You are my sunshine: #117burda04/2019

“This is my favourite thing ever that your mum has made for you”

I’ve got to agree with that!

The lovely fabric I used is a cotton and silk blend Tory Burch gauze from The Fabric Store.

I used a double layer of fabric for the bodice and skirt. The flounces are a single layer and you can see how delightfully light this fabric is.

I love this design with its asymmetrical twist and flounces.

This pattern is from the April 2019 issue of BurdaStyle

I traced off a size 40 with a 2.5 cm FBA. It ended up a little tight through the bust and hips so I took the side seams out in both these spots.

I didn’t trace a facing for the neck or arms yes but instead used premade bias binding in beige. Somewhat regretting this because the difference in fabric weight has resulted in some puckering. Clearly not enough regret to remove it! And no complaints from the recipient!

Sequined and bowed swing top: #108burda12/2017

A gala dinner ticket, 2 metres of sequined stretch velour in the stash and almost enough time to sew something to wear. How could I resist?

My collection of BurdaStyle magazines going back several years provided just the right pattern: Bow Back Blouse 12/2017 #108.

Image source: Burdastyle

I have to say that I love my new pattern weights – a much appreciated gift. Thanks M!

Sequins went everywhere and my scissors now need sharpening.

Removing sequins was a very tedious part of this project.

Several needles were harmed during production of this garment. I took note of Burda’s advice and used fine size 70 needles in the sewing machine and overlocker. Six needles later I moved to size 90 needles. Much better outcome!

Sewing details

• Traced out a straight size 44. Forgot to raise the bust darts by my normal 2 cm. At least it’s not noticeable in this fabric.
• Fabric is a stretch velour with reversible sequins sewn on in a lovely pattern (not straight lines as is often the case and this makes sequin removal more difficult than normal). This fabric is from Gay Naffine and has been in my stash for five years.
• I used wide cotton bias binding instead of a neck facing. I used the pattern pieces to cut the tapes to length and seamed them to make the V at the base of the front and back before sewing them onto the garment.
• Only overlocked the armsyces as a consequence of needle breakage. I didn’t remove the sequins from the seams before sewing because it was way too tedious and I was time poor. I did reduce some bulk in the seams by snipping most of the sequins off after seaming, but still needed three overlocker needles to complete overlocking of the armsyces.
• Hemmed with a wide blind hem stitch and was surprised how well this worked – the sequins made this stitch totally invisible.
• Grosgrain ribbon hand sewn over the shoulder seams to prevent stretch out and to cover the scratchy sequins.

The back view on Eliza the dressmaking dummy. That bow is such a great feature.

The back view on me

Black garments are difficult to photograph. At night and in poor light – almost impossible. Add sequins to increase the difficulty factor. And to make the challenge even greater, try to take blog photos in a rush just before you’re supposed to leave for the event. And then stand in front of a dark stained wood panel to make it really hard to see. Such amateurs! Nicely dressed though.

You’ll just have to trust me that the sleeves are awesome and this is really an excellent pattern.

It goes without saying that we had a great evening.

Classic fitted shirt: #114burda04/2010

More #daughtersewing.

A simple shirt elevated by excellent fabric and custom fit.

This is why we sew

 

The deets

Pattern: Burdastyle 04/2010 #114 (or, in instagram speak, thats #114burda04/2010)

Size: 40 with 2.5 cm FBA

Changes: left off the breast pocket and back tab, interfaced with self fabric

Fabric: Jocelyn Proust printed cotton from Spotlight. Isn’t it glorious?

Buttons: from the stash.

And that snack she’s eating? Rory made them. Pork char siu in wonton wrappers.

No recipe. Just looked up the ingredients for the char siu spice and sauce mix and added it to pork mince. Then used this as the filling in wonton wrappers and deep fried the parcels.

They were delicious! He’s a star!

Corduroy trousers: BurdaStyle 03/2019 #102

Felicity and her seamstress (that would be me) are still taking inspiration from the seventies.

This time it is in the form of dark caramel coloured corduroy utility trousers. I know. It’s not the quintessential flares, but it is in orange/brown tones, and corduroy. That’s seventies enough to me.

The fabric is a mid wale cotton corduroy from Spotlight with just enough give in the fabric to be very comfortable to wear. How do I know that? They got worn for three days straight as soon as they were off the sewing machine. There are plenty of wrinkles because these photos were taken on day 3. I don’t think she slept in them, but I wouldn’t be surprised…

I used Burda’s utility trouser pattern from the March issue this year 03/2019 #102

I made these in a straight size 40 and added 5 cm extra to the length. Plus a 4 cm hem allowance. Woefully inadequate. They needed 14 cm extra to the finished length, which we both agreed looked best as a band with the wales running horizontally.  For the record, Felicity is 178 cm tall, but is short waisted so her legs could be longer than standard for that height.

All my photos are barefoot, so she turned the band up like a cuff, but, trust me, it is the traditional trouser length with flat shoes on.

The belt loop is something fabulous from the stash that originally came from a designer fabric sale. Any Adelaide readers still remember Gay Naffines fabric sales fondly?

I lined the front pockets and belt loops with a leafy green charmeuse remnant.

You can’t really see it ( I worked hard on that!). It has been reported as feeling great. And this is more what the colour is like in real life. The outdoor light with the autumn leaves seems to dull it a bit.

I also added an extra patch pocket to the back.

with one of Kylie and the Machine‘s great tags.

Slow fashion. That’s me.

 

Dressing like a librarian: BurdaStyle 08/2018 #109

Felicity’s love of 70’s style continues.  She requested this ‘waistcoat bodice dress’ for her Mothers’ Day outfit*

We went fabric shopping at Spotlight. I was uninspired by their offerings for the waistcoat bodice dress but we did come home with a lovely dark floral rayon that was destined to be a tie neck blouse.

And become one using this very appropriately name ‘Seventies style blouse’ Burdastyle 01/2016 #114

… modified to include the neck tie of the dress version:

I don’t yet have a good photo of the blouse because it didn’t make the Mothers’ Day outfit cut. I’m confident Felicity loves it, though, because it has been worn already several times. Here it is in a poorly lit and blurry photo and with her green velvet 70s coat and cross body bag covering most of it up, but still looking fabulous! Even if I do say so myself.

The next step was to make the pinafore dress. A lovely deep green crepe was ordered from EOS. Deemed unsuitable by Felicity (secretly very happy because now I get to use it for me!).

Plan B. We went to The Fabric Store in search of a suitable fabric. (Yes we now have The Fabric Store in Adelaide. So happy about that!)

And we found a beautiful cotton boucle with sparkle. We are both in love with this fabric.

Lets talk about the waistcoat bodice dress pattern. This is BurdaStyle 08/2018 #109.

I did a bit of pattern manipulation to a straight sized 40 to make it work for a D Cup, and this added a bit to the depth and alignment of the buttons above the waistband.

It was supposed to have the buttons in a vertical line, but I didn’t get the redrafting perfect and bringing the overlap over further gave a better line through the bust, so that’s what we went with.

I lined both the bodice and the skirt, and used lining  on the inside of the waistband and under the flaps to reduce bulk.

I was seduced by sparkly silver bias binding I had in my stash and used that for the hem.

I like how it looks, but it is a bit stiff and really not at all in keeping with the style or the fancy fabric. Will I go back and change it? Hmm. So many other more interesting sewing tasks to do…

Dressing like a librarian. She could not resist with a sign like this!

*Our church group schedules an event (“special meetings”) on the second Sunday in May every year. Yes that’s Mother’s Day in Australia. And yes, a new outfit is traditional.

Here’s three of them…

My dress is a modified sheath dress from Burda (it’s become my TNT) made from a polyester jacquard purchased from The Fabric Store. Our dear friend M of Nonsuch Sewing is in Victory Patterns Hazel made up in a silk twill.

I’ll finish up with this delightful photo of my ‘adult’ children. If you take a zillion photos on your mum’s phone you’ve got to expect at least one of them to turn up on the blog!

Love these crazy kids!

Seventies coat: BurdaStyle 02/2010 #126

I’ve never liked seventies fashion. I blame it on seventies hand-me-downs from my older cousins that didn’t fit me until the eighties. By which time they were just so uncool.

Felicity, however, has no such bad associations.

We came across a coated denim in the newest store of The Fabric Store in Adelaide. It’s coated in a velvety forest green faux suede sort of layer. Almost upholstery like. Reduced to $12 per metre because it was a bit marked from transport. As you can see above. I just saw a lovely distressed look that would make a great casual coat. So did Felicity!

I used a simple classic coat pattern: BurdaStyle 02/2010 #126. And made it unlined, with flap patch pockets instead of welt pockets, the buttons spread out a lot more and swapped the contrast to the collar instead of the lapels. You know, almost exactly the same.

I normally do an FBA for Felicity but I did a lazy grading instead: a size 40 at the shoulders then out to a 42 elsewhere. It’s not perfect (those drag lines!) and the stiff of the fabric meant easing the sleeve cap in was a challenge (those puckers!), but it’ll do.

I used another The Fabric Store purchase (a mid to heavy weight denim) for the collar and pocket flaps. It’s really a lot darker in colour than these photos would lead you to believe.

It has a bit of stretch so I interfaced these pieces. I didn’t interface anything else –  my coated denim already had lots of structure.

And this coat was completed with vintage buttons might even have come from a coat from the seventies – they were part of a sewing notions collection gifted to me from an elderly sewing friend.

Pretty happy with how this turned out. And so is Felicity. I’m still not attracted to seventies styles for me though…

Unlined linen jacket: Burda 02/2009 #115

This jacket was inspired by @groovygreylook. Meridy posted a purple linen version to her Instagram and I remembered how much I liked this Burda magazine pattern.

That was all I needed to search through the archives, trace it off and cut out my fabric.

This is style 115 from the 02/2009 issue. Almost vintage!

I made this I in a size 44 and I think the fit is just fine.

(early morning photography = odd light )

Of course getting fit right in a boxy style is really only about the shoulders. The dart could be a touch too low and no doubt there are other things that you can see if you look at it very critically. But it’s an unlined and not very structured crumpled linen jacket. The fit is fine!

I used a coated linen that was a souvenir from Barcelona. And because this was such a fabulous fabric I took a little bit extra care.

Hong Kong seam treatments on the sleeves, shoulders and facings.

That’s fusible interfacing on the bias edges of the raglan sleeve seams. I used quite a bit of interfacing in this project, even in the hem (hoping this will stop it rolling up after sitting. So far it’s working!)

Flat felled seams through the main body of the jacket and top stitching.

Precision sewing. This is the shoulder. Ask me about unpicking and lots of pins.

Lots of top stitching. Did I say that already? And extra nice buttons

I particularly like these pockets. They were fun to construct and they are delightfully capacious.

I’m very pleased with this jacket. It’s the perfect smart casual jacket for cooler summer evenings.

I need to reacquaint myself with the rest of my old Burda magazines. Who knows what other treasures lie therein?

Happy pants: BurdaStyle 01/2017 #110

These are Burdastyle 01/2017 #110 in a woven Indian cotton from my local Spotlight fabrics store and made without the hem bands – I just added length to the legs.

I made these in a size 42 and they are too big for Felicity through the bum and thigh. But. Happy pants. Is fit something that should even be in the same sentence??

To be frank the poor fit does irritate me, but she’s happy to wear them so I’ve decided I’ll just do a better job next time and not stress about these ones.

This pattern has a nice design of a flat centred waist insert and then the rest of the waist is elasticised.

I didn’t have elastic in the right width so I improvised with two lots of wider elastic rather than three and then stitched through the middle. This gives the appearance of four channels of elastic and prevents rolling (at least it does for the elastic I had in stash. Better elastic to start with might not need this)

Bottom line (see what I did there?!) is that this is a good pattern, the fabric is lovely to wear, and a very cute outfit can be made by putting these trousers with a top Felicity scored from M of Nonsuch sewing.

Happy days!

Maxi dress: BurdaStyle 04/2013 #125

Another addition to Felicity’s black and ivory summer mini wardrobe: a maxi dress based on BurdaStyle 04/2013 #125

It’s sewn in rayon from Spotlight. Unfortunately I didn’t buy a generous amount: I had 2.9 metres and the pattern called for 3.6 metres. This meant the bodice wasn’t lined and there was no belt, no button loops down the front and no gathered trim around the neck and armscyes.

It’s cut out as a size 42 with a 2cm FBA and the front neckline raised by 2 cm. I didn’t add in the vertical dart from the FBA. Instead I angled the side seams in a bit to compensate.

I stabilised the neck with cotton tape.

Then I finished the neckline and armscyes with bias binding from deep stash. The bias binding is stiff and I think it is cotton. It’s also not prewashed. Could be a recipe for disaster…

Both the front and the back bodice have a central seam so getting a nice neat V in the middle is easy: you just sew it in after you’ve finished and faced everything.

The shirring was done with what I think is hat elastic (also deep stash), or could just be elastic thread, in the bobbin. This is a trick my mum taught me. I thought it broke all sorts of sewing rules until I googled and found several tutorials describing the exact same thing. So its a totally legit method.Much more fun when I thought mum had shown me something clever but a bit dodgy!

It’s a bit weird to have elastic in your bobbin. But it really works!

The front and back bodices were shirred individually after the centre back and centre front seams were sewn. This meant the shirring went across the centre back and centre front seams

I tied off the ends and then sewed over them before joining the side seams together. Hope it all holds together.

The skirt is gathered and then sewn into the shirred bodice. You have to stretch the shirring out. If I make this again I’ll do the shirring after attaching the skirt.

I know the pattern placement is not ideal or evenly spaced through the shirring. But not having enough fabric will do that to you.

Pockets were added because pockets are always a good idea. Even when you have no fabric for them. I always seem to find something suitable in my remnants stash for pockets! This time it seems to be a very thin black silk. I can’t even remember what I made from it. Clearly this is also deep stash.

Back view without hair so we can see the V back.

After these photos were taken the hem went up by 5 cm to make it less like a gown.

Lovely pattern. Lovely daughter!

Christmas/New Year sewing

I love the easy days between Christmas and New Year’s Day. Perfect for sewing! And this year my dear friend M joined me.

What’s better than a sewing day on Boxing Day? A sewing day on Boxing Day with a sewing friend! The catering by He who Cooks was pretty good too.

This Christmas/New Year sewing was all about Felicity. I’m working on a mini wardrobe in black and ivory and the first two garments were shorts and a shirt.

Sailor shorts

These are Burdastyle 06/2014 #122 in a size 40 and made up in a stretch cotton with about 25% stretch lengthwise and at right angles to the stripes. I cut them out so that the stretch went around the body. They are stretchy enough that a double needle hem was the best choice. So a knit in the form of a woven. What’s not to love?

I faced the waistband and upper fronts with a black poly cotton from the stash, and interfaced the poly cotton to give it some body.

I also made the conscious decision to not change my overlocker thread from white. Yes really. It matches the pinstripes. Ahem.

My reasoning for different facing fabric was that the stripes are ridged and might be uncomfortable against the skin. Also, all that stretch needed to be brought under some control.

I cut the waistband on the non stretchy direction to help with this too. Also I like the change in stripe direction!

Aren’t those buttons darling? They were from the stash, I had exactly the number I needed and they seemed the perfect buttons for sailor front shorts. It was meant to be.

I didn’t read the instructions well enough so the underlayer at the front was cut the same length as the upper layer. This was a bit of an issue at the bottom of the zip (there’s a zip under the button front) but I managed to get both the upper and under layer back together with some snipping.

This mistake did have the advantage of making pseudo pockets – I caught the underlayer into the hem and this meant everything was enclosed apart from the buttoned top and a tiny bit through the inner thigh. I think they’ll function as pockets ok. So all’s well that ends well.

Kalle shirt

I love Closet Case Patterns Kalle shirt pattern. And I love the Liberty lawn fabric I used for this version, even if it does have the odd name of Kevin.

It’s based on the celestial ceiling art in the hallway of a grand house in Scotland. The fabric has been in the stash for a year or two.

Gemini! Felicity’s star sign.

This Kalle shirt was made the same as all the other ones: I lengthened the crop top version by 10 cm but retained the faced hem.

The buttons for this one came from the stash too. I’m pretty certain their first life was on one of He who Cooks’s shirts.

I have enough shirt buttons in the stash to last more than a lifetime, yet I still cut them off worn out shirts. Someone will inherit a healthy button stash! I did and I love having buttons that I played with as a kid from my mum’s and nana’s button jar.

And what do these garments look like on Felicity?

Very cute.

Pseudo pockets in action.

Stealth sailor version (untucked)

Happy New Year!

Trying to perfect a pattern

I’ve now made six dresses based on BurdaStyle 02/2014 #141. Six. Just this year. Yes, that surprised me too!

Version 5 was made in a novelty weave fabric in deep stash and originally from Gorgeous Fabrics labelled Maggy London.

The fabric lacks body and collapsed a bit under my bust so I added some vertical darts.

The sleeves are too tight in this version and I’ll probably remove them and make it sleeveless. But I haven’t got around to it yet. I think it may be more dinner date without the sleeves. With the sleeves it seems more lady who lunches or fancy office wear.

Version 6 is a lovely linen shift.

I love this dress. I purchased the fabric in a soft finishing shop in Wellington, New Zealand and would like to have a sofa covered in it too as well as curtains and dining chairs. Yes I really do love it!

It’s a heavy weight linen and the perfectly on grain print and centred symmetrical pattern make pattern matching and invisible zip insertion a dream. I should make more garments from soft furnishing fabric.

I lined this dress in white cotton batiste. It’s a delight to wear on a hot summers day.

I’ve surprised myself looking back at how many times I’ve repeated other patterns as well this year. Is this a sign I’m maturing as a sewist or just a lack of imagination?!

White Christmas dress

I’ve been dreaming of a White Christmas…dress. Apologies to Bing Crosby and Michael Bublé.

And my dreams have materialized thanks to my fabric and pattern stash. Gotta love an extensive stash!

This pattern  is from one of Burda’s extra magazines. The website is calling it Burda Easy HW/2014 but my magazine is called Burda Special Autumn/Winter 2014. It’s Dress E without the collar and pocket flaps. Also available as a PDF download

I made this dress in 2015 in a colour-blocked white and grey patterned lace and grizzled about a sway back issue that I didn’t manage to fix. Then, after a short period in the magic closet, I wore the dress all the time.

Three years on, it was time to make an all white version. I traced off the size up (thanks peri-menopause!) and made a trial version in a Christmas themed cotton print. With sleeves, out of curiosity.  This dress  was the supporting act in my last post.

The fit seemed okay, so I went ahead with my ivory stretch cotton jacquard.

I love this fabric. I already have a skirt made in it that I love.

I used a poly cotton for the facings.

There’s a side zip.

I used a bias cut poly cotton remnant to cover the end of the zip too.

I added a pocket, on the non zip side. Because. Pockets!

The sway back issue is still there.

I’m thinking now that it might be a short torso issue.

But, you know what? I can’t see it from the front. I predict I’m going to wear this dress. A. Lot.

Out take. White Christmas Monster.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone who celebrates.

When Fiona met Christmas prints: Closet Case Patterns Fiona sundress

A Christmas sundress for an Aussie Christmas. How could this not be an excellent idea?

This is Closet Case Patterns Fiona sundress in a Chris quilting cotton from Spotlight.

I made it in a size 14 with a FBA and some other bodice side seam tweaks to get the fit right. I used a reasonably heavy weight interfacing and this means the top interfaced bodice band is very firm. Definitely no gaping!

The bodice is a bit overfitted by the look of those draglines. But look at her smile. I figure it’ll do.

Pockets! Side slits! Topstitching opportunities! I love this pattern. Also buttons! 17 on Felicity’s sun dress. The instructions call for even more.

I made the buttonholes horizontal to make them a bit more secure and to reduce gaping.

oh yes. I made a Christmas print frock too.

I wanted to trial a dress from the Autumn/Winter 2014 version of Easy Burda. And why use boring calico when I had more Christmas print cotton in the stash?

Kitsch yes. Fun also yes.

What not to do with scuba: BurdaStyle 05/2011 #108B

Felicity was gifted some floral scuba and she has a church event coming up that needs a nice frock.

Both she and I have wanted to make BurdaStyle 05/2011 #108B for a long time.

Fabric and an event and a pattern.  Seemed like an excellent coalescing of opportunities and needs.

Or was it?

I traced off a 21 and made a 2.5 cm FBA. The flat pattern measuring and the tissue fitting with the (non stretchy) pattern pieces was a perfect fit in length and width. The scuba bodice was also excellent, on its own, before that heavy skirt was attached.

I forgot that 4 way stretch in fabric with weight and a long full skirt should not be in the same garment. The stretch needed to be corralled into submission with interfacing and interlining and inter everything. I did none of this.

I unpicked, removed length and width and re-attached the bodice and the skirt three times.

Something still had to be done to rescue it.

I made a sash. Out of three small remnants.

It brings that waist back in and covers the evidence that the seaming was still a bit too low.

Now wearable. Phew.

Would have been such a shame to waste this pretty fabric.

Green lantern dress: based on BurdaStyle 07/2016 #117

Several African wax prints were selected by Felicity when we had mother & daughter time in Paris two years ago. This fabulous green lantern one has been patiently waiting to be turned into a dress since then.

Felicity and I have had various ideas about what to do with it, but nothing had seemed right until she suggested using the same pattern as my ghost fish dress.

This dress is based on  Burdastyle 07/2016 #117– made symmetric and without the straps.

Mine was a sort of size 42. I got her to try it on to see how far it was from her size.

Of course it was too big for Felicity though the waist and hips. But the fit through the bust wasn’t too bad.

So. I could trace off a new copy of this pattern in her size and then do an FBA, or I could use the pattern I already had and just take it in from the bust down. A cheaters FBA.

You know what I did.

We both love the dress. This story ended well!