Finished: Burda 1/2018 #121 & Me Made May

I spent an embarrassing amount of time searching for the right skirt pattern for my black & white floral cotton pique I picked up at Metro Textiles. I knew it should be a full skirt, and I have a couple that I've made, but nothing seemed quite right.

And then I saw Allison's version...which I'd seen Dorcas’ version first but didn't register the pattern. I think I thought the skirt was RTW and the wrap top was handmade. Dorcas has made it twice - both fabulous! At any rate, I knew it would be the perfect pattern for my fabric!!



I used my normal Burda sizing for skirts - 42 front and 44 back. I did not add any hem allowances as usual and hemmed at 2 inches. I love the look of midi skirts but rarely like them on my body. I'm more of an 'any length from mini to *just* below the knee' kinda lady.

I used a 9" invisible zipper and made a facing instead of lining it. Once the pleats and darts were sewn, I traced the waistline onto tracing paper and then marked 2 1/4" from that line. I could have made the facing a little deeper.

I finished it with bias tape because why not?! I sewed the facing to the zipper tape by hand and was going to hem by hand but I wasn't sure if I liked it or not and went for the faster (read: FINISHED ALREADY!) route of blind hemming by machine.

I was going to try to "fix" my hem - you can see it dipping forward on the photo above and mine does the same. I decided potentially ruining the hemline wasn't worth it. I also had a bit of a tough time figuring out where on the body the waist is supposed to sit. I guess it's a high-waist skirt?? I think that contributed to me being uncertain about it - that and trying it on with 'night belly'. When I came back a day or two later and tried it on with several tops in the wardrobe, I liked it a lot more.

This skirt is a quick and simple sew. I did get a little messed up with the pockets though. They extend up to the waistline which makes them a bit of a pain to sew IMO! Also, I thought my pockets were gaping but looking at the line drawing now, I guess they're functioning as intended. The only problem is, this pique is pretty 'sticky' and the pockets shift around even though they're caught in the facing/skirt seam. It looks like I should have stitched down further from the waist.

I've also finished my mom's gift (and love it. and want one of my own)...and will review that once she has it in hand. I also have NL6107 to review!! I started tracing the Burda trench (omgomgomgomg so many pieces), really want to sew M7745 and my tees. I need to make a plan! :)

Look at that bias tape finish on the sleeve! *love*

Re: Me Made May...here is what I wore days 8-14.

Day 8: Burda 7107 wrap top, Simplicity 2061 pants, RTW tank
Day 9: True Bias Ogden cami, New Look 6481 jacket, RTW skirt
Day 10: Vogue 9032 pants, RTW shirt
Day 11: McCall's 6964 tee, RTW jeans and jacket
Day 12: Burda 7136 shirt, RTW jeans, Butterick 6244 jacket
Day 13: Burda 1/2016 dress
Day 14: Simplicity 2369 dress and McCall's 6996 cardigan

There was a post on the Sewcialists blog that got me thinking. Every year there's a ton of people who are completely annoyed by MMM and a bunch of people that sort of hem and haw over the "requirements". But there aren't any requirements. I mean, right?! Below is my comment on the blog post. Someone else commented and mentioning getting to where I am. That made me remember that I  am pretty good about being completely unbothered by what anyone else is doing that doesn't affect me. And that confidence/self-assurance/independence can look a different way to people who are unlike me. I will never not be me, be clear! LOL! I'm just offering some background.

I’m glad you are doing what works for you…but also recognize that the pressure you felt was self-imposed. I mean, lots of people do it. I hear this a lot my 5th year in re: MMM…Not having “enough” handmades to participate (if you have two handmade things then your pledge can include those 2 handmade things!!), etc. And the nature of social media itself makes it worse IMO.

So I think it’s totally a personality thing. I don’t choose my outfits because I’ll be sharing them…I wear what I wear because that’s what I want to wear! LOL!!! I have totally worn a garment on subsequent days…I don’t aim for ‘beautiful, staged’ photographs…I don’t sew new things “for” MMM, I don’t worry about wearing what’s “popular” or “trending”…I have to get dressed everyday (well, almost everyday) and then I take a pic and post it.

The best part for me is that I always have some sort of revelation about a garment or outfit combination. This year, as my pledge included wearing “full handmade outfits” twice per week, I’ve learned that that isn’t actually important to me. I realized how EXCITING it is that my handmades and my RTW purchases really meld together. I am very often mixing the two and really, that’s a GOOD thing for me! It means I’m making and buying things that actually work for me, for my body, for my lifestyle.

I also love that I find new-to-me patterns or patterns styled in way that makes me take notice, when I’d previously overlooked it.

Most importantly…there’s room for all of us no matter how we “use” sewing in our lives!!

I hope that anyone who wants to participate does so, without feeling pressured by what others are doing. Be it fully handmade outfits, wearing all the "of the moment" patterns, taking magazine quality pics, whatever you think you need/have/are required to do to participate in Me Made May...just know that there really is no sewing community police. Do you!

True Bias Ogden Cami

So by now you know I highly prefer Big4 and Burda patterns. I always clarify that I'm not anti-Indie; but I am one of those people who find the vast majority of them to be too basic to command the premium price tag (yes, I know we're spoiled by the cheap-o sales in the U.S.). I don't fit into a unique (for sewing patterns) demographic (plus/petite/pear/apple/etc)...and FAR too many are created by bloggers/hobby sewers turned "pattern designers" and they just don't look that good! So I'm very rarely overly excited to shell out or sew Indie patterns in general. Yes, I also know that that is a very broad brush...I wish Alexandra at In-House patterns had a larger catalog. I own all of the patterns I'm interested in because they are AWESOME!!!!!

There's not much else in True Bias' catalog that ever caught my interest but this cami did! I went bak and forth and back and forth and just couldn't jump. I searched Burda for something similar (as I always do!). I sewed S1366 but that was just okay.

I highly recommend this pattern!!

At Sew Camp, LaQuana broke out her black Ogden and SEVERAL of us tried it on and loved it :) Even though it wasn't my size, I really liked it on her and on me and knew I had to finally give it a shot.

I traced a size 14 even though the size chart indicated the 12 should work. After sewing the floral version and needing to take it in, the 12 was in fact the right size.

I did a 3/4" FBA and left the dart created. I shortened the straps about an 1.5". For the lining, I overlaid the piece over the FBA'd front and retraced the armhole/side seam.

I had a *little* extra fabric around the armhole

On the black/white version I took it down to a size 12 and added back 3/4" to the strap. I need to add another 1/2" back. 

much better...

I realized I didn't care for the flare in front and removed 3/4" from the hemline on the front only, tapering to nothing at about waist level (I just eyeballed).

The black and white version tucks in much better with that extra swinginess removed.

The overall fit on this version is so much better, but I need one more tweak. I have to add back that 3/8" I removed in sizing down to the back above the waist. It's a bit snug in the upper back.

Snug across the back here, pulling at the center back...

Whereas this looked pretty good

I think I'm ready to cut into my silk!! I'm not sure if it'll make into my May makes but we'll see. You never know :)

I'll likely get a little sewing done this upcoming weekend...hopefully I'll finish my Burda 1/2018 skirt and my mom's gift (late, late, late). I also hope to get the trench coat traced off this weekend, fingers crossed. I've been wearing my RTW version and it doesn't actually fit.

Have a wonderful Mother's Day! If you have lost your mom, or have longed to be a mom, my deepest condolences.

May you be comforted in your loss or in your longing. May your eyes be opened to those you have “mothered” through your love and care and nurturing, whether children have filled your home or not. And may you be filled with sweet memories of the special women in your own life who are as mothers to you, even if your own is gone.

Mothers and mother figures everywhere are deserving of our honor. You are appreciated… and I sincerely hope there’s someone in your life to help you know it.

-Adriel Booker

Only *slightly* Random!

Spring finally showed up here in Minneapolis and it got straight to the point! We went from 16" of snow on April 14 to 60 degree weather 10 days later. We've had a few 80+ degree days too (it's 86 today!!! OMG!).  In pulling out more spring/summer clothes, I decided I wanted some nicer tees. I went on a little spree with Target's A New Day line; those tees fit me very well. I couldn't say that about their old basic tees. But now I want a few that can stand alone for work. When I wear my basic tees it's usually under a cardigan or jacket; they feel too casual alone. Tees with a little bit of visual interest should solve that for me.

 

I'm thinking of making tees in orange, olive and white. I found some inspiration in these tops from ModCloth and LOFT:

 

 

 

This month for our monthly sewing meetup, we visited The Sewing Lounge; a small fabric shop in St. Paul. I bought this orange lace (among other things - there was a pitstop to JA too). I have an orange wool jersey in the lighter color in the lace that I plan to make tee #1 from.

  

I cannot wait to make that Tracy Reese dress!!!

 

Yes, I can wear wool jersey in the spring, even with the warmer temps. One, it isn't too humid yet. But also, remember I am in an office building for 40+ hours a week - it's FREEZING half the time! I am able to wear my navy wool jersey cardigan nearly year round.

 

Initially, this black tee is what I had in mind for the lace. But it was "fancier" than I wanted. I saw the coral tee online and thought THAT is it. I want it to clearly be a "tee shirt with lace accents". I'll use M6964 which I've made a couple times.

 

 

I ordered some colorful tassels to make another version of that Burda top. I saw this and thought it was so cute! Depending on how pretty the edging (what do you call the part that the tassels are attached to?!) is, I may spice up a RTW tee vs starting from scratch since this will be a trendy piece that will unlikely have much longevity in the wardrobe.

 

Otherwise, I have been sewing!  I made some adjustments and made another Ogden - review of the first 2 to come. I need one more tweak then I'm cutting my silk!!

I had lost my mojo for NL6107 but I realized it's because I really, really wanted to make that Ogden! LOL! Once I had that ready to hem, I was gung-ho on the NL top! I put the buttons on (it closes with self-fabric loops and buttons) so I could baste the side seams and one of my buttons broke!

 

I think it was a faulty button...it could also be that it was 8 p.m. and post-quesadillas & tortilla soup...idk...but luckily I had an extra. HOWEVER, now I have no extra! If I'm using buttons that are unique in any way, I like to have at least one more on hand. I feel like these were a little spendy at $.75 per button but, I'll grab more the next time I'm in St. Paul. In the meantime, I plan to glue it. I was just going to use regular household glue (super glue or guerilla glue) but someone on IG mentioned E6000 and I have some at home. Yay!

I swiped this pic from my IG stories:

 

I am CRAZY about the fit of this top! So dainty and pretty!

 

Sleeves up next (it's completely finished everywhere else except for the sleeves). Review to come (what else is new, right?)

 

Next up is my mom's gift (uhmm, Mother's Day is Sunday. DOH!), this black & white skirt I am now obsessing over, and then we'll see what's next! :)

Saving MMMay for last because I know it gives some people the eyerolls...so you can leave now if that's you! :-p

My pledge this year was at least 1 handmade a day and completely handmade outfits at least 2x per week. These are not actually in order...Oops! LOL!

• Simplicity 2369 top + Vogue 9032 pants
• Burda 1/2017 sweatshirt + Baste & Gather Kendall skinnies (not available for purchase unfortunately)
• McCall's 6519 top + Baste & Gather Birkin Flares
• Burda 6/2012 dress + RTW denim jacket
• Burda 3/2017 dress (that day I wore a RTW top and New Look 6530 skirt to work)
• McCall's 6996 cardigan + RTW tee and pants
• Simplicity 2246 shirtdress in a jersey knit (every time I wear this I tell everyone they need a knit shirtdress)

Hope your MMMay is off to a good start!

April Wrap-up and May Plans

Yet another month where it felt like I didn't sew very much but in reality...I did a lot!

This month I sewed 11.75 yards:

• Butterick 6378 top - 2 yards
• printed polyester peachskin
• elastic
• Burda 7136 shirt - 2 yards
• border print cotton shirting
• buttons
• Ottobre 2/2015 tee - 1.25 yards
• Burda 5/2018 # top - 1.25 yards
• eyelets, ribbon
• McCall's 7757 top - 1.5 yards
• elastic
• McCall's 7757 pants - 2.5 yards
• elastic
• True Bias Ogden cami - 1.25 yard (the pattern WAY overstates yardage needed)

Favorite: Burda 7136 shirt! But you knew that, right? RIGHT?! :)

FAIL:  I'd have to call the Ottobre tee a fail for now. I will try the pattern again though...one more time. But it is not at all what I envisioned. Mainly a fabric choice fail.

Accomplishments: Playing with the border print on the shirt!! And trying out a new silhouette for me in those McCall's pants. Not something I typically navigate to. I'd also give myself back pats for reworking that pattern until it worked for me. I don't have a lot of patience for that sort of thing in my sewing. I'm getting better though at discerning if it's worth it or not.

I did buy fabric this month...even with last month's bloodbath. LOL!! Those Fabric Mart precuts were too good to pass up. For several of the cuts I ended up paying $1.60/yd. For good fabric?!?! I had to!

This month I purchased :mumble, mumble 43.5 yards of fabric: I purchased 36 yds from FM (shirting and precuts) and 7.5 yards from Fabric dot com of which I sewed 6.5 yards already! WIN?? LOL!!!!

Sooooo I'm at IN: 154.5 yards and OUT: 57.75 for the year. Oops. It was the NYC/PA trip that did me in!

Before I went out of town I started tracing the coat from Burda 8/2017. And then spring definitively showed up. Now I need to get the trench coat done. The wool coat will have to wait :/

May plans:

New Look 6107 (actually started in April; I normally count it in the month the fabric is cut...)

Burda 4/2018 trench coat (shout out to Carolyn for picking up more buckles for me from M&J!)

Something for my mom and IDK if she reads the blog still so I won't post it until I get it done and in her hands.

TB Ogden v2 and 3 hopefully (v2 to test out the tweaks I want to make and v3 in my Kelly green silk)

Burda 1/2018 in black and white cotton pique

Burda 3/2018 shirtdress in black shirting. I have not stopped thinking about this dress since the preview in February! And there are some cute versions on the Russian site.

McCall's 7745 in a black floral rayon challis and as a skirt in a black/purple/white plaid shirting.

That's kind of a big list and I'm okay if I don't get to ALL of them. They are listed in order of my plans to sew them, for a couple of reasons.

1) It's okay if I don't get to the dress/skirt until June because they are warm weather garments and we're just beginning nice weather.

2) serger thread color. LOL!  On the silk Ogden, I'll do French seams.

ME MADE MAY!

Yay! I've been taking daily outfit photos anyway (okay, I sucked the last half of April - it's the travel's fault!) so I'm in there...

I, KS, plan to wear at least one handmade item everyday during the month of May and to wear completely handmade outfits at least 2 days per week. I also plan to not have any repeat outfits (repeating individual garments is okay).

I have a lot of RTW pants and jackets that I love so while daily handmades aren't much of a challenge, going full "me-made" a couple times a week will be slightly more challenging. I'll post daily IG pics and round up here weekly perhaps. We'll see.

Burda 5/2018 #113

I decided I was going to take a pic at the lake...I mean, it's MN, land of 10,000+ lakes so there are lakes everywhere you look! I don't know what I was expecting but I wasn't expecting everything to be BROWN! LOL!!!!!!

Well, once again, I am glad I looked past a semi-wtf Burda photo to find a cool little pattern!

The May patterns aren't up on the US site yet. Here's a pic I posted on IG:

Their version looks so sloppy :/ But the eyelets and tie - and the other version with the tassels!! - got me. I knew it wouldn't take a lot of fabric and was aiming for wearable muslin. Well, the finished garment works!

GO CHECK OUT SHARON'S!!!

I sewed a straight 42 and should have used a size 40 neckline like I usually do. I believe there was a secondary grain line that I missed (Burda does this often when the pattern can be cut either way) so my stripes are different but I'm okay with that.

I skipped the bottom band - I'm not a huge fan of traditional pullover sweatshirts and knew this would get more wear without it. I added 1" to the hem and hemmed it at 5/8". I could not get with the length. It was too long for the boxy shape. I should have gotten a photo. I removed 1" and hemmed it again at 5/8".

In this pic, I have the sleeve folded under. Theirs looked SO sloppy that I decided not to finish it as stated and just leave the sleeves loose. I like the longer sleeve but I also like it folded under. I'll wait until I wear it to decide if I want to change it. I'm leaning towards folding it under!

The Ponte is a little too heavy for le old half-tuck...

I'm using a black glitter ribbon for my tie. I like the idea of changing it depending on what I'm wearing with it...we'll see if I do it :)

Because I was using smaller eyelets, I went for 4 sets instead of 3...but needed an odd number and went back and added a fifth set. I used a 5/8" seam allowance on this seam only and 3/8" everywhere else. I serged the pieces beforehand and pressed the seam open. The seam allowance then served as a sort of backing for the eyelets. These newfangled eyelets claim to not require interfacing!  :)

I decidedly offset my stripes...

The neck binding finishes at about 1" and I didn't like it in the photo and didn't really want it that wide so I cut it to a more normal width, about 1/2" to 5/8" (I didn't measure, just used the stripes as a guide for the width). However, the pattern requires that taller binding or to bring the shoulder line in. I think it sits a little weird as-is.

The outtake:

This weekend I also finally sewed up a wearable(YAY!) muslin of the True Bias Ogden Cami using the same rayon challis as my M7757 outfit. I JUST barely eeked it out of the remnant. Woohoo! 

I posted a full pic on IG (@dressmakingdebacles). I will review it when I make the next version with my tweaks.