Sunday 16 September 2018

Tackling my Sewing Mindsets ( or My Burda Challenge )




I have this `thing ` about using stuff . According to Clear The Decks decluttering sewing spaces podcast this could be due to many different mindset issues like sense of duty or sentimentality or money ( these are great podcasts by the way - I have found them very helpful ) .
Backtrack a few years and one of the best sewing op shop finds I have ever had were  10 unused recent Burda magazines . I have been determined to make at least one project from each one - see `thing` above . But I have struggled with the last two magazines left .


Burdastyle June 2012 had a few items I could have made - a stretch lace dress ,  a pleated skirt ,  a loose fitting pleated neckline dress but I had no suitable fabric . I have really thought about this a lot and I mean a lot . I finally figured  the above jacket could work with scrap knit left over from a winter dress I made earlier this year and a piece of black knit given to me .
The jacket was easy to sew and looks really cute in the above photo .
However it is very short  , too short for me and the elasticated waist band creeps upwards .It is comfortable to wear but just not a good look for me .  I did  wear the jacket several times because I like to give something a thorough go before I make a decision on whether it is a winner or wadder and this is a wadder .
However the length is not the main issue here . The main problem is my mindset about using stuff and not letting it go to waste . I could have used my fabric better for another pattern or bought new material to make a different pattern . I am trying to tackle my mindsets and not get caught in this obsession.

Burdastyle February 2012 was the other issue I struggled to find a pattern to sew and I almost gave up .
This issue seemed to have either very loose , baggy clothing like the paper bag skirt below and the super puffy sleeved wrap top or very slim fitting dresses . There were also some maternity styles.





I finally took a punt on the pants above .I haven`t sewn many pants before but I have somehow accumulated quite a bit of navy blue fabric so there was nothing to lose and I got to satisfy my ` thing ` ( and replace my old navy blue pants which have a shiny bum and knees ) .
The pants have small waist pleats with slim fitting legs .  I used an old Kwik Sew pattern to construct the fly front ( I wasn`t even going to bother looking at Burda for this ) but overall pants are not hard to sew , it is just the fitting that is difficult .


Now this is a case where my using stuff mindset triumphed . I can see from the photos that my pants are too long and I should go back and rehem them but apart from this I love my new navy pants . They are comfy and I am pretty happy with how they fit and look.

I have now completed at least one project from each of my most recent Burdas I own and am tackling my unused envelope patterns but with more mindfulness and hopefully more success.



4 comments:

  1. One win, one so-so make. I'd be happy with that!

    I am slowly making my way through my collection of fabric and patterns. I am attempting to expand beyond the tested patterns to the untested ones. The hassle of fitting and tweaking a pattern makes this tricky to say the least.

    I like both your trousers and the jacket.

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  2. Well don on sewing from the Burdas using stash! The trousers look great, but agree should shorten them slightly. The jacket looks OK too just a shame its too short and annoys you, hope someone else loves it if you decide to donate.

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  3. Thanks ! It is satisfying using the 'stash ' but I need to be a bit more relaxed about it.

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  4. Your jacket looks so great..... my thought was if you could remove the elastic from the bottom casing so it might not ride up? And your pants turned out fantastic! Once you get the proper length you've got a great looking pair of pants that will go with everything!! 'Stuff'..... after cleaning out 3 elderly parent's homes chockfull of 'stuff', I have a new appreciation for 'less is more'.
    :)

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