November BurdaStyle challenge; catching up

This is the longest gap I've had in blogging, sorry to my regular readers.  As I said in my last blog I was made redundant and this has thrown me a bit.  I have been sewing a bit, though not as much as you might imagine and I just didn't get round to blogging.  Anyway finally I'm back.  I've had a couple of months of not working and thinking about life and what I want to do with it.  I'm feeling pretty positive and have been lucky enough to get some really interesting work at another college and my ideal 3 days a week, which starts tomorrow.

On the sewing front I've been on a jacket binge and I have 4 to tell you about!  I'm starting with what was my November 2018   BurdaStyle 2018 challenge. .  I ummed and ahhed whether to make this one.  I had had almost an exact match for the fabric in my stash for at least two years, and that was the decider.  The photos aren't great I'm afraid, sorry.

There are a lot of cute features, jacket tabs and a half belt at the back, plus I decided to add a little fur from my stash to the hood, and cut the inside hood facing in fur. I took about an inch from the width of the hood, but it is still a little big.

I had a problem with the collar, which is supposed to be able to button up, and mine just didn't meet.  Not sure what I did wrong here, but as I would never want something buttoned round my neck so high it will do.   I was pretty pleased with the finished jacket and mostly because I feel that if I can make a jacket like this from a Burda magazine, I could make any of their patterns.  Considering where I was at the beginning of the year, not even sure about tracing the simplest pattern I feel I've learnt a lot this year.  This is definitely not a pattern for the beginner.

I cut a size 36 which is 1 1/2" less than my actual bust size, but even so it was on the big side and I took a little width from the sides.  Is it just me or do BurdaStyle patterns come up rather big.  Although it is a cute jacket the wool fabric is really itchy on the facing and I know I wouldn't wear it, so this one has gone to Gemma.  Hopefully I'm back on track now, I have lots of ideas for 2019.

September Burdastyle challenge: the Berlin sweatshirt

 
Another last minute make creeping into September.  Glad to say I have now managed to make a garment from each of the last nine Burdastyle magazines.  There were a few patterns I liked in the September issue, but in the end because of time I had to go for the easiest.  And this is an easy pattern (with full instructions, and only 3 pieces), so a really good choice for your first Burdastyle pattern.

This is a really straightforward very large sized sweatshirt.  I cut a size 40, but really would have preferred to go for a smaller one.  The most unusual feature is the pleated sleeves which make it a little different.  I used some black ribbing for the neck.

So why the Berlin sweatshirt?  Because I bought the material in Berlin from Stoff and Still.  I spent a lovely hour in this massive shop.  I meant to take a photo but think I was a bit overwhelmed by all the fabric.  So just to prove I had a lovely 3 days in this fabulous city with my lovely son and daughter-in-law, here's a photo of me and Dan at checkpoint Charlie.  I chose the grey sweatshirt fabric to match the slightly strange print fabric  (unusual way to spell believe).Both are great snuggly fabrics and sew up well. 

August Burdastyle challenge

Well I've made it for another month and I'm pretty pleased that I haven't skipped a month yet. 

This is dress 112 in the 8/2018 issue a stretch jersey dress in petite size.   I wear a lot of dress for work with a jacket and this is really useful for this (worn it quite a few times already).  I really loved the fabric in the magazine.  Did you know you can actually buy the same fabric?  Unfortunately, the on-line fabric shop was in German and I couldn't work out the shipping charges!

 

So I went for something similar.  This is a John Kaldor stretch polyester jersey, £10 a metre from Sew Essential.  It is very stretchy and thus perfect for this dress, although it does feel synthethetic.  This is a very clingy dress, and although it is very comfortable, it isn't very forgiving!

I raise the neckline to be suitable for work, though a bit too much.

I'm often attracted to unusual patterns, and the skirt of this was no exception, there were two gathered areas on each size.  The gathers were a little tricky, you have to be careful to try and ensure they match on each size.  It was also difficult to level the hem.   I do like the dress though, and have got quite a bit of wear from it.

I made another BurdaStyle pattern this month, this cute little top, inspired by Hila from Saturday Night Stitch.  If you haven't watched her vlogs yet, watch this one, which shows her fantastic makes including this top.

This week I have also welcomed a new friend!  I have splashed out and treated myself to a new machine.  I do love it, but ...... I am getting static electricity from it that is quite unpleasant and I have to wear rubber soled shoes.  Has any one else ever have this problem!

And here's a photo of my sewing room, with my stash and my love dog Tess.  I'm really lucky to have such a great space for my sewing.

Two challenges aced; Sew My Style Lander shorts and Burdastyle July top

Just squeaking in again with these two challenges.  The top is no. 116 from BurdaStyle July issue.  I'm really pleased withmyself for completing the first seven months of Hila's challenge.  When I picked this top I thought it would be pretty simple, but actually ...... it's not!  I cut a size 40 and it was pretty roomy, I took a little more in at the sides.

You have to bravely slash down the front facing, and then place a placket at the back and  sew the buttons that.  There are rouleau button loops.  I have to say I always find placing these accurately tricky, and this time was no different.  There is also a really long drawstring, and boy was that tricky to turn.

 

 
The neck is faced and that means that at the strap area there is as many as 6-8 layers!  In order to make sure these stay in place I added a few stitches holding both the front and facing in place.

I didn't like the really long ties on the shoulder straps so I reduced them by 4 inches.    I do love the fabric, so cute.  It sews and presses like a dream and has just a little stretch for comfort.  It's from Sew Me Sunshine, which is definitely one of my favourite websites; great fabric, excellent service and so beautifully wrapped.  Unfortunately this one is sold out, but there is a similar one.  So overall a cute pattern, but not a quick sew, even knotting the shoulders in the right place isn't easy to do on your own!

I've just finished my Lander shorts in time for the sunshine to disappear!    I do think that True Bias are great patterns, lots of nice details and clear instructions.    I cut the size 4 and used the full 1" seams.  The waist is still a little loose.  Although the pattern says you can't adjust the waist you can, if you use a technique of fitting the waistband before you sew the edges.

I added 1 2/8th" to the crotch length and I needed this (I have a high waist).  I love the pockets and the opportunities for topstitching.  I had been worried the fly might bulge a bit having buttons rather than a zip, but it seems to be lying OK.  Generally I'm happy with the fit, though there is a bit of excess in the back, any ideas anyone?

It hasn't been sunny enough to wear them to see how comfy they are, but I think this is a great pattern, and I have plans for a dusky pink babycord pair of trousers and a linen pair.  I'm already planning next months challenges!

June Burdastyle challenge

I just finished this one on the last day of June.  To be honest I wasn't really excited by the June issue and I was going to choose a pattern from a back-issue, then I was going through my box of off-cuts and saw these bits of leftover silk and thought I would try making 109, even though the photos aren't very clear in the magazine.

This is a fairly straight forward pattern.  I'm not sure that I really like the way the lower front puffs out a bit.  I cut a size 20 but wish I had a little more ease in the arm-holes.

 
I didn't need any opening as it easily goes on over my head.

I didn't have enough silk in one colour.  I love the blue silk.  The duck egg is Beckford silk and a bit thicker.  I did struggle with the silk.  I made bias binding myself, but it really did challenge me.

You can see how much by this mess I made of the neckline.  I know I should have unpicked, but I thought it might end up being even worse, with needle holes and a stretched neckline.

 

I won't make this one again, but for a top which cost me nothing, I will be some wear from it.

BurdaStyle Challenge May 18

Just getting in at the last minute to post my challenge for May.  I am loving this challenge set by Saturday Night Stitch, though it definitely hasn't been plain sailing.  First my magazine didn't arrive and I had to pick one on-line and then buy the pdf (still that did mean no tracing!).

I do love this dress, great shape, infact Burda suggested it as an option to copy Amal Clooney's royal wedding dress and she looked fab!  If it meant George might turn up I'd wear it every day.  I think this is the shape that probably suits me best.





The fabric is great; a stretch cotton by John Kaldor, originally I got it from Minerva Crafts but it seems to be sold out.  Still available on ebay though.  If you do work with stretch cotton, one thing I would advice is to do a lot of staystiching (ask me how I know this), or like me you will get a stretched neckline.  The stretch makes it incredibly comfortable.
  

I love the sweetheart neckline, though I would not make one like this again, you probably can't see but you make a separate shape a bit like an eyemask and then insert it at the neckline.  Easier said than done, as it just want to poke out!

Now if I'm on a journey in my dressmaking with Chanel as my goal, and hoping I might almost have got to Marks and Spencer, this is definitely only Primark.  I really did wing it.  It is supposed to have a lined bodice, but when my stretch lining came I didn't really like it, and I didn't know how to sew it in anyway, so I just started improvising, and it sort of ca.me out alright, though I think it won't have much longevity.

I cut a size 40, but had to make lots of adjustments.  Took at least 1" from the waist.  The princess seams meant that were lots of places for tweaking the fit.  I raised the waist by 1/4".  Reduced the sleeve width by at least 1", 1" from the centre back.  It really was a nightmare to fit, but in the end I got there.

It's also the last day of MeMadeMay and here are the final outfits.  It's been pretty easy to wear a different outfit every day, but the obvious gap for me is trousers.  I do need to get trousers cracked.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

April BrudaStyle challenge (with a bit of help from Colette!)

So this is a bit of cheat, being a hack of a shirtdress from the April issue of Burdastyle and the Colette Hawthorn.  This is make number 4 and  probably my favourite  so far for Hila's Burdastyle challenge

So what happened was I was about to start to tracing from my April Burdstyle when I finally noticed that the pattern I had chosen was a "tall" sized one.  Being only 5'4" this wasn't going to work, then it also occurred to me that the bodice and collar were almost identical to the Colette Hawthorn.  So I used the Hawthorn bodice and sleeves, just including the tie from the Burda dress and adapting the skirt to have the high/low hem of the Burda dress.

I used the Hawthorn size 8 pattern which was a really good fit.  I did raise the waistline by
1".  Looking at the photos this may not have been necessary at the front, but the back needed a touch more .... mm bit of a conundrum there.  Is that because the front is rising due to my bust, and I needed a fba?

I like to try clothes on throughout the making process to keep checking the fit and decided that the back hem dipped just too low.  Believe it or not I took about 4" off the length at the back and reshaped the curve.

As you can see the skirt is very full (and coincidentally the Hawthorn and the Burda were almost identical in shape).  I wouldn't want to hand hem it and  I chose to topstitch in a chocolate brown thread.  Fitting the sleeves was a bit of a challenge.  Looking at some reviews the sleeves looked a bit puffy, so I took around 2/8" off the sleevehead height.  Having narrow shoulder I also needed to reduce the shoulder width by 3/8".  Despite all this the sleeveheads seemed large and they were hard to ease without gathers.

While I like the look of the Hawthorn collar, I think it is a difficult one to fit and you can see below it is standing up a bit.  I takes a lot of notching to get it even this flat!  I do like the centre part though.

I love the tie, it gives lots of waist definition, and it could be added to a lot of styles, I may well use this again.    Overall I do like this dress and though I probably won't make it again, it is comfy and from most angles quite flattering.  The fabric is a mocha heavy chambray, 100% cotton and a great price at only £4 a metre.  Sews well and has a bit of a linen looks about it.  As you can see from the photos though it does hold creases, sometimes when you don't want them!  It's from Fabworks and still available.

After a busy week, Dan came home and we had a lovely time at a Tom Paxton concert and then on Saturday in the garden (Rosy loved having him home too).