What came home with me

I stopped at JoAnn's at lunch time earlier this week to purchase some thread and then two patterns jumped into my cart.  Both are dress patterns I recently saw on Pattern Review that I really liked and have fabric already to sew upon return from beach trip for one of the dresses.

After seeing Sheila's review at Pattern Review for Burda 6756 and then reading more about the dress on her blog  Sheila-CTK.  I knew I had to try this one.  I have some lovely fabric from Gorgeous Fabrics that was going to be another dress but will now become this one.  This fabric has been in my stash for quite sometime, at least three years.  I think it has aged enough.

The McCall's 7084 dress pattern was reviewed by Sue Parrott on PR and on her blog-Ilove2sew!  I want some chambray fabric to sew.  Just have not clicked buy yet though I have found several sources for it.

Sewing updates to follow.

Next up-Burda knit top

I decided that I had enough of the striped fabric as well as the blue from my last dress to use in other projects.  I normally move onto different fabric; this will be an exception as all machines are threaded for this fabric and I need some additional knit tops.

I purchased this Burda pattern earlier this year and wanted to make Version A (black top).

from Simplicity website







 

I began the sewing process this morning by cutting around the pattern pieces for my size. Fitting adjustments are next.  Since these patterns are designed for women taller than I, there will be length adjustments and fortunately this pattern has several strategically placed lengthen/shorten lines so I do not have to create my own.

The dress project is complete.  Photos to follow later.

I hope your sewing weekend is fabulous and productive.

BurdaStyle Magazine

I stopped in at JoAnn's Fabrics to pick up a separating zipper for the jacket I am working on.

As I am making my way to check out, I stopped to peruse sewing related magazines and saw this.  I I have not purchased a Burda pattern magazine in quite some time.  I stopped my subscription a few years ago as I felt the price was too high for the number of patterns I ended up making from the magazine.

This is tauted as the premier issue of BurdaStyleUS.  Perhaps others have seen this but it was new to me.  There are patterns to trace included in the issue; there are also instructions for sewing other patterns that have to be downloaded from the BurdaStyle website.  The price was steep ($14.99) I thought yet I paid it anyway.  There were a couple of garments that appealed to me.  There were two sections with patterns to trace so the overlaying of several patterns on pages were not has cluttered.



I thought I would share this and if interested it can be found at JoAnn's.


   

Photos of Burda 127

I have to say that the outcome for this top was disappointing.  When I tested the ruffles on this before I sewed it I thought that it was going to show up well.  The photos clearly show that they really get lost in the design of the fabric.  I have at least perfected the fit of the top for me so I may try a solid color in the future, not near future though.  Too many other things I want to work on.

Without further ado, here are some photos of the top.  This is after coming home from work and did not touch up the makeup nor did much to the hair, the wind was rough on it today.

This is the back and front of the ruffled sleeves.  This is about the only way you can see them.

Here I am wearing it with the sleeves at full length before hemming.

Here are the sleeves at the right length.

As you can tell I raised the neckline and perhaps I could have kept some of the depth.  Again some thoughts for another top for the future.

On to next project

The Burda top is complete except for hemming the sleeves.  Gosh they are long!!!!  Even reducing the length they are still very long.  I understand from reading PR reviews for this top that the hem width is wide so you can turn back the sleeve and have a cuff.  

I did not get that from the instructions (surprise!!!) and when you look at the model's version you might guess that and then you might not.    The top is really more of tunic and I took about about 1.5 inches when drafting the pattern.  There were two lengths to choose from and I ended up choosing the shorter length and it was still long on me.  I cut off another 1.5 inches before actually hemming the top.

The ruffles on my top are somewhat hidden when I have it own and I think that is because of the print of the knit.  When you look at it laying on table, you can see the ruffles better.  I will take photos to post later.

My next project is

  
I cut out the pattern pieces and made many of my usual adjustments.  I need to pin fit this to determine if I need a FBA.  Most likely I will.  One can always hope.

Photos and more to follow.

Burda top off and on

I took opportunities during the week to work on the second version of the Burda top after incorporating all the changes discussed in this post.  They were the right ones to do.  The only thing left is to add the neck line binding.

I tried on the top last night and I have a gap at the center back.  I could probably make too little tucks on each side of the center back before attaching the neck band.  Or take deeper seam at the back shoulder area of the raglan sleeve.   Because of the ruffles on the sleeves, taking a deeper seam there may affect those.

Once I complete this, I plan to pin fit several patterns in my pattern line up so I can then proceed with next projects.  One will be this dress that I keep seeing pop up on several blogs as well as PR.

I have a lovely print knit purchased from EOS sometime late last year that I plan to use.  It is washed and ready to go.  It definitely matches up to the stretch test on the pattern envelope.

Another pattern on my to sew list is Vogue 8786.  I have plans for fabric I purchased from Vogue fabrics for this one.


Other ideas are floating around in my head.  I am trying to focus on transitional fabrics and styles.
Hoping your sewing weekend is productive.  I heading to the sewing room now!

Testing was a good thing

Here is my test garment.  It was too tight through waist and hips.  Shoulder to underarm area was too long.  Neckline a little low before adding the neckband which I did not do as there were enough fitting adjustments needed for the bodice and sleeves.







The length of this top was too long even if I was going to wear it as a tunic and evening then it was just too tight to go over jeans well.

I really like the look of the ruffled sleeve and this was a little fiddly step.   Slow sewing was necessary so the gathers are sewn well.










The adjustments I ended up making before I cut out the originally planned fabric were:

1. Raise neckline an inch.  This created a challenge to raise the sleeve top by the same inch but it came out well.
2. Cut off two inches from the length.
3. Take a 3/8 horizontal tuck in the front and back bodice pieces and adjust sleeve by the same amount.
4. Add 1/2 inches to front and back from under the bust, which fit well, to the bottom.
5. Make my usual swayback adjustment which I failed to do when cutting out the test garment.
6. Adjust markings on the sleeves to allow for added inch at the shoulder point area for front and back so gathers will be sewn appropriately.

The fabric for the "real" top has been cut out and partially sewn.  I had some other things I had to work on around the house so sewing stopped there for the time being.

I hope your sewing weekend was a good one.

Burda Style top pattern

I decided I wanted to test this pattern on another knit before cutting into the originally planned fabric.  If there are any fitting issues I can adjust after making this one.  This is a knit fabric I used recently to make another top.  It is knit from Gorgeous Fabrics acquired a couple of years ago and strangely I have no photo of it or a recent top I made (or that I can find).

It has a diagonal ombre type coloring in a light rust to brown coloring.  It never became a skirt I had planned to make.  It still could become a skirt as I bought enough fabric that I got one top made and this one to be made and still have enough to make a simple skirt, perhaps a Magic Skirt.

I made a FBA and kept the dart.  Testing this will allow me to decide whether to redraft the front and eliminate dart on the next version.  In tissue fitting this, with some difficulty, I don't think the top will be too low.  Burda tops and I do not always match up.

I also recently ordered some new fabrics which arrived earlier this week.  I am going on a fabric diet now as I am running out of bins to store more fabric. (Sure I can buy more bins, but enough for now and for patterns also)  Will share photos of the new fabric soon.  They are for transitioning to spring which can't get here fast enough.

What's next-Burda top

I stopped my Burda subscription a couple of years ago.  I have purchased various Burda patterns at JoAnn's and on occasion I have downloaded for free or price a few Burda patterns.

I decided to buy the pattern shown in the right side bar after seeing several versions of this made on several blogs.  I really like the gathered sleeves and hope it works out well for me.  I downloaded and printed the pattern pieces; then traced them on to Swedish sewing paper.  I used my Dritz dual tracing wheel and marking paper to create the seam allowances.

I created a FBA based on flat measuring the pattern and deciding I needed to make my usual adjustments.

I still need to make a swayback adjustment.

I am going to use some knit fabric from my stash.  This fabric I purchased from EOS last year.  It is washed and ready to go.

More updates later.

Burda 2_2012 _117A

Burda 2_2012 _117A, a photo by Danvillegirl on Flickr.

This photo is from the Burda Style Feb 2012 issue. It is very similar to a Victoria Beckham dress selling for over $1000

I have not been able to see the back view of the Beckham dress. Curious to know if the zip is like the Burda Style dress.

Audrey of Sew Tawdry blog at  was one of the first that I saw to make this Burda Style dress.  Excellent color combo.  I am thinking I want to make a single color.  I have several color blocked dresses at this time and want to do something else.

What the postman and UPS delivered

I ordered some tricot fabric from Fabric.com which arrived yesterday.  My next dress project using this Butterick pattern suggests lining using tricot fabric.  Not having any in my lining collection, I order four different shades of this fabric.  Two of the items are very soft and 108" wide; the other two are little different in feel and one side is rather shiny and the other side is matte and feels less soft and they are 54" wide.  All are labeled the same as 40 denier.  I have not used this type fabric in years and years; perhaps never actually.  This will be a new sewing experience.

From Fashionista Fabrics I ordered the February Burda Style magazine as I like some of the patterns others have been sewing or blogging about from this issue.  I also ordered some white with navy polka dots in cotton from the same online store.  It is lovely fabric but somewhat thinner/lighter in texture than I had thought it would be.  So I am now rethinking what I will make from it.

Still waiting on the two patterns from Pamela's Patterns.

It is always fun getting these packages.

Nadine Plus Variation – Sewing Creations | BurdaStyle.com

One I was just playing around with websites and posting to either my blog or Facebook. But I truly love the look of this jacket. The collar is most appealing to me!

Nadine Plus Variation – Sewing Creations BurdaStyle.com

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