Burda 7/2019 #101

This tee was the final item in my little Endless Combination 4-piece wardrobe.

I went right up against the deadline (July was a busy month) and I knew I needed something simple and had a couple items that I'd made before that I considered. And in the end, Burda is Burda! Consistent drafting so I know just what I'm getting.

I used this metallic jersey for my Sirocco jumpsuit I made last summer. I had some really large pieces left over because I wanted a "fun tee" eventually. So this was a great amalgamation of pattern and fabric and plans!

I traced the pattern in a size 40 for the front, and for the back neckline and shoulder. Then I graded out to a 42 in the back.

**This is a newly discovered fit "issue" post-reduction. Before, I would sew a size 40 with FBA or sometimes I'd grade up to a 42 through the body. My back is pretty broad but it isn't just the area where one normally makes a "broad back adjustment". The area above my armscye in back is broad AND has become a bit fleshier (hahaha!) over the years. This combo of sizing has been working well and I've done it on a few items.**

My norm for most Burda garments aside from pants and some dresses, is to not add hem allowance. Yes, it would be more accurate to shorten the top at the waist but often, it's fine as-is.

The front and back are cut single layer and on the left side, with the tie, the seam is forward instead of at the shoulder.

The pattern instructs you to sew it up then turn and stitch the neckline and armholes. This is very tough to do well with a 5/8" seam allowance, especially on the tight curve of the armhole.

My changes:
1) I only used 3/8" allowance
2) Sewed the "regular" shoulder, turned in the neckline hem allowance and coverstitched it flat. The seam gets hidden by the tie so it still looks great!
3) Turned in the armhole hem allowance and coverstitched it then sewed up the side seams

It's still really neat and if you look closely, you can see my zigzag stitch to hold down the seam allowance.

There's not much more to it! Aside from sewing the seam on the tie, I constructed this on serger and coverstitch so it was fast too! I hand tacked the band around the perimeter, attaching it to the shirt.

I really love it!

I also sewed a stack of Jalie Clara leggings for my daughter. I used a size S based on her normal waist and hip measurement with the V length. 

They each took about an hour (the shorts a little less) but by the time I was done, I never wanted to see the pattern again! LOL!!

It is a wonderful pattern with the lack of front seam and the gusset and I will make a pair for myself eventually. 

After 12 attempts (literally), I finally understood how to construct the button band. Woohoo! So this little cardigan is now legitimately almost done. One final block (because I have some gathering from attaching the band), and some cute buttons. WHEW!

After attempt #8 or so (LOL!) I made a hat, because I needed a win.

Somehow we're almost halfway through August. I can't even. The only thing I've sewn this month is a second pair of S8389 shorts in linen. I'm trying to get motivated! 

Simplicity 8890

When I got my July Burda I was smitten with this tent dress

But I didn't have enough of any fabric - it takes 3.5 m so pretty close to 4 yards. I decided that S8890 was similar (it is not) and that it would be a good test on if I liked this style on me. Low risk!

I cut a size 14 which is my normal size for neck/shoulders. I didn't size or grade up for my hips because there's a lot of volume.


I've mentioned this with other patterns, both Big4 and Indie, but in an attempt to make stuff "easier", you often ends up with a cumbersome task.  The front neckline finish is a bias cut piece. The straps are bias cut pieces. And the ties are bias cut pieces. For the straps you're supposed to press up a 3/8" hem on one side which is laborious! After getting annoyed with the first go-round, I folded the strap in half, lightly pressed then folded each end to the center fold. MUCH easier! It would have been even nicer if it were sized to go through a bias tape maker but...whatever!

I like the adjustable straps (it uses rings and sliders and I had some clear ones in stash) but otherwise? Meh. Oh, and I had these cord stops in stash (Milly from Fabric Mart) and I like them! LOL!

The back doesn't stay cinched. There's SO much fabric that I think the ties are expected to do too much work. And the problem with this is, if it loosens, the back is so low that you risk some exposure!

Biggest dislike is the balance (or lack thereof!). This is the back side seam vs. front side seam. The back is very close to being a rectangle; the side seam is almost straight -- out of view is the CB which is cut on the fold -- so you can see the side seam on the back is *slightly* angled. But the front side seam is SHARPLY angled. If you scroll back up a bit, you'll see the result of this in my side view pic. 

I hate it.

The side seams DO match in length...but that weird swingy bit that results in the front? MEHHHHH.

So this is what you get when it's on the body. There is way more fabric in back so it's moreso tilting this way:

Which makes me want to pull it down in front and then you have this:

The paper reflects what it does on the body and it makes it annoying and fiddly to wear. I do not do fiddly clothes!! 

So while it is very swingy and light and summery (and cute layered with a tee!), it likely won't survive in the wardrobe. There is nothing worse for me than needing to constantly adjust my clothes.

AND, I don't even want to sew the Burda now. While it is more balanced, both front and back are essentially rectangles that are then pleated (and it has a CB seam to absorb some of that heaviness), it is way too much fabric in back. There are a handful of reviews on the Russian Burda site that made me change my mind.

July Wrap-Up and I Can't Believe It's August Already!

Totally forgot to post this on the 1st and am now fully blahhhhh. Avoiding the news and social media and I just need a breather. I have scheduled posts for the remainder of my PR Endless Combinations contest. Hopefully I'll snap out of it soon.

This year has been incredible. People generally use that word in a positive sense...but the year has truly been beyond belief, impossible to believe. 

But, sometime around 6 weeks from now, I'm going to have A BABY! I mean, a grandbaby...whatever.... :-D We are definitely watching things closely because I am NOT for getting on a plane right now and we may end up road tripping it. We'll see. 

This month I sewed 17.25 yards. I sewed:

• McCall's 7925 dress - 4 yards (WIP)
• rayon/cotton blend voile (stash)
• buttons
• McCall's 7061 top - 1.75 yards
• sweatshirt fabric (stash)
• eyelets/cording
• Simplicity 8890 dress - 2.25 yards
• rayon challis (stash)
• cord stops
• bra slider/rings
• Simplicity 8389 shorts - 1.25 yards
• crepe
• elastic
• cording
• Burda 7/2019 top - 1 yard
• jersey (stash)

For my daughter:

• McCall's 6654 skirt - 1.25 yard 
• ponte (stash)
• elastic
• Burda 11/2015 top (from a dress pattern) - 0.5 yard (wadder)
• ponte and mesh (stash)
• Jalie Clara leggings x3 - 5.25 yards total
• black cotton knit, red & blue athletic knit (stash)
• elastic

I was so excited to finally make M7925 and started cutting it out and for some reason, I started with the rectangles for the ruffles. I needed to cut the sleeves, one piece of the front skirt, and the button band and OUCH! I do not have enough fabric. Well, turns out Ginny's still had it in stock and I was able to have a yard sent to me. YAY! So I will get back to that, soon. 

Favorite: The hoodie was like...perfect and love and swooooooon...then I made the shorts! :) The fabric is pretty amazing and the shorts fit great. I'm going to follow them up with a linen pair.

FAIL: I was so close with my daughter's top but I made a critical error with order of sewing and didn't have enough time to correct course. 

Accomplishment: I was pretty proud of myself for the way that outfit was coming along for her for the shower! And the fit on my shorts are really fantastic! Also, except for the black crepe (purchased in March), everything sewn this month was from stash fabrics! 

But I did buy fabric. It started with the print challis on Fabric Mart and I got 6 yards of it. Plus two other things for a total of 9 yards. I then shopped the Mood sale (20% off the entire site, plus I had a coupon), and I got 2 yards of the cotton voile version of this fabric. I also ordered a few heavier jersey knits for a total of 11 yards. 

For the year, I'm at 88 yards in and 78 yards out (39 from stash!)

I've been spending all my money on machine knitting :-p What do you know...machine knitting supplies proliferate just like sewing supplies! With machine knitting, there's a gadget for EVERYTHING!

I'm almost done with my first completed garment! I have everything blocked and just need to seam it all (not my favorite part).

I tried to attach the sleeve to the armhole on the machine and THAT was a disaster! 

I ended up binding off the stitches and will just mattress stitch it. I was so traumatized :-p

Also, I finally got back to the baby sweater! I went with all one color and didn't add any tuck stitches to keep it simple. This sweater is knit all in one for the body. On the one hand, it's nice to have less to stitch up but on the other hand, the stakes are higher if something goes wrong! I dropped some stitches, spent a RIDICULOUS amount of time getting them picked back up (messily!). WHEW. After stitching it up I'll still need to knit the neckband so I'm not done yet.

I found some super affordable cone yarn from KnitKnack Shop and thankfully, I like all of them!

Plan to use #2, the light yellow, for a blanket.

The others, I can easily see as garments for myself. Score!

And lest we think it's all smooth sailing with the knitting machine, I got myself in a pickle trying to sample something I saw online!

Err, that's not how it's supposed to be! LOL!

August plans...I dunno. Fall is my absolute favorite season including my favorite to sew for. I can't see that I need to sew a bunch of stuff :(  I usually start my fall sewing in August. Like, the low today in Minneapolis was 57 degrees F. Summer isn't done, it'll get hot again, but cooler days will be here SOON. 

I can't believe my Vogue blazer is still sitting and waiting since September! I have made a pledge to finish it in August. And, as much as I love a hand sewn lining, I'm going to have to just bag them because it's so much hand sewing for my sad little hands that I don't know that a lining in future jackets will get done otherwise. I really want to make the Burda 2/2020 blazer and a corduroy blazer for my husband. 

With plans to be away for awhile for the baby, perhaps August and September will be focused primarily on knitting with plans for those jackets. And I NEED a black dress. 

Until later!

Simplicity 8389 Shorts; Contest Sewing

I was going to review the Simplicity dress next but the shorts were finished and I am seriously loving them and so they jumped the review queue!

I did not realize this pattern was 2 years old! I can't believe I've been saying "I'm going to make those" all this time! Eek!

I used my normal size 18 -- don't be tempted to size down because of the ease!! You don't want your pleats pulling and straining. I adjusted the pattern with my fishbowl the same as I did with the SA Clare muslin here. 

My butt just needs more room!! When I laid the front and back inseam together, the space in between was SO narrow! I wish I'd taken a before pic! 

Back piece:

Minor quibble, the markings for the pocket and front pattern piece don't line up. I did slash and overlap to reduce front length but that didn't affect the placement of the notch. 

Aside from the crotch length adjustment, I didn't make any other changes. Well...I did not have 1 1/4" elastic in stash. I topstitched at 3/8" from the top and used 3/4" elastic. It makes it gather a little differently and next time, I'll be sure to have the right elastic on hand.

I can't believe I waited so long to make this pattern! I actually bought this fabric to sew the other view, the tapered leg. And luckily, I gambled on the fabric being awesome and ordered 4.5 yards. YAY! So I should be able to make the pants and stash the rest for a skirt.

Do you see this blind hem? DO YOU SEE IT!?!? Woot woot!

Paired with my TNT shirt, Burda 7136 in chambray. 

Listen, I LOVE THEM. 

Posting this zoomed in pic to show the fit. The pleats hang so nicely!! And while the protrusion of my butt (hahaha) is still a tad too much compared to the pattern but otherwise, they fall so nicely, no hanging up on the butt, in the inner thigh, none of that!

I have a navy brussels washer linen that I picked up in Nashville from Craft South that I may use for the next version. 

These shorts were my "C" garment for the PR Endless Combinations contest as was the hoodie reviewed here. I also sewed a dress and a top so I have pics ready for my next couple blog posts! Woohoo!

Vogue 1507 Frilly Top

I was so excited to sew up some new summer tops for the challenge and then life got turned upside down.

The previous post was tops all made before June. This was to be my first top for the challenge. I'd eyed it for awhile, Erica Bunker made it and it was just SO cute.

I mean, isn't it SO CUTE?!?! LOL!!

I do wish I had something slightly lighter like a voile. This cotton (weave unknown - picked it up at SR Harris) is about the weight of a lightweight sateen. You definitely want something stable because there's a gazillion yards of narrow hemming. It needs to be able to take a press too. Bonus if the wrong side isn't super discernible from the right side as the wrong side will possibly show in back on the tie, and on the sleeve. 

I've tried it without a bra and it's fine. I happened to be wearing a bralette today that has a very narrow band and straps set kind of far apart. Good to know that this works with the top!

I cut a size 14 with a 16 back yoke and 16 armholes (could have cut a 14 all over). It is loose fitting and I'm glad I didn't size up the body at all. The front/back pattern piece is huge and oddly shaped. Then there is an overlay on top of that. But the way the top is made/styled if it's a little too big, it's still going to be okay. I personally did not have any issues with it staying up on my shoulders when worn and as someone else mentioned, you can tie it and then pull it on over your head quite easily. 

I used 3 yards of fabric because I somewhat fussy cut. It took a lot for me to decide on a front band!

This is the same as above but flipped upside down!

too much "large blue flower next to each other"

I ended up choosing the very first one I cut out because OF COURSE I did!

I did not follow the instructions to stitch at 1/2", press up, trim and turn and stitch again. That's just too much for my hands. I removed my left needle from the serger, lengthened the stitch a bit so it wasn't so condensed, and serged the ends, then turned twice. It's a little wider than intended and a little bulkier in this fabric (so my hems stand away more), but it doesn't take away IMO.

The instructions are otherwise excellent and all pattern markings were there. OH! The only other adjustment I'd make is adding the front band on the overlay. It is wide enough to 'burrito' so that's how I sewed it. Especially if your fabric is lighter weight. 

I started this on a Monday (June 1 actually!) And finished it on a Saturday. And I worked on it a little bit every day. It was labor intensive but it produces a really beautifully finished top. 

beautiful interior finishing

this is so pleasing to look at!

The CF band is fully enclosed, the underlay is sewn with a french seam, the back yoke is finished with french binding (yum), the yoke-to-top seam and armhole is finished with double fold binding. I used Hug Snug.

WHY. DID. NO ONE. TELL. ME. ABOUT. HUG. SNUG?!?!

It is tedious to sew it but it's so beautiful!! I almost went online and bought a bunch more colors til I realized I have a 100yd roll here and it would take me forever to use that. This soft grey is a nice neutral and will work for many things since I'm probably going to be using this all.the.time!

I have a pair of teal pants (a bit more green than these) that looked perfect. Then I scored these during a LOFT clearance sale and they are perfect!. I think it'll look good with white, gray, or dark blue bottoms. 

I absolutely LOVE IT! I love the construction, I love the look, I love everything about it!