A lot of people are giving up their Burda subscriptions annoyed with the designs and the condensed pattern sheets. I am willing to put up with bad months. In the 10 years I've had a subscription there have always been months where there is nothing I want to make. Summer issues are usually my least used. I will admit that the new sheets are more time consuming, but it's not all that bad if you have good lighting. I have great lighting. I make more Burda than any other company because when they hit it the styles are new and often edgy and while the photography is more fashion mag than pattern, the styles are sewn up so well and fit so well that they say, just like a good fashion magazine, I want that. The fit is so good that I know that the drafting is going to be excellent I know exactly what I have to do to make them work for me. I make a lot of fitting alterations and I can just go down the list on Burda because the drafting is that consistent. I have other pattern magazines and the pictures show sewing and fit that just don't measure up so that you wonder if those fitting wrinkles are because the drafting is poor or if they didn't take the time to do a good job.
Now we come to the instructions. A while back there was a thread on Pattern Review complaining that the technical writers couldn't possibly be native speakers. There was a livid response that they were most definitely native English speakers.. Most of us just didn't believe it; their response was so awkwardly worded.
My favorite lately is when they can't get the sentence structure in the correct order, which is, unfortunately pretty frequent. The instructions are usually poor, but they degenerate into the truly awful the more complicated the pattern. I honestly don't recall them being this bad in past years. Case in point I was looking at a dress with a pattern for a leather belt. The leather belt is simple. You'd think that it would be fairly straight forward to write instructions for something so simple. Not so. There is a central piece and two narrower end pieces. The belt fastens in the back. You are instructed to sew the end pieces to the center and open the seam gluing them in place. Oh, but then they say but first interface the center piece. Duh.
I am planning to sew a leather jacket for spring. it's not a simple jacket and there are a lot of instructions. Oy, what a mess Aside from the usual lets sew it up before we do all those details that are so much easier to do in the flat, they just don't make a whole lot of sense. I read them at least 3 times. If I make this jacket I will be writing my own construction order and for the harder parts, working out the construction ahead of time. I have a large sewing library to call on for technique and lots of experts willing to help if I come up against a wall.
You can look at Burda in two ways; they have awful instructions so you can't make them, or you can use their great drafting and style and figure out how to do it on your own and in the process become a better sewer.
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I use the cutting instructions but rarely even read the sewing instructions. They are usually not necessary, but almost always confusing.
ReplyDeleteThis might be a problem with Burda's English staff. The instructions in French are pretty simplistic, assuming you know how to do basic things, but definitely in the right order and in decent French. As I'm not a Francophone, you can imagine how many times I read them carefully before starting, crossing out each sentence as I complete a task, as it takes me minutes to find my place in a foreign language if I don't! Burda is so cheap on our newstands, that it seems a crime to order overseas from the Big 4. ex: A Burda issue costs around 8 US dollars. Even if you spent your life waiting for $4.99 offers from Vogue you couldn't match that.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hands, I'm among those really cheesed off by Burda's compression of the pattern sheets. And I don't like another trend that turned up in Burda Easy; not only making us download one of the main patterns advertised, but making us enter a special code to do so. I foresee pattern companies trying to force us online altogether to cut costs further. btw, Love Your Work! and Thanks again for the lining a sleeveless shift tutorial.
I know, each time my sub comes up for renewal, I question whether I should or shouldn't. This last time, I opted for 6 mo. I agree that the patterns are very well drafted and fit my body with few adjustments (that alone is worth its weight in gold). In about 4 mo, I'll have to decide again. I'll likely re-up. (but certainly not for the instructions!)
ReplyDeleteI love my Burdas. Like you, I'm always happy to know in advance what I need to do to make it fit. I can't remember the last time I tried to read the instructions, that's what my Reader's Digest sewing book is for!
ReplyDeleteI agree Nancy.
ReplyDeleteAmen.
Burda reminds me of a naughty teenager. I love them. I hate them.
That being said- I love the drafting, have compensated with good light for the patterns that are indeed seizure inducing, and love their jackets and fit.
The directions almost ALWAYS stump me. I find I have to intuit what they are trying to say and pray as I follow along. I find myself wondering if I am language dysphasic when I try to interpret the written directions.
I think the support is crucial. It would be a shame to decline a project because the directions are uninterpretable. Pattern Review and blogs are my back up for these difficult encounters.
Thank you for this post. A worthwhile topic!
I have a love-hate relationship with Burda, also - more love than hate. I hate the smaller pattern sheets, but I love the patterns. I've said it before and I'll say it again - there is no better source for plus size patterns. If Burda goes out of the pattern magazine business, I don't know what I'll do!!!!
ReplyDeleteWhen I was making that Burda Liberty of London dress last fall, Elaine May translated the instructions for me directly from German. They were nearly indecipherable, which I attributed to a poor translation job by the the Selfish one.
ReplyDeleteThen I found the link to the ENGLISH instructions and they were worse!
Sigh. Burda. I have been a hold out on the 'hate' part for most of 2010, even though I have only sewn one thing from my sub this year. I was actually considering not renewing for the first time since 2006. I figured every magazine has growing pains and in this economy I should cut them some slack. Thankfully I love the January2011 issue, so maybe they're back on track? I'm getting ready to trace on the crazy new condensed pattern sheet, so I may revise my opinion by tonight. ;)
ReplyDeleteAnd I agree with Elaray. You can't get any better than their plus pattern line!
I was wondering the same! I usually buy the Burda in Dutch but I cant understand the instructions for the life of me. When I was back home I bought the Jan issue in Spanish, my mother tongue, and the instructions are much, much better. Quite a riddle.
ReplyDeleteI agree Nancy! You've hit the nail squarely on the head. I keep buying Burda because they come up with attractive styles that are well drafted. The condensed pattern sheets are a pity, but not a deal breaker for me. If the technical writing in English were better, I'd be delighted. For now, I just accept that Burda provides patterns without instructions! I can use the pattern layout diagram, but the written instructions are often worse than nothing...they create more confusion for me than merely muddling along.
ReplyDeleteJust a thought regarding the first language of their technical writers, it certainly could be English. Hotpatterns instructions are sometimes pretty daunting too. And those patterns are definitely written by native English speakers, who know how to sew, well! Technical writing is an expertise in and of itself. It's not easy to do well. Perhaps the magazine's editors don't speak English well enough, or sew well enough to judge the quality of the technical writing in English?
I have to agree about technical writing being a talent and some people have it and some don't and clearly the English speaking staff at Burda don't. I like to read instructions whether I use them or not. I guess I am just an instruction nerd so instead of just ignoring them, I read and question why on earth would you do it that way?
ReplyDeletePlease believe me, the german instructions are as confusing as the english ones. we here in germany call it "Burda-Deutsch", some of it is easier to understand if you have the Burda sewing book "Nähen". I think it`s just a bad mixture of professional/technical tailoring language and explanations for "the home seamstress", that was created over the many years and got a life of it`s own.
ReplyDeleteThis is why really professional companies hire a technical writer to go over directions and rewrite things that specialists have written. The biggest problem with specialists is that it's often hard for them to realize that their instructions are absolutely useless for the masses.
ReplyDeleteDear Burda,
At least subcontract someone to go over your technical writing.
Love,
People who would like to love you more.
I wish the Burda book was available in English. It know they also published it in French.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting. Thier notched collar directions are actually quite good. They've worked out for me three times now. But, I skim just about everything else.
It's funny you wrote this post. I had one in my drafts called, "I wish I could quite you!!". I don't mind the lackluster styles as much. I mean, there is only so much I can sew. But, the sheets are a PITA for me now. I'm assuming and hoping that I'll just get used to them.
I love the burda patterns - the fit is very good for me and the pattern making is very precise. As regards their instructions, they are often ridiculous or plain wrong. With more experience, I find I don't both with them and make my own.
ReplyDeleteThe instructions are sparse, for sure, but I always read them through. Sometimes I even do something they suggest that I might not have thought of doing myself. But there is a lot of assumed knowledge, which you either have to have or you have to get from a book or elsewhere.
ReplyDeleteI just finished a skirt from July 1971 Burda. The instructions had inserting the zip as the second-last step before the hem. That's a really dumb idea, and it shows that Burda's instructions have not been great for at least 40 years. I think they are unlikely to change now.
Thank goodness for Burda magaizne in spite of all their silliness. Good pattern drafting is everything! A pattern that works and sews up to look like it was intended is a must. And those so called instructions, I gave up on them several years ago after realizing they had left out sewing the left side of the zipper on a pair of pants.
ReplyDeleteI had a subscription for a few years but now buy single issues if they appeal. If I buy six or fewer singles per year the money spent is about the same as a sub and I only have what I really like.
Clearly it's not a francophone who thinks that the instructions are better in French. People, let's face it: even the German instructions are pretty inadequate, they're still the post-wwii type that assumes you know how to sew and just need a little nudge. However, Burda seems to have gone recently from bad translators to google translate. So what you're buying is good patterns, but you've got to figure out how to make the stuff yourself. Not so bad, considering the price of the magazine..
ReplyDeleteI make a game of re-engineering their construction notes to be more sensible. I suppose if you're a little geeky its fun. I like their interesting styles, for the price I'm happy to have a pretty magazine with great patterns.
ReplyDeleteThat said, I HATE when a novice student brings me Burda patterns. I like to teach independence in sewing, how to decode patterns, how to do that particular technique, but with Burdas I have to verbally give instructions which isn't helpful for growing them up as a sewist.
You know I have a lot of complaints again Burda too. But to be honest, I think all pattern directions are an instant entrance into the nut house! Most of them drive me nuts and even with pictures are hard to decipher. That's why I've just gotten into the habit of looking at the pattern pieces and that tells me what I need to know. Granted you can't do this all the time, but most of the time you can.
ReplyDeleteI remember back in the day when Vogue Patterns was in its heyday (they even feature one or two of the patterns in the Vogue Fashion Magazine every month), we had the same complaint with Vogue. I'm not sure there's a good way to write these things up. Heaven knows if I were to write instructions, they would probably be longer than a Dostoevsky novel with the complimentary sub-plots to confuse the reader further!!!!
Great topic - I've enjoyed reading the responses.
ReplyDeleteI'm a new sewer and because of the poor instructions have not begun Burdaing yet, except for one easy dress that I completed this month. I didn't even bother to look at the instructions.
Oh, Nancy, you've summed it up perfectly. I did quit Burdalast year but mostly because I mainly live in warm weather and am willing to wait for the pattern book versions of many of thr popular magazine patterns. I have maybe 6 or 7 years of magazines however since I do think their styles have longevity. Those magazine directions are not helpful for somone like me who still relies upon them for uncomon details. Makes me wish I liked Louise Cutting's designs more since with her directions I believe my husband could be succesful on a sewing project. Happy New Year.
ReplyDeleteI love your last paragraph about learning how to sew because you have to figure it out yourself. So true!
ReplyDeleteMy first Burda will be a sew-a-long this month. After reading so much about Burda I think there is a lot to be learned from not using intructions but using reference books and resources to piece your way through it. I am a bit scared though!!
ReplyDelete