Trousers update

The trousers are so close to being ready to try on, I can taste it. I started the fly zip last night after I got back from the gym. I stitched up the crotch seam then sewed the zip to the left hand-underlap. Of course, my zip's too short, and I'm buggered if I'm going to get another one. So I pinned the two sides together and sewed the seam further up. Opened out the pants and of course I'd caught the zip in the seam so it showed on the right side. Id. I. Ot.

That was the point that my voice of reason (bless it) spoke up and told me to stop sewing. I listened to it, which was very wise.

Tonight though, I will be sewing again, and I hope to get the trousers to a state where they're ready to be tried on. Thrilling.

Back to School

I'm on a learning kick at the moment.

Paul and I are learning Spanish together, and I'm currently working my way through Learn Ancient Greek by Peter Jones. Yes, Ancient Greek. It was a whim inspired by Donna Tartt's novel The Secret History, a literary thriller about a group of US college students who murder a colleague. And, erm, speek ancient Greek quite a bit. The general reaction of my friends when I said I was thinking of learning it was 'um, why?' And I can entirely understand that reaction.

But the book was quite reasonable, so even if I didn't get past the alphabet, it wouldn't matter too much. In theory. In practice, I wasn't prepared for how much I'm actually enjoying this. Every night on the tube I'm scribbling out my little translations while the person sitting next to me gawps at my notebook thinking 'WTF? And the mornings too -- I was gutted this morning because I couldn't get a seat, and couldn't carry on with chapter 3.

There's something immensely fun about learning for the pure sake of learning. Let's face it, what use is ancient Greek to me really? Spanish I can use, even if the extent of it is ordering beer and tapas (and I can do that now). But that's not the point, is it? I'm doing this because I want to learn something new. And there's nothing newer than ancient Greek, right?

I also want to learn to cook. I can sort of cook at the moment, in that I can fling together a soup from a bunch of vegies and some pasta. I operate under the school of 'chuck everything in'. Beans, pasta, bacon, onions. Lots of onions. And garlic. Don't forget the garlic. But I don't know that I could say that I know how to cook.

Paul bought me Jamie Oliver's new opus last night, and we've had a brief flick through it. This is part of his attempt to get the whole nation cooking. Simple looking recipes, basic with reasonable ingredients. I have some reservations about the show -- in it, I've heard, he takes a woman who has almost never given her children a home-cooked meal in their lives and shown her how to make spaghetti meatballs. Lovely, wonderful, fabulous. Except then he returns to her later and they're back on junky takeaways because she's overwhelmed and is struggling to pay the bills. He's trying to get the nation to cook, but who is going to buy this book? Not the people who really need it, evidently. They're not going to pay out £25 (although admittedly mine was a tenner from Sainsburys. Pukka!) on a cookery book, are they?

While I don't mind Jamie Oliver and quite like his books/shows I do find the implication that he's on a purely humanitarian mission slightly tiresome. He is, after all, making quite a lot of money from these books -- let's not forget that, although it's great that he's trying to increase awareness,

The book itself seems pretty good although I need to sit down and read it cover to cover. He asks you to pledge learn one recipe (at least) from each chapter and then teach them to someone else. I'm not sure about the second half of that pledge, but I would definitely like to spread my cooking horizons and try cooking more than soups and the odd stews.

Here's to learning something new.

Update

Well, the Hong Knog finish was a bust. It added too much bulk to the seam allowances, and wasn't that exactly what I was trying to avoid? Cutting the continuous bias strip was easier than I'd thought, and I will definitely be using that technique in the future. I'll have to find a better way of marking the fabric. The water-soluble blue pen I used was only just visible on the black satin I bought, and I was having my first Spanish lesson with Paul while I was trying to cut it out -- result? Not altogether sure that I stayed in the lines. Also I should have made the strips wider. Mine were just over an inch (yes, the instructions said an inch and a half. Yes, I'm an idiot) and the one strip I tried was a little fiddly.

I'm (of course) hand-overcasting the seams now. They're pretty much done, so the worst is over. The next project I do is going to be much less work-intensive -- French seams! Ha!

Both the trousers and the blouse are starting to take shape. The blouse facing is in, finished and more or less pressed. It's the sleeves yet, and I just have to figure out if I'm going to add extra reinforcement to the buttonhole area. The blouse fabric is pretty flimsy, so it would probably be wise. The trouser legs are ready to be sewn together. They are quite wide, but I will always be wearing these with heels, so that shouldn't be a problem.

I'm beginning to realise my decision to work on the blouse and trousers simultaneously was a mistake. The intent was to finish both garments at the same time, so that the entire outfit is complete. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but in practice it's too much of a PITA. Bloody multi-tasking -- I get enough of that at work. It means I can't give the garment enough of my attention, because I always have to plan the other one in my head. A bit like cooking two seperate recipes, which have to be ready at the same time. And I know, I know -- I realise this is a self-imposed rule so it's utterly silly for me to fret about it -- but I like the idea of completing an outfit in one go.

It's not going to happen next time though. One item at a time, damn it. Well, more or less, anyway.

BWOF 03/2006

This dress 108 is a current UFO of mine, currently awaiting finishing details. I made it up in a very white cotton-tyupe fabric with black embroidery, and added a banding of black ribbon at the hem. It stalled because I left off the self-fabric belt. Without that it looked too baggy on me, rather like a nurse's outfit in the white fabric. With a belt it might look nicer and I intend to dig it out and revisit it.

110 and 110 (A jacket and skirt). I like the skirt, but not so sure about the jacket. I do, however, like it in the linedrawing though, although maybe it's a little boxy for my tastes.

106, -- this blouse. There's an interesting effect at the button band, but the busy print they've used in the magazine (for both versions) makes it hard to see. I'm undecided how I feel about high-necked blouses like this. Maybe they're a little prim for me. On the other hand making my wardrobe a little more ladylike it one of my goals.

114 and 115 -- Jacket and skirt. Have I mentioned my deep, abiding love for white suits? Love. This. I made the skirt ages ago, but I suspect I threw it out as it was made up in a cheap polyester.

Cute blouse (104) for Spring/Summer. I'd like to make it, but it won't be for a while. Perhaps TMI, but every time I read this, 'Boom for big blossoms', I read 'blossoms' as 'bosoms'. *sigh*

Trousers (107b). I know it's a terrible idea. I know it's utterly, horribly wrong. I don't care. I still want a pair of patterned capris. With flowers on. For spring obviously, and I'd shorten them as that is definitely not a good length for me.

Blouse (118) -- Not keen on this. It's a little too cutesy for me, and it looks like its shorter than I usually like my tops to be. Also the fronts don't overlap, right? I don't really want to be flashing my bra-band to the world.

Skirt (105) -- I've made this skirt recently -- haven't posted it yet, though. While I like the pattern,. I'm not sure it worked too well in the fabrics I chose for it -- I used a patterned silky type for the body of the skirt and a solid matching pink for the yoke. Pretty fabrics, and I'm not unhappy with it exactlty -- I just don't seem to have anything to go with it. Also it's another summer garment, and that isn't where my mind is at, currently. Otherwise, pretty skirt and I plan to post and review it.

I want to make this petite dress and coat (127 and 126). Pretty and elegant and sweet, although I have absolutely nowhere to wear it as a matching outfit. Very formal, and I love the lines of both the dress and the coat.

They have made it up in silk dupion, which could work out quite costly if I made both garments. I would possibly use taffeta instead.

There's also some pretty wedding dresses -- for obvious reasons I doubt I'll ever make any of those, although I do quite like 117 (which could make a beautiful party dress in non-white fabric) and 125, because it's so very pretty. Also like this coat/dress combination, 102/122, which is a fascinating alternative if you wanted to be a bit different. That coat with the train? Oh my.

The plus section has a selection of casual clothes, including the ubiquitous parka, a very smart looking denim jacket, that would look great in a variety of fabrics -- linen is the first to spring to mind. The line drawing looks more like a blazer than an denim jacket. There's also a smart tracksuit and some great trousers in a variety of views. Pretty good selection, if all very casual (except for the jacket).

And finally, clothes for the sprogs. All very pretty and brightly coloured. 138 is a very pretty flouncy summer dress, which could work well in a more formal fabric for a party. There's also a pair of unusual pants. And another pair of unusual pants.

Seam Finishing

It has come to my attention that I have no idea how I'm going to finish the seams on the trousers. The blouse? Easy -- I'm overcasting the seams by hand. Not as onerous as it sounds, because I'm stitching both allowances together, rather than overcasting them separately. My fabric is quite lightweight, so that seemed like the appropriate thing to do.

I favour overcasting by hand because it adds very little bulk, and I rather enjoy handsewing, although it does make the process of constructing a garment much slower.

The trousers, on the other hand, I haven't yet decided. Overcasting doesn't seem right, either by hand or by machine. I don't want flat-felled seams on these pants. So what to choose?

I think I'm probably going to go for a Hong Kong finish. This is when a bias-strip of fabric is used to bind the seam allowances. It's a higher end finish that I've been wanting to try for a while, and it gives me the opportunity to try cutting a continuous bias strip from a length of fabric --another new technique for me, and I think it'll add a nice detail to the trousers. Even if it is a detail only I know about.

I think I might be in love...

...With this pattern. Oh my.

It's not often I fall for envelope patterns. Whenever I browse the main catalogues, I remember the stash of patterns I have tucked away in my stack of magazines. Blouses, skirts, tops? It's rare that I can't find something in BWOF that I love more and that, crucially, I already have.

This, on the other hand, may well be sneaking its way into my collection. Why? Well, just look at that skirt. And the lines of that jacket. I need a fancy schamcy suit (why? I'm not certain), and this might just be the One.

The only thing I'm not quite sold on is the sleeves. I'm not 100% about those flounces. But then they do sort of echo the peplum.

One other point in its favour? It doesn't look like it would take a lot of fabric for the entire suit. Three metres according to the fabric table on the Vogue site. That can't be right, surely?

___

In other news, I've resubscribed to chrysalisfabrics.co.uk. I subscribed for a year a while back, and while they had some lovely fabrics, I never quite managed to bite the bullet and order anything. I'm now trying to aim for better quality fabric, so we might be better for each other. Their prices range from about £8 t0 £25, which isn't too eyewatering, and I think I've already fallen in love with one of the samples on their site. And no, I'm not going to tell you which one.

Progress -- The jacket muslin

So the jacket muslin is finished. And I don't think I'm going to progress onto the finished piece. The fit doesn't seem quite right on him -- it seems tight around the chest and loose around the collar. Mainly it's because of the concerns I had before I sewed up the muslin -- firstly, that it wouldn't be appropriate as a coat, and secondly, that it wouldn't look right on my slim sweetheart. Double-breasted RTW doesn't suit him. He looks better in slimmer fitting coats and jackets. They suit his body type better.

Please ignore the terrible sewing, by the way. This was a fast and dirty muslin, flung together with no real due care or attention. The 'buttons' in the top picture are circles of fabric left over from the last dress I made. :P What a slattern I am.

It's sort of a shame, because I quite liked the pattern. Possibly I would still sew it up if I could get hold of enough leather. It might work as a more casual jacket. But for the fabric I've got, I want to make him a more traditional coat. So this pattern, sadly, ain't the right one. I had a feeling it would turn out like this.

Here's a full length photo to show the way the coat fits on his body. It makes him look a little too top heavy.



We discussed it and I think we both agreed it wasn't right, so it's back to the pattern search. Not that it's going to take too long. The pattern offerings for men are sadly limited -- most of the pattern companies offer little more than pajamas and 'scrubs', which are apparently what doctors and nurses wear in hospitals in America. Am I right about that?

Vogue used to have a few more patterns, but for some incomprehensible reason chose to stop printing them. They now have a couple of suits and waistcoats and... that's it. They don't even have a pattern for a shirt! True, perhaps they don't sell a lot of men's patterns, but it still seems a real shame. There are a couple of men sewing and posting reviews on patternreview, but if a young man wants to sew for himself what chance has he got with the uninspiring collection of patterns available? Thank god for Burda, but not everyone necessarily starts off with Burda. The most obvious pattern company I always found is Simplicity and their collection of patterns for men is.... not huge. At least they have shirts.


Ah well, rant over. In the end, I guess men's patterns are never going to sell as well as women's and that's all that really matters. You can't blame them -- they're businesses after all, and it's not the easiest market. Perhaps we're lucky they exist at all.

Back to my original topic -- coat patterns for men. I think we're going to go with a simple single-breasted three quarter length coat.

Enter Burda 8275.

I'll have to make another muslin. I'm wondering if it could do with slightly more shaping in the waist, or a belt perhaps. It's a simple plain-cut coat, and I'm pretty sure it's the one I'll go with, partly because there isn't a whole lot of choice. Vogue used to have a similar pattern, but I think that's OOP. I do like Burda though (like you haven't already guessed?) and its slimmer fit suits Paul quite well.

Waisting Time

The pieces for the trousers and blouse have ben cut out. Now there's just some fusing and marking to do andthen I should be ready to sew. The good news? I think I love the wool I'm using for the trousers. It feels lovely, definitely worth the money I paid for it, and I'm pretty sure I'm going to get some more to make some trousers for Paul. The even better news? I even have enough left over for a waistcoat.

When I realised that, I dropped everything (I was cutting out the trousers at the time) and ran to my collection of Burda WOFs to see what choice of waistcoats (vests to the Americans) they had.

The current front runners are from left to right:

-- #1) 09/2006 - 128

-- #2) 04/2007 - 115

-- #3) 02/2008 - 116

I'm flipflopping back and forth over which one I want to make. I kind of think #1 iz the sharpest, but I'm also drawn to the others. I don't have enough fabric for the flounces on 3. so I'd have to adapt it to be totally sleeveless -- probably not too hard, since I'll probably be lining it anyway, but still... Right at this moment I'm leaning towards #2. Actually no, wait... 1.

*sigh*. perhaps I should ask myself how I envisage wearing it -- as a top in it's own right, (like #3) or over a shirt, (a la #1), and it's the latter. But that hasn't got fancy pockets! However, I could always add pockets to it, which could be an interesting challenge.

Right, I'm going to take a closer look at the magazine, but right now it looks like I'm going to go with #1 with added welt pockets. Sorted. For the moment.

Next Up: Black is the New Black

Yes, no longer will I be sewing grey fabric, stylish and dull and work appropriate though it is. My next two projects will be black.

This is my first go at sewing a full outfit. Whether the two actually go together remains to be seen. However, I do need a black blouse in my wardrobe.

The blouse is BWOF 05/2006 124, a blouse with gathered section seams. I'll be using a black polyester from my favourite local fabric shop.

The trousers are BWOF 08/2008 105, Marlene Dietrich men'style trousers, with wide legs and a welt pocket in the back. They also have turn-ups but I'm going to leave those off for a smarter look. I'll be using a wool from the same fabric shop as as above.

Wow, I'm really going to have to sew something colourful soon. I'm off to do some tracing.

Finished Object - BWOF 10/07 105 -- No Mouse Dress

My quest for perfect photos continues. Paul took this one, but Arsenal were playing and he didn't quite have his mind on the job. Also, I appear to be turning into a flamingo. What the hell happened to my other leg?

My Review

Pattern Description: From the Burda website:
'No little grey mouse here! Clever details turn this dress into an eyecatcher! It sports a trendy empire waist seam, a skirt with unpressed pleats, a self-fabric belt and seam pockets accentuated by button-down tabs.'

Pattern Sizing:The usual Burda sizes, 36-44. I made a 40, which is the size I normally make. It is, as other reviewers have noted, very close fitting, especially in the bust.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Yes, very similar. My pleats don't seem to be showing too well, but they look lovelier in person, honest.

Were the instructions easy to follow? I didn't take too much notice of them, but yes -- I didn't come across any problems with them. I used the same construction method I'd use with any dress like this.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? The pleats! They give the skirt a lovely swingy shape. As for dislikes, I don't really have any. One thing I will mention is the pleats in the back accentuate the burves of the bottom -- e.g. they made it look bigger. This isn't something I have an issue with. I like my curves and as long as they're kept in proportion and my waist is defined I'm all for clothes that make them look curvier. Other people may not feel the same way.

It is very close fitting, definitely designed for a stretch woven. It is a little tight on me, something which is more evident in the back, but it's not so tight that it's unwearable, and it's fine over my breasts. I'm very happy with how the dress looks in the front. It's pulling a little in the back and at the arms, but not too badly (standing with hands on my hips doesn't help).

In all, I'm happy with the amount of ease, but I think I probably hit on a fabric with the perfect amount of stretch.

I finished the seams with hand overcasting, my favourite method of finishing when I'm feeling a tad masochistic. Makes the process slower, but I enjoy hand sewing and find it very relaxing.

I self-lined the bodice only, not the skirt. The fabric has enough weight not to need lining.

I also used vilene bias tape (what Burda used to confusingly call 'fuse and fold) to stabilise the neck and armholes and I love it. This stuff makes stabilising curves so much quicker and easier. It's a strip of interfacing cut on the bias with a chain (?) stitch along one edge.

Fabric Used: A stretch woven from the sadly missed Croft Mill. I can't quite remember what it was, but I have a feeling it was mostly cotton. Whatever it was, I llove it and wish I'd bought more. I bought it specifically for this pattern, and honestly I don't think I could have made a better choice. They were perfect for each other.

Pattern Alterations or any design changes you made: None. Well, I left off the pocket tabs, but that doesn't really count. The dress has a cleaner look without them.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?I would definitely recommend it, however I would definitely suggest using a stretch woven. As for making it again, I probably won't because... really, how many dresses do I need, and there's plenty more patterns that I'd like to try.

However, one thing I am contemplating is leaving off the bodice part and turning it into a high-waisted skirt. The one issue would be figuring how to line/face it, but I think it would look beautiful with the right rabric.

Conclusion: Interestingly, Burda have made this into one of their regular patterns, 7759. At least, it looks very similar indeed. The fabric recommendations are 'Poplin, crepe fabric, flannel, tweed', nothing in there about stretch, that I can see, so perhaps it's sized differently.

If you do find the perfect fabric, then do consider this. It's a simple classic pattern, which is smart and work-appropriate, with a flattering shape. It's also not too low cut, which is rare for Burda. Although, admittedly, my definition of low-cut may not be the same as yours.

Catching Up

Well, John Lewis was an almost total waste of time. I was hoping they might have some decent jerseys but they had next to nothing. And what they did have I wasn't too thrilled with. So far Fabrics Galore is the best I've seen for jersey.

I went into Macculloch and Wallis, and manahed to pick up a couple of things I needed. It's a little too chaotic in that shop though. I've always preferred to find things for myself rather than asking the assistants for everything.... But that's what they're there for.

I'm working on the No Mouse dress today -- managed to set in the sleeves quite nicely, and I've decided to leave off the sleeve tabs as I think I'll like it better without them. So that's one less task to do.

Now I'm going to stick a sewing podcast on and with any luck I'll be able to get it finished.

And then I can start something else. And it won't be grey!

(It'll be black. *Sigh*)

On the subject of zips...

I've been googling for ways of improving the top of my invisible zips -- most tutorials only seem to cover the actual insertion. While that's certainly something I could probably improve, that's all down to accuracy rather than not knowing now to insert them.

The details on finishing the zip of the zip and attaching a facing are usually pretty vague.

I have just found an interesting tip here on www.isew.co.uk. Scroll down to tip number 9. It suggests using a longer zip and intersting it with the tab above the seam for the waistband. In other words you sew underneath the little plastic tab. Makes sense to me, and I'll try that next time.

I'd also like to branch out into other types of zip, because it seems like the only zips I sew are invisible and fly zips. Actually, what do I mean 'seems'? They ARE the only ones I sew.

BWOF 10/07 105 - Grey Dress - Progress

Success!

I managed to fix the facing last night. The invisible zip doesn't look perfect, but it's better than it was, and it's enough for me. I also got the facing stitched down, and basted the armscyes of the facing and outer shell together, ready for the sleeve insertion. Go me.

Next up: the sleeves. Ideally, I'd like to get them hemmed and inserted tonight. Then there's just the belt, the pocket tabs and self-covered buttons and the hem. Don't think I've forgetten anything.

I'm really excited about this one. I've tried it on and I think it's going to be a lovely dress. Even if it is another grey garment.

I think I might be venturing to Oxford Street tonight -- John Lewis and Macculloch and Wallis. Unwise? Almost certainly. But I need to unwind after a chaotic week. I have a coupld of items in mind, a retro blouse, a long jaquard skirt and a jersey dress. All, naturally, from Burda World of Fashion. I also need a buckle for the grey dress and a strip of leather for Paul's coat, so there is actual need here.

Honest.

10/07 - 105 -- Progress

Frustratingly, I've stalled on this. The last think I did was attach the facing, and unfortunately the top of the invisible zipper looks like crap. Ugh.

I sewed the facing to the edge first rather than the top -- call it an experiemnt -- and I'm now kicking myself. Tonight the plan it to rip the stitches attaching the edge to the facing and do it the old-fashioned way -- hand-stitching the fazing to the zip. Hopefully this shouldn't be too much of an issue, although I've already done some trimming so it might be a little tight.

I like invisible zipsm but I find finishe=ing the top of them rather tricky at times. Sometimes it seems more luck than judgement. Maybe I just need to sit down and work my way through a bunch of samples -- great idea, except that I always have something (usually several somethings) on the go, and it seems like my time would be better spent on those.

Anyway, my task for tonight (and I do want to get it finished tonight) is to fix and finish the Facingm including pressing and understitching. If I have time to slipstitch it to the waist seam, so much the better, but I'm not going to push myself on that. It's the facing I want to get finished.

Newport News

I have Melody of Crazed Sewer to thank for this fascinating wardrobing link. It was 'Neiman Marcus Taste, Newport News Budget' that drew my attention.

It's all about Newport News.It's a clothing catalogue based in the US. (No affiliations here btw -- I haven't shopped there and I try to avoid ordering items from abroad so it's unlikely that I ever will.)

Their catalogue and online site has a feature called '10 Items, 10 Ways', in which they spotlight ten garments they sell and ten outfits put together using those garments. I LOVE this sort of thing as inspiration for SWAP, seeing the way outfits are put together with a certain number of basics. It's the sort of thing I buy magazines for, only they never really fulfil my expectations. These are especially good as they're work-appropriate.

So inspiring. Now all I need is fabric.

Whoops

I went and accidentally ordered some snaps from www.planetfleece.co.uk. I've been hunting for snaps that are easy to set for a while, and I wanted to try this one out. They've got a wide selection of fleecy fabrics, but not a great deal more than that. A lot of children's fabric too. Not really what I want. I do find myself wondering what 'flurr' is like though. I guess a furry fleece.

I'm going to be sewing tonight. Getting a bit twitchy as I want to be sewig now. I'm also toying with the idea of popping to my local fabric shop tomorrow to pick up some interlining for Paul's coat. I haven't even finished the muslin yet! Probably next week.

All Quiet on the Blogging Front

Perhaps it's just me, but the sewing blogland has seemed rather quiet of late. Is no one blogging, or is everyone far too busy sewing?

I know I have been. I've also been dragging my lazy carcass back to the gym. I'm off there after work today, in fact. It's just a matter of trying to build the habit, although I know I should be going back to the classes. If I book in for one then I have to go.

I spent most of yesterday evening listening to sewing podcasts and cutting out the dress from BWOF 10/07 -- 105. I cut a little extra in the outer bodice (no room for it in the lining), but it seems like there's a lot of stretch to my fabric. Maybe that's wishful thinking though. It was a bit of a squeeze, as my fabric was narrower than I'd realised, but I got everything cut out in the end. After the gym I'm going to do any necessary interfacing, and then hopefully it should be ready to sew.

The fabric itself I think I love. It was from Croft Mill (sadly missed, at least in my household), and I can't remember what it was. It has a lovely feel to it (so much nicer than the fabric I'm using for the jacket muslin), and I think it should make up into a lovely dress.

In Progress -- Paul's Jacket Muslin

I've made a bit of progress on the muslin for Paul's jacket, and it seems to be coming along quite well. I think I must have made a mistake tracing the collar band, as it seems to be about 1.5 cms too short. Perhaps I left off the seam allowance.

The instructions for the collar and facing were a little confusing -- it isn't clear how the facing is attached after the collar is on. The open seaming doesn't exactly help. I haven't quite made up my mind whether I'm going to use the open seaming in the finished jacket. Once the pieces are cut out I'll try out some samples and see.

That's assuming I choose to use this pattern. I like it, but as you can see in the picture, he's only wearing it over a shirt and I want it to be a proper coat rather than a jacket. I'm planning on interlining it for extra warmth. Would I be better off with a single breasted three-quarter length coat?

Finished Object - Patrones 129 - 31 - Miniskirt

This was a quick sew. I managed to get it sewn up in an afternoon. Have I mentioned that I'm not a quick sewer? I've already worn it too, as we had a sudden spell of lovely weather over the weekend. It isn't as short as it looked in the original image in the magazine -- possibly because the model is around 5'11 and I'm 5'4.

You can find my pattern review here.

BWOF 10/08 -- first thoughts

The German preview for BWOF is mostly up -- and yes I do stalk the site obsessively. Why do you ask. I'll wait until I have the mag in my hands until I do the full runthrough post but here's my first impressions.

Modern Woman Don't like the styling for this at all. What happened to this model? It looks like she's just managed to drag herself away from a rabid dog before the photo was taken. Having said that, I quite like the shirt she's wearing, although those are some big turnups on the sleeves.

Do I like this shift dress? I don't know...

Classics. I question whether some of these are really classic pieces. Nice skirt though.

I think I do love this jacket though. Hungrily awaiting the technical drawing so I can see the details.

More men's clothes, which look okay but I haven't looked too closely at them yet. None of the men's patterns stand out, although the trousers look promising.

Edited to add: What the freaking hell is happening with the kids' clothes? Those are certainly some... interesting garments. Yikes.

Burda Retrospective -- 02/06

So here is the first of a series of posts running through my collection of Burda WOF magazines. I decided to start at the beginning (where else?) with the first ever issue I bought -- February 2006. PR Reviews for this issue can be found here.

This is actually a cute T-shirt now that I look at it closer. My eye has always skimmed right over it before, probably because I don't often sew with jersey. I bet it would be nice made up, with all those gathers on the waist and sleeves.

Nice jacket even if it is one of the hard patterns -- 4 dots! Perhaps I'm a masochist, but I always find myself drawn to those. I see 'For real pros' and I think, 'Oh yeah?' I will sew a 4 dot pattern though -- I think that's going to be one of my sewing goals. A jacket, of course, since the 4 dot patterns are nearly always jackets. Maybe this one? I like the lines and the neat little diagonal pockets.

A pretty chiffon skirt,, with ruffled tiers. Hard to see the details in the magazine because of the busy print.

I've made this shirt! In a stripy green. I'm not happy with it though, because I didn't set the sleeves in properly and the seams are starting to pull apart at the bottom. It might be fixable, but there's a lot in the queue before it. It's cool to see how far I've progressed.

A jumpsuit. It looks lovely, but I've decided I'm just going to say no, even if there was a recent brief resurgence. I saw a recent article saying how easy to wear they are -- just pull them out of the wardrobe and that's your outfit sorted. Not so easy when you need to go to the bathroom though.

I tried making 120A too, a chiffon overblouse but back then I didn't understand the importance of thorough and accurate marking. I was also thrown by the dropped shoulder and thought I'd make some freakish mistake. Me, rather than the pattern, I believe. Plus my loops were crap. I think I probably will try again in the future, as it does look like a flattering top if sewn with more care. It also comes with frills.

Those sort of flounces at the bottom of the skirt always put me off (115). I'm not quite sure why. I like the picture in the magazine.

LOVE this dress (124A) and I have, in fact, sewn it up quite recently. It came out very nicely indeed, maxi-length but more flattering than my other maxi dress which was Simplicity 3803, and it sewed up perfectly. I'm going to post a review on this one so keep an eye out. I'm definitely sewing this one again, possibly in the shorter length.

From a pattern I can't say enough good things about, to another that leaves me almost speachless -- 126. Wow. Those are certainly... sleeves. Oh man, I partly want to make this up just to see what it looks like. Maybe I will. I could always leave off the ruffles and just have the puffed sleeves. The blouse itself is quite simply cut.

There's a sweet suit sized for petites (129 and 130). I rather like the jacket, but I think it's very close-fitting, so I'm not sure it would be right on me. The trousers are simple and very plain.

Another lovely dress (127), which I always forget about.

You can hardly see it in the photo, but there's some very interesting pleating (?) going on in this skirt -- (128). It might be interesting to play around with contrasting fabric. Also, it looks like a simple and flattering cut.

Well, I like this jacket, although I'm not too keen on the embroidered flowers (102 and 122). I do like the embroidered edging though It would make a very pretty summer jacket, if you could find a pretty boucle. The skirt looks quite pretty too, although I'm not sure if I'd make it. That's a lot of zigzagging.

A pretty blouse (108), which I think I might make if I can find the right fabric. I like the frills.

In the plus section: a basic looking and simple blouse that looks like it'd be a cinch to sew (135), and apparently instructions for crinkling your own fabric have been included. A skirt (136) that I actively dislike from the line drawing, but seems okay in the picture and I'm sure is lovely. A cool jeans jacket (132), a nice basic long skirt (134), and some damn nice trousers (137).

And the children's section, there's some outfits for first communion, which could equally be pageboy or flowergirl outfits. A suit with a stand-up collar for the boys and some very pretty dresses for the girls.

So, my final thoughts? Well, there's some sentimental bias, seeing as this is my first ever issue. The real standout for me is definitely 124, but I'd still like to try a couple of other garments as well. It's not a standout issue by any means (it's interesting looking at the different number of reviews on PR for each issue. This issue didn't get too many), but there's some good basics in here. And I am finding myself drawn towards that blouse with the crazy sleeves. Noooo, must resist.

Only Just...

I spent most of tonight cutting out patterns, and I'm almost done for the night. The muslin of Paul's jacket is all cut out and ready to be marked and sewed, and the Patrones skirt is laid out. I still have to cut it, but it shouldn't take too long.

As you can see I didn't have a whole lot of fabric to spare. It's a handy little pattern for using up scraps. Maybe I'll use it for that metre of blue faux suede that's been hanging around forever... Or actually, I think I might use that for a waistcoat. Possibly the one with puffed sleeves.

Ack, there I go again. One project at a time, woman. Or... two, I suppose. Technically.

Next Up

I've left out pictures of the fabric I'll be using for both of these since they're both grey. Why am I sewing so much grey lately?

I have some leftover fabric from the 02/08 dress in the previous post. I'll be keeping my fingers crossed as I think there's enough left for this skirt from my one and only copy of Patrones. It's a mini-skirt, with an interesting detail at the waistband. This is going to be an interesting experience as I don't really speak Spanish, and especially not sewing Spanish, so I'm trusting in my instinctive sewing skills.

Next up is another grey dress, this time in a striped grey fabric with a touch of stretch to it. From previous reviews I know this dress is very close-fitting around the bust, so that touch of stretch might just be my saviour. I love this dress though -- it's so pretty, especially with the layering and, yes, the thermal tights.

Two Finished Objects!

Or technically one, since the grey dress was finished a while ago now. But I've just posted reviews for both on PR, so I might as well mention them both here.

First up is 112, from the 02/08 issue of BWOF. The review is here, and I'm very pleased with how it turned out. I've already worn it to work, layered over a shirt (also something that I made, now that I think about it). It fits me almost perfectly and I pulled the fabric out of a remnant bin, so cheap cheap cheap. Look at me pose in my purple tights!


Then there's 107, from the 07/08 issue. Remember that? Well, I'm happy with it now, but it's definitely a summer dress, so I might not be able to wear it for a while. The review is here.

What's Next?

This is a coat for Paul, which I hope to be making in a brown wool coating with a faint pinstripe. I'm making a muslin (not something I often do, I must admit), and I've already got the fabric for that. I traced out the pieces at the weekend and I'm ready to start cutting (and sewing).

I'm making a muslin partly because of the expense of the fabric and partly because I'm not certain that we'll like the jacket on him when it's made up.

The original jacket in the magazine was leather, but there's also a coat that uses the same basic pattern which is made up in wool coating. This is going to be a long-term project, I think, although I hope to get it made up before the dread cold of winter sets in.

Link to BWOF

Not so much 'what next' as 'what now', since I made a start on it yesterday and now have it almost sewn up. It's quite a quick project. Is it a successful one? I'm not sure yet, but it's not Autumn sewing, that's for sure. Maybe that's why I feel like I haven't made the best match of fabric to pattern, because my head is filled with charcoal greys and wool and coat patterns.

BWOF 07/07 - Skirt - It worked!

My ploy worked... more or less. So, what did I do? I raised the elastic casing, placing it higher up to take care of the excess fabric (I think by 7 cm). That helped a lot, but there was still a bit of bunching, so I also increased the length of the elastic by about 2 inches, which made the bunching far less obvious. Inat the photo it seems to be swinging to the right a little, but that might just be the way I'm standing.

It also made the skirt less tight-fitting, which should be good as it felt almost skin-tight before. I should have remembered to sew the lining fabric with smaller seam allowances, since that probably had less give than the wool suiting.

I'll try to wear it this week to work, probably with an untucked top at first to see how it sits.

I clearly haven't mastered the art of tucking in my sjirt, so please ignore the bunching around my waist. I usually wear tops untucked anyway.

On the whole I'm happy with how it's turned out.

My review of this pattern can be found here

Burda 09/08

At first glance, I didn't think this was one of the better issues. The styling seemed off, and a lot of the garments were a little frumpy. One thing I've learned, though, is that issues grow on me. Each time I flip back through an issue I see things I didn't notice before. People often say that one of BWOF's flaws is that it hardly shows the garments at all, that often the photos completely hide design elements. And they'd be right. But there's a positive side to that too -- it means you don't grow bored with an issue. There's always something new to find.

I don't know that I will ever make it, but I do have a soft sport for this coat. There's a simplicity to it that's very now and I do like standing collars (although I suspect they're not that keen on me). Having said all that, I'm fairly sure it would look like a sack on me.

I love this jacket. I love the style of it and the mixture of the punk sensibilities with the traditional English vibe that's also bery current. This is probably what I'd make out of the whole issue, probably in a tweedy plaid as it is in the picture on the right.

I also rather like the skirt it's paired with in the magazine -- the leather one with the stitched down pleats. Would I wear a leather skirt? Well, no -- but I like the a-line style of it, and there's plenty other fabrics it would work with.

Meanwhile although my first instinct on seeing this is 'Hnuh?' it's one of those garments I think will grow on me. It's the quirkyness and the unusual shape. Will I ever make it though? Well, no, probably not. It's saying wool to me, but it's short-sleeved. Has the world gone mad?

Yet another parka. I'm just not interested in making parkas. Still, that's one hell of an involved technical drawing.

This coat is one of the few garments that hasn't grown on me. I love the tweedy fabric but look at the shape of it! Yikes. Even fitted double-breasted isn't for me, and that ain't fitted. Oddly, Paul liked this coat, which is very similar (albeit bright pink). Odd, because I was fairly sure he'd HATE it.

I am all kinds of love for this skirt. After the debacle with my last pencil skirt, it's a luxury to actually be able to see the back. Although it does look a scinch tight-fitting on the model. Not a great sign for me.

Like a lot of others, I appreciate the lines of this shift dress. In a plain coloured fabric, of course, to show off the seaming.

It gets me every time. I'm a sucker for a white/cream suit. Never mind that I could never wear it because of the practical aspects (a white suit in London? On the underground? Bwahaha. No); they just look so smart and elegant. I like the jacket though, and I'm curious about what its 'clever sleeve cap construction' is.

Erm, not overly keen on this shirt. It's probably a lovely blouse in reality, but as it is I don't think it looks all that great on the model. The pleats don't open in the ideal place -- or perhaps they do if you want people gawping at your nipples.

The plus section is good, although I don't make plus sizes. This dress is lovely, once you get past the fabric (not keen on it) and take a look at the technical drawing. Those lovely pleats are completely hidden by that busy fabric. I also like this jacket (again, look at the technical drawing) and this top.

The final section is for the 'likeable lads' -- garments for boys and a tunic for a man. Mmph. Well, I don't have a boy to make clothes for, but there's some nice basic patterns in this section. For boys, anyway. As for the man's pattern... uh. It looks fine in the main photo, but in the secondary photo? No, can't see myself making that.

On the whole, I'm still underwhelmed. A couple of nice garments that I would consider making but nothing that screams 'Make me!' Ah well.

BWOF 07/07 115 -- Meh!

This was the skirt from the 'Urban Safari' feature in the July 2007 issue of Burda World of Fashion. I've made it up in a wool that I bought from a fabric shop in the West End. It was a skirt-length remnant, and the selvage proclaimed it as having some mohair element. I'm... not entirely thrilled with the fabric. It's not all that soft and it doesn't press nicely. Plus it was cheap. So I'm not too concerned that my overall feeling towards this skirt is 'meh.'

I should have paid more attention to the reviews on PatternReview.com. That is what they're there for, right? All of them so far have commented on the excess of fabric in the back above the elastic.

One of Burda's interesting quirks -- there's no picture of the back of the actual made-up skirt. Now that would be interesting to see. And as you can hopefully see from the next picture, I have the same problem.

(Sorry for my not so great photographs. I'm still learning and relatively new to this.)

It's a pity because otherwise the skirt is quite form-fitting, especially in the front. It could be a very sexy pencil skirt, except for the shapeless mess in the back. I fidgeted around with some pins, indulged in some random panic sewing of random pointless darts, then decided, calmly and rationally, that it was time to step away from the sewing machine. And put away those scissors too.

So the question is how do I salvage it? On Pattern Review some of the sewers took in the seams in the back. I have a plan. I've learned when you're stuck at a point in a project it really is best to walk away and let it sit for a while. Muse over it and let the subconscious kick it around for a bit. And something occured to me.

So I'm off to see if it works. I'll get back to you. Wish me luck.

I am not a blogger!

Or at least not a natural blogger, but who knows -- they say it takes about a month to start a new habit, so we shall see.

I'm starting this blog because I wanted somewhere to document my attempts at wardrobing and my sewing progress. And my thoughts on fashion, I suppose. Whether anyone else will be interested remains to be seen, but at the very least it will be a useful tool for me. In... theory.

On the wardrobing side, my collection of clothes is like a lot of women's, I'd guess. A big black hole of jumbled crap, most of which I'll no doubt never wear. Garments I love but seldom wear because it seems like nothing goes with them. Piles of shoes that I cannot wear because... well, ow ow ow! And so much of it is cheap and just generally not very nice. Well, now I'm saying 'Enough!' I'm tired of looking like a scruffy student. Tired of wearing the same old t-shirt of jean-style trousers and t-shirts. Boring.

I want to look smarter, more professional and stylish.

So... I will be documenting any new additions to the wardrobe, whether bought or sewn, including any outfits I can put together. I might also work back through my wardrobe, and do the same with difficult or favourite pieces. Crazy? Anal? Obsessive? Well... um... Yeah, sorta. But I like the idea of taking a magazine-style approach to my own wardrobe. I do like magazines, after all.

I think more people should sew, damn it. Logic tells me that sewing is not for everyone, and fair enough... But still when I hear someone say they can't sew instinct makes me want to shake them by the shoulders and demand "Why the hell not? Do you not realise how much fun it is?"

Mostly I sew from Burda World of Fashion. Which. I. Adore. Remember the way I feel about non-sewers? Well, that's also how I feel about sewers who don't get BWOF. Seriously, sewing ain't all that cheap a hobby, and when most patterns are running £5-7, if you can buy a magazine with about 20-30 patterns for £4.30 then DO IT. Heh, am I starting to seem a little bossy? I don't mean to be, honest.

I just think starting to buy BWOF was one of the smartest things I ever did. Other than buying a sewing machine and actually starting to sew of course. I now have almost 3 years worth of back issues, and I hardly ever buy other patterns now. What's the point? Every time I find myself eyeing up a pretty dress I flash back to BWOF and remember something similar (or better) that I could make instead.

Anyway, I don't want to go through too much detail, since this was supposed to be an introductory post and not a waffly blathering one. Next I'll show you what I'm sewing at the moment, my most recent finished garments and the future projects I have lined up. Oh, and my wardrobe plan. And a couple of garments I bought recently. Uh, and probably some of my thoughts on wardrobing.

See ya!