BurdaStyle 04/2019 Ruffled Garden Tea Party Dress

I`ve made a new summer dress -  flowy soft rayon in a loose comfy style . Just tell that to our current weather . While WA melts , NSW burns , parts of Queensland is getting mega hail stones and severe droughts we are still getting very cool and wet weather . I`m not complaining though .
This is dress 120 from April 2019 Burda , a ripper of an issue . I love so many styles in this magazine and this dress wasn`t even one of them but I fell in love with it when I saw a couple of great versions on the internet .

It is a  loose fitting  button front dress with dropped shoulders , low placed waist seam and ruffled hems and sleeves . It turns out I am a partial ruffle person - love the hem ruffles but not the sleeves so obviously I didn`t add them which turned out to be an extra bonus later on .
This dress is an easy sew but Burda was not very clear on adding the ruffles to the hems - you do need to set the gathered ruffled portion back from the front bands ( which are not sewn on separately ) . I didn`t set mine back far enough so my front ruffle side seam does not meet the side seam of the dress but I`m not fussed about these kind of things ( if I was then there would be very few clothes in my wardrobe ) . The dress really is loose fitting and needs a belt to give it any shape.

The fabric is from Spotty - a rayon called Garden Tea Party .  I was lucky and bought the last of the roll which was about 4 metres .  I managed to cut out my dress from about 2.5 metres so had enough leftover to make a pair of short PJs for youngest DD who thought the fabric was really pretty too.  ( so no chance of our wearing matching mother - daughter outfits ). It is a  bit slippery to work with and can stretch out too but the soft , cool feel and the heaps of great prints outweigh that .
I know the super hot weather is about to hit us too but I think I`ll be a prepared as I can in this dress.  Highly recommend .

Arbitrary Sewing and Janies and Eliza Fabric Shopping .

For no particular reason my next sewing project was a two piece dress using some fabric bought on a whim. It is described as a ponte with navy blue roses on a pale pink background. I wasn`t sure about the fabric when I received it ( the risks of online buying ) but I'm always willing to give it a try because sometimes the end result can exceed my expectations and it certainly did this time.
                                                            
  I used an old favourite pattern Simplicity 4074 for the skirt and tried an old Burda WOF pattern  03/2005 which I have wanted to sew for over 12 years . Definitely better late than never because I love it and I think I will be sewing a summer version.

                                                                   
Simplicity 4074 is a classic pattern which I`ve made several times now , the skirt twice and the faux wrap dress once . Luckily the first time I  made the skirt I was bothered to lengthen the skirt at the proper lengthen/ shorten lines so it was a very easy matter to cut and sew the slightly flared elastic waist style.
The  knit T pattern comes in two versions . A short sleeve, tie neck , hem band variation and long sleeves , simple V neck and no hem  band so I made a combination of the two styles . The sleeves are a  two piece design which fits nicely and I know it`s hard to see but I used the tie neck pattern.

The older style Burdas come with two large pattern sheets so even though there were more different styles back  then there were fewer patterns per page so tracing was much easier. I even understood all the instructions this time ( miracle ) but stitched around the base of the V neck to prevent stretching which Burda doesn`t mention . 
Since the fabric was really easy to work with (  and I didn`t even have to stabilise the hems ) , this was an easy , satisfying , morale boosting project.  I`ll mention that the ponte came from Janies Fabrics  , a Melbourne based online fabric shop ( with a bricks and mortar shop as well which I`ve never managed to visit ) since it is still available . I`ve bought quite a few pieces from there now and usually I`ve been happy . Speaking of fabric shopping I went to Eliza`s in Sunshine last week. I`ve seen/ heard a few recommendations for it now and then read on Thornberry`s blog that it is closing. I thought I would regret not going so after an  hours drive ( not even peak hour - how I  hate you Melbourne traffic ) I thought I better buy something .

OK so ignore that the top and bottom pieces are not from Eliza`s . The green, blue and red are described as viscose spandex knits , the cream underneath is a textured poly knit and the plum under that is a wool / poly blend knit . All knits because my  existing fabrics are overwhelmingly wovens .
I`m not sure that I will get back to Eliza`s again but I`m now  thinking there were a couple of other pieces I could have bought . For 5 pieces of fabric measuring over 8 metres I paid under $29 . Unbelievable and a soothing balm for the preceding city driving .
My advice is to check out Eliza`s if you haven`t already and to save your old Burdas .

Burdastyle 04/2019 -Belt Bag Skirt .

I super love this issue of Burdastyle . There are so many designs I would love to make eventually.  But I got a quick start on the magazine by sewing up the skirt with the cute little belt bag pocket thing .
I used some really old striped twill which was leftover from a pants making saga ( more on that later ) . The fabric is at least 14 years old and I wonder if it just old enough to look dated , or old enough to look vintage or if I am ahead of a new stripey phase. Whatever,  it is 100% cotton, feels great and the colours in the stripes are quite lovely with pale blue, coral , soft browns and beige . And it was perfect for this pattern as the fabric was  narrow but long  and this skirt uses several  narrower pieces - two skirt fronts , backs and sides.
The skirt was fun and  not difficult to make but there are a lot of steps with the  zipped skirt , the belt , the loops and the pocket .  I made a couple of changes to the pattern. I  lengthened the button tab on the pocket bag to extend all the way to the top , just a look I prefer to the original and lengthened the overall skirt a few cms to stop at my knee . As per usual with Burda the fit was spot on for me.
As mentioned the fabric was left over from making some pants. Arguably pants are the  hardest garments to fit and I had basic issues from the start . It didn`t help that I was using a Patrones magazine in Spanish . I have now found with Patrones that it is hit and miss for me .  This is the pattern I used below.

Pants with two pleats at the waist , side zip , moderately loose fitting and tapering to the ankles.
The first version the legs fit great but I couldn`t get anywhere near to closing the pants at the waist . I went to the largest size and the waist fit but the legs were very loose. I then cut out my main fabric and took the leg seams especially around the thighs in .Of note I use size 44-48 for Patrones and size 38-40 for Burda , the sizing numbers are very different.  The pants are comfortable but not a success. I showed my family and asked if they were too baggy. My husband replied ` What for pajama pants ? ` !! My daughter was obviously diplomatic. I will wear the pants but not beyond the perimeter of my home.

Classic Skirts with Classic Mistakes .

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More catching upwith . I made this skirt a couple of months ago using this Burdastyle skirt from September 2012. I have made it once before using a denim look wool. This time I used what is arguably my best fabric I own , a cashmere / merino blend fine woven wool which has been in my stash for 8 years.  I had been contemplating how much longer I will actually work for and well I am in the home run part of my career . 5 years ? 10 years ? I am unsure. What I was sure about is this fabric is not something I would use in an everyday garment but would be perfect for my work . So I thought I better sew it up .

 Such a fine fabric deserves to be made into something that will be used in the long run and this classic A line skirt with a single deep inverted pleat is perfect .It is easy to sew but what I forgot from making this skirt before is that I added several cms to the length of the skirt when cutting out . So this version is a bit short for my liking ! Oops !

 If I wear the skirt with dark stockings I feel OK but I feel as if I have to keep pulling my skirt down.
On the plus side I only used less than half of the fabric so I will be able to make another slightly longer skirt next time . In the meantime I have worn this skirt a few times this winter so all was not lost.

I also made another classic skirt but instead of making it too short , I made it too big.  You see I used a Polish Anna Moda magazine pattern and I assumed that like most other European magazine patterns I had to add in the seam allowances . Not so ! They are included . The magazine is great with lots of good Simplicity and New Look patterns.

I made what is the equivalent of Simplicity 8175 , a very popular straight skirt with a front slit and curved waist band and slant  front pockets. I used some navy crepe with a slight stretch to it , left over from some Burdastyle pants I made last year . I did try on the skirt while I was making it and took in the side seams but the too large curved waist band and pocket openings could not be fixed . There are no photos , it just didn`t look good.  Such a pity . I used some lovely silk to line the waist band and pockets and invisibly hand stitched the hems. Writing up this blog post was the stimulus to donate the skirt so I hope someone gets to enjoy it. I will definitely be making this skirt again using some more navy crepe I have .

Only a 50% success rate but at least I used a ` precious ` fabric .

Tops - from Burda Easy to Advanced Vogue Designer .

 My next post is about two tops I made from the completely  different end of the spectrum.
First up Vogue 1309 an Issey Miyake pattern from 2012  which is classified advanced . This is the first time I have ever sewn an advanced pattern . I had read the reviews prior to making  this and to say I was intimidated is an understatement.  I got there in the end but it was not all smooth sailing.

Vogue 1309 front . 

  I used fabric from my neighbour ( who I mentioned in my  last post and showed pictures of  her latest kind donations ) . The pictures do not show up the richness of the colours in this fabric but if you think of magnificent peacock hues then that would come close. I am pretty sure this fabric dates from the 90s being a shiny polyester but I love the abstract pattern and colours and I am happy with how it suited this pattern.

vogue 1309  back . 

 This pattern is incredibly clever and it starts with just three rectangles ( and bias binding ) so you think how can this be advanced as the cutting out is the easiest thing ever . Then you cut a slash down the centre of the largest rectangle and then the fun begins . Well it was fun to begin with as I thought I was doing OK . But as I got to the end I thought I have mucked up somewhere as nothing was making sense.

vogue left side with zip 

  I must have twisted one of the shoulders around so I unpicked a couple of seams and luckily was able to untwist the whole mess . Then it  all made sense and I was able  to finish the top. At one point I was feeling quite the failure that I could not get it right and was lamenting the potential loss of a lovely fabric .

Vogue 1309 right side

As everyone else has said in their reviews it is absolutely essential to carefully mark all the circles and squares on the pattern . I used coloured numbered dots and even wrote the colours and numbers on a separate piece of paper to keep track of it all and this helped me.
I did not use bias binding as recommended on the pattern to the inner slash but over locked it and I also over locked all the outer edges of the rectangles . On the pattern the outer rectangles are left unfinished and I don`t know of too many wovens that would not fray in time .

When I finished the top I noticed that it felt quite tight on the left side but the right shoulder strap area was loose and in danger of falling down and revealing more than I would like. So I unpicked along the left side of the top with the long middle sized rectangle until it felt comfortable and added in a wedge of fabric here. On the right shoulder I tacked it down to the underlying fabric so hopefully I won`t do any inadvertent public flashing.  There were also places where the overlocking stitch could be seen externally so I made narrow hems on the machine there. The pattern recommends an open ended zip but since I didn`t have one of those that matched I just used a regular zip and there were no issues in doing so .

I am glad I made this pattern successfully ( eventually ) . It really is like the sewing version of Twister and you need your wits about you and your eyes by the way  ( the lettered circles and squares are small and faint ). I look forward to wearing this on an evening out.

 So top two . The just about easiest ever T shirt made from Burda Easy January 2018 edition which is also my first ever Burda Easy project . My daughter bought me the magazine when she was in Europe and this version is in Polish . I know absolutely no Polish although my paternal grandmother`s family immigrated to Australia in the 1830s from Prussia ( which is where Poland now is ) as a useless aside for anyone to know.

 

 The front is a slight scoop and the back is V shaped but it is not a deep V so it can be worn with the V in front as a bonus. I used a white ribbed cotton interlock with a small mauve floral but since I see this as nightwear fabric this top is relegated for PJs only  . This is a really useful little pattern and and  I will make it again .Burda Easy is unlike the usual Burda Style magazine. There are not so  many styles  in each edition but the patterns are printed separated on tissue paper like your usual envelope patterns so need to go cross eyed tracing tangled messes of lines. There are  also clear step by step construction diagrams .

 I am happy with the end result of both projects. Next up more tops !

Voir la Vie en Rose ( To See the Life in Pink ) *

 

 My eldest daughter travelled all around the world in 2018 and brought me home several sewing magazines from Europe . This is my first project from them - specifically Patrones No. 386.

I made the dress on the left which has a  round neck , sleeveless bodice gathered at the waist , waist band and gathered maxi skirt . The main difference is my dress is knee length ( not enough fabric ) but my version turned out with a much higher neckline . Also there was too much fabric at the front armscye  but this was easy to cut away.

I used an embroidered pale pink linen which is not my favourite but  was good to test out a new pattern from a relatively new pattern company ( I have made one previous Patrones pattern , a skirt , which I adore -just wore it last night for a Christmas party ) . I love the embellished look of the original dress and I was lucky enough to find some matching pink lace in my stash  which I applied to the waistband.

This photo shows exactly why it was good to do a ` wearable ` muslin . The back is tightish ( but wearable ) but look at all that fabric pooling in my lumbar region . This has not happened with my other sewing ever !
With the back adjusted I  think this will  make a terrific dress , I do really love the magazines version but mine is a bit meh. I will wear it  and  give a go though .  I just also wanted to include a photo of  the Patrones pattern sheet - much clearer than Burda`s and Ottobre`s as well.

For my next project I can truly say I am tickled pink .

I used the very very popular blouse pattern 115  from Burda April 2014 . Heaps of people have made this one and I can now see why. It was easy to make, very comfortable to wear  and is just a bit different to your usual top. The only  change I made was to lengthen the blouse by 5cms . I used another pale pink embroidered fabric - cotton voile this time - which is a bit sheer . I realised this pattern with the double crossed  over front would be a perfect match for the sheer fabric.

I highly recommend this pattern . I hope everyone has a good Christmas. I am certainly looking forward to getting 6 days off , eating some good food and spending time with my precious family.

* means to look on the bright side of life.

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.

Burda Style 2/2018 Pencil Skirt.

I tried to get more interesting photos outside today if you count a capeweed lawn as interesting.  

 I have made a brown skirt to replace my previous  brown skirt but this version is just about as opposite to my old one as can be . My old brown skirt was plain , this is a print . My old brown skirt was a gored trumpet style , this is a pegged pencil skirt . My old skirt had a wide yoke , this one is high waisted with darts and no waist band.   My old skirt was made from an indestructible non stretch woven  polyester so that it still looked new , this one is made of a stretch  cotton sateen ( that I hope will also be a bit indestructible ) . The latter was one of the problems - I was just so sick of my old skirt .

The pattern is from the  most recent Burda Style that I own  , 2/2018  , pencil skirt 119 , part of this beautiful suit . The most interesting ( and trickiest ) part of the skirt are the rectangular insets which also incorporate one of the pair of front darts. The rectangle extends across both the front and backs of the skirt. Because I usually do not tuck my tops into my skirts this feature will never be seen . Now Burda Style have a gazillion pencil skirt patterns and I really only chose this one over the others so I could at least have the satisfaction of having used the magazine. ( I bought this magazine for jacket 105 -a kimono inspired jacket with interesting front bands ) .

I did quite a good job of matching the print at the sides but a not so good job at the back.centre seam .  However I am gratified that this does not show up too badly in these photos. But what I can not really get past in my other photos is that the hem looks uneven in the front because of the skewiff print . I hate going back fixing up finished projects but I might just be forced to do something about that hem . 

Till next time , happy sewing. 

( PS- I had enough of this fabric left over to make my middle daughter a  skirt as well. I used another Burda Style pencil skirt pattern but did not get photos. )