fabrics in my stash.