Burda Challenge 2015, June Edition

*drumroll* 

Here is my Burda Challenge garment for June!

 

It's blouse #104 from the June, 2011 issue of Burdastyle magazine. The Man picked up the June, 2015 issue for me (bless his soul), but I didn't find anything therein that I thought I could make with stashed goods. Plus, I had just seen Anniinbc's review of the dress version of this pattern on SewingPatternReview.com, and I'd made a note that I needed to try this pattern STAT.

 

This is the dress version. The shirt is exactly the same, but omits the pockets and bottom band.

I've been looking for an unstructured blouse pattern that would suit some sheer-ish woven fabric bits in the stash. I wanted something without darts or collar, because I didn't want to have to worry about the structure showing through the fabric in the finished garment. This pattern has a forward shoulder, with a pleat plus a few gathers substituting for darts. There's a button band, but no collar, and sleeve bands that are less complicated than cuffs. Basically, it's very shirt-like but without the fiddley bits of a full on shirt.

Part of my Puyallup haul

The fabric that jumped into my head when I saw Anniinbc's review was the olive green with spots that's second from the right in the shapshot above. It's a gauzey something that I got at the Vogue fabric booth at the Sewing and Stitchery Expo in Puyallup in February.

I'll confess that the reason I have these lengths of sheer fabric lingering about is because they scare me. Fraying, visible seam finishes, slipperiness. Oh, my.

When I actually started cutting this top out, I discovered that my fabric isn't just gauze. It's double-gauze. Holy cow, twice as terrifying! The fabric wasn't too hard to manage while cutting, but the weave is pretty loose. The pieces stretched while being manipulated, almost like a knit. And I admit I manhandled that button band something fierce.

I initially put the collar on upside down, so I had to pick a few seams apart. Not fun with this fabric, let me tell you. My fingers were sweaty, I was so nervous I was going to pick a hole through my neckband. Thank the sewing gods, the button holes went in just fine. I was afraid my machine would stumble and I'd need to pick them out too. I probably would have just turned the seam ripper on my jugluar.


Ertha the Goldfish has decided she approves

I was so sure I was cruising towards a wadder that I got a little slapdash during construction. Once I got the thing done, though, I decided it isn't half bad. Not my finest work, by a long shot, but wearable.

I really do like the pattern. My issues were all due to my ham-handed technique with this fabric. The fit is loose but not too billowy, and I like the clean, no-collar neckline. I think it's a good match for a fabric that wants simple lines, whether because of a demanding print or a finicky nature. One of the reviewers on PatternReview.com mentioned that the garment morphs nicely from top to light jacket - very true.

I shortened the top by about 4 inches. Before that it looked a little too long to be a top and a little too short to be a dress. I still want to totally copy Anniinbc and make the dress version in a blue chambray.

I have a couple yards of this gauze left over. I'm thinking I might make a skirt to match the top. Then I could wear them together and pretend they're a frock. Now that I've had my trial by fire with double-gauze, I'll look for a very simple style and I'll pop for french seams!

My pattern review is on PatternReview.com here.



 

Very Easy Vogue

I've already mentioned that my friend, Martha, has jumped into sewing with both feet. When I was visiting her place a couple of weeks ago, she showed me a super cute dress she's finishing up. It was a Vogue. Very Easy Vogue 9022, to be precise.

Very Easy is how I like to roll, so when she offered to lend me the pattern, I took her up on it.

I really like how these pockets are constructed.

Vogue suggested I use wool flannel, crepe, linen, or ponte knit.My initial plan was to use a slightly beefy jersey that I've had in stash for a while. It is Knits Month for the Stashbusting Sewalong, after all. Then, while pawing through the fabric closet, I found this remnant of a cotton woven that I got years ago at Findings in Carmel. I thought I might have just enough left to squeeze out this dress.

You know how laying out your pattern for cutting can be a bit like working a jigsaw puzzle? Once I start, I have a hard time stopping until I can make the darn thing fit. This pattern acutally uses more fabric than you might think because of the kimono sleeves. Those things stretch all the way across the width of a 45 inch piece of yardage.

So I ended up shortening them to the "lengthen or shorten here" line. Which, on me, ended up looking like the length of View A in the line drawing. I shortened them by 4 inches, but I used a pretty narrow hem.

I normally wear things a little more fitteed than this dress, which I'd call more of a shift than a sheath, but this pattern includes enough shaping in the side seams that it skims your body nicely. Especially when you move.

Vogue suggests you use a hook and eye to close the neck at the back.  I used a vintage button and a thread loop. The neck is roomy enough that I can pull the dress on and off without unbuttoning, but that little slit in the back adds a nice degree of extra breeziness. I like it.

I finished the dress on a sunny afternoon. The Man took these photos and then we headed off to Kelly's Cafe to sip a cappucino in the sun. This style feels like just the thing for a hot summer day. We're going to be heading up to Sutter Creek for the weekend, expecting temperatures in the 90s. I'm planning to don this dress, move slow, sit in the shade, and sip plenty of chilled prosecco.

My pattern review is on PatternReview.com here.

Yes, Another Renfrew

Another length of stashed knit has moved to a higher plane:

Another Renfrew, V-neck edition

The Renfrew top, from Sewaholic, is truly the pattern that keeps on giving. This is probably the 10th Renfrew I've made, but! This is my first Renfrew with a V-neck!

I've made a passel of scoop-neck Renfrews and at least 4 cowl-neck Renfrews. Those cowl-necks. Oh, so cozy. Like wearing a top with a built in scarf.

I don't know why it's taken me so long to get around to the V-neck. Maybe I was worried about how to get the ends of the neckband to meet neatly in the front? Turns out there were no neckband issues at all. Tasia's directions are super clear and everything came together well on my first attempt.

I used one of the bits of knit that I got at the Tilton booth in Puyallup. It's a gray and green stipe, very soft and drapey. I had one yard, which was just enough to squeeze out this tee.

I got these three lengths as a three-yard bundle, with the idea of trying some bold color blocking. Turns out I'm not that bold yet. Maybe next time....

side view

But I was sassy enough to cut the cuffs witth the stripes going a different direction than the body.

Opposing cuffs

So, now I've tried all three of the neckline variations on one of my favorite patterns. And I'm glad I did. I see a few more V-neck versions in my near future.

Maybe one of these days I'll try one of the other two sleeve lengths!

Stashbusting Challenge 2015

Announcing the June theme for the 2015 Stashbusting Sewalong:

Knits!

Click here to read all about the Sewalong

Yes, June is all about knits. You know you love them. Even if you don't sew with them very often (or perhaps at all?), I bet you wear them all the time. Tee shirts, yoga pants, underwear - nothing beats a knit when you want that second-skin comfort. And when that hot, summer weather hits, a knit dress or top in a nice, natural fiber is just what the doctor ordered.

The knit stash - smaller than it used to be!

Why did I volunteer to be the host for knits month? I can tell you that it's not because I am a skillful or experienced knit seamstress - I'm still a newcomer.  What I am, though, is an enthusiastic and accomplished stasher of knits. Knits were probably about 75% of my stash when I began the Stashbusting Sewalong in January. I've been diligently chipping away at the knit shelves over the past 5 months, so I'd say the proportions are now more like 50-50.

Oh, what the heck. I'll just come right out and admit it; I've bought some knits over the past few months too. I just can't say "no" to a good knit, especially if it's a great color or print.

Got these at the Tilton booth in Puyallup. The devil made me do it.

If you're comfortable working with knits, jump on the bandwagon and dive into your knit stash! You'll be glad you did. Especially when you throw on that new tee or maxi skirt and head on out to the beach. Or, if you're a Southern Hemisphere sewist, when you cuddle into that soft, warm cowl-neck Renfrew...

If you are a bit of a knit newby, here are  couple of knit myth busters that might encourage you to give sewing with these fabulous fabrics a try:

Don't you need a serger to sew with knits? No, you do not! I don't have a serger and I can sew up most any garment I want, right on my Babylock Craftmaster. My seams might not look quite so pretty on the inside, but knits mostly don't fray. Practically speaking, you don't need to finish those seams at all. And as far as hems, I often don't hem my knits at all. Remember, those edges don't fray, and no hem means less bulk if you're going to tuck in that top.  If you do want a hem, your regular sewing machine can handle the job just fine, especially if you throw in some stabilizing hem tape.

But you do need a special stretch stitch, right? Again, no! My friend Martha has recently been sucked into sewing. She's been turning out super cute tee shirts on her grandmother's Singer Featherweight.

I recently took the Craftsy class on the Ultimate Tee, taught by the Tilton sisters. I learned that, unless you're sewing something with negative ease (like a swimsuit), you can just go ahead and use your straight stitch. My machine does have a stretch stitch (a.k.a. lightening bolt stitch) but I rarely use it these days. The straight stitch is quicker, uses less thread and is much easier to pick out (not that I ever need to do that).

So, toss that stash and pull out your bits of knits! And remember to share the inspiration on facebook and flicker!

May Burda Challenge - Fifties Love Affair

Just under the wire, here is my May garment for the Burdastyle Challenge.

The May, 2015 issue didn't have anything that really grabbed me, so I went on a very enjoyable voyage through the Mays of the past. I settled on these trousers, from the Fifties Love Affair section of the 2011 issue.

Burdastyle 05-2011 #124

The magazine shows the model lounging against a cream colored Jaguar convertible (which The Man believes to be an XKE). She's wearing the trousers with a pleat-neck top and carrying a wee Luis Vitton bag. Very Audrey Hepburn. They describe the trousers as "tapered 3/4 length classic trousers/pants with low-set broad waistband and deep pleats."

I am 5'2" (and three quarters) and I have what I like to think of as "athletic" calves. I don't do cropped trousers. I thought I could figure out how to lengthen them though, and in stash I had some charcoal twill with a bit of lycra that seemed like it might work well.

Inspired and eager, I hopped up to the cutting room (a.k.a. the carpet in the guest bedroom), laid out my tools and stared intently at the pattern sheet until I thought I had my three pieces spotted. I went to roll out my tracing paper, and then disaster struck. I was out. Drat!!

I use medical exam paper for my pattern tracing. Apparently I'm so used to that paper that I can no longer use anything else. I placed an emergency order with Amazon, paid for expedited shipping and twiddled my thumbs for 11 days. Finally, last Tuesday my package arrived and I got to work.

I lengthened the pants about 4 inches. I thought that would allow plenty of room for error, but it turned out to be just enough.

I moved the zipper from the side to the back because I couldn't wrap my brain around how to install a side zip into an inseam pocket, and I was pretty sure that Burda was not going to give me much help. In fact, I was barely able to stumble through the pocket instructions at all.

When I do an in-seam pocket, I normally sew the pocket pieces to the sides of the garment front and back and then seam the front and back together all in one go. Burda had me sew the side seams on the pants, but leave the pocket slit open. Then you attach the pocket pieces to the garment front and back, sew the edges of the pockets closed and press to the whole schmear to the front.

It took me two hours to figure out pocket #1, and then I proceeded to do pocket #2 wrong.  Twice.

The fit doesn't look this bad if I don't have my hands in my pockets, hones.

I also changed the waistband to have a button. Burda had the zipper going all the way to the top of the waistband. I kind of like my waistband to be a bit more adjustable. Cake and all.

I haven't really test-worn them yet, but I think I like them. Even though there are pleats in the front, the fit isn't baggy, so they're different from my enormous pleated 80's pants.

Roomy 80's pants

My only complaint is that the pockets can gape open a bit. I wouldn't mind so much, but I made the pockets out of contrasting fabric, so there's a flash of blue when I move. I may end up sewing those pockets closed, which would really chap my hide, considering how much brain-sweat went into installing the darned things.

 See that small flash of blue there?

I should have made the smaller pocket piece out of the pants fabric, then all would be well. Next time....

My pattern review is on SewingPatternReview.com here.

Me Made May The End

Monday I met my friend, Martha, for a dog walk and sewing show-and-tell. She took up sewing again a couple of weeks ago and she's been going gangbusters! She loaned me a couple of patterns I need to take a look at. I wore my Burdastyle 70's pants and a Burdastyle gathered shoulder tee.

Tuesday was a work day. I wore my Kicking Up the 80's pants, an Alabama Chanin tee and a Summer Cardi from Knitting Pure and Simple.

Wednesday was another work day. I wore my Beetle Dress (the zip front dress from Gertie Sews Vintage Casual). This is a very easy dress to wear. I went for a hike at lunch and was totally comfortable.

Thursday was an at-home day. I wore my good old Burdastyle Straight Pants (I wear these all the time, it's a great pattern), a Kirsten Kimono tee and the Summer Cardi again. So far, this has been the kind of summer that requires a cardi.

Friday I wore my Burdastyle Pajama Style Pants and a sleeveless shell I knitted years ago. My photographer was worried you'd all be getting bored of seeing the front door, so he set me up taking a sighting through an antique compass.

Saturday I sewed most of the day - ahhh. Just what the doctor ordered. I almost forgot to take a snapshot, so I'm afraid it's a cell-phone selfie. I wore my Burdastyle 70's trousers and another Burdastyle gathered shoulder tee.

Sunday was another at-home day. I wore my khaki Burdastyle Narrow Leg Pants with a woven tee I made long ago. Plus - me made undies!

Whew! That's Me Made May done and dusted. Now that I've been sewing for a few years I usually wear a me-made wardrobe, but my day-to-day dressing is pretty repetitive. Like, even more repetitive than what you've seen here. Me Made May gets me thinking about things I haven't worn for a while. It also gets me to think about putting things together a bit differently. That knitted shell, for example. I'd forgotten about that top and it's actually kind of cute.

And - it makes me realize I need to go through my closet and drawers to get rid of things that are getting tired to make way for the fruits of my stashbusting!

Experiments in Undergarments

I’ve been wanting to try making my own undies for a while now, but somehow I hadn’t gotten around to it. Then, just when I needed a kick in the pants (ha ha), along came the Stashbusting Sewalong’s Lingerie theme.

My old standby undies are the High Leg Brief by Victoria’s Secret. Back in the day, that style used to come up to my waist – or pretty close, anyway. Now that a lower rise is so popular in the RTW world, Victoria’s waistband has been migrating downwards. I find that a line of elastic across my high hip cuts right into my chub. VPL for sure.

Now that I have a few me-made knit skirts and trousers that I like to wear, I’m all about the smooth silhouette. 

In fact, my goal is to avoid elastic altogether. On top of disliking the chub-compression properties of elastic, my frugality gene came into play. I like the idea of making undies out of scraps and nothing but scraps. How sweet would it be if I could come up with a plan that didn’t involve purchasing any special elastics or findings?

One of my favorite sewing ladies (who, sadly, hasn’t been posting recently) is Loran of Loran’s World. She wrote a great post about sewing lingerie and active wear using self-fabric bands rather than elastic. She used to sew dance wear this way, and I figure if it works for a dancer, it’s going to stay put just fine for me. 

Burdastyle 01/2012, #127

I hauled out the high-waisted panty pattern from the January, 2012 issue of Burdastyle. I remember thinking the pattern was pretty cute when I first got this issue, but I was put off by the zipper called for in the instructions. Zippers in undies just seems like too much . . . something. But if I made the undies out of a stretchy knit I could probably omit that puppy, just like I’d omit the zipper from a knit dress.

And bingo!

I test-drove the undies yesterday and they felt pretty good. Meaning that I didn’t notice them at all. The knit bands that substituted for elastic did their job, though I think the cut of these undies helps minimize any creep factor.

Plus I think they look pretty cute. I’m too dignified to post a photo. Imagine me modeling these undies, but looking more like Betty Grable than I actually do.

For this trial pair I used some scraps of cotton jersey left over from making tee shirts for The Man. Fabric constraints inspired me to make my first attempt at color blocking. I kind of like it! Maybe I can flex my color-blocking muscles with underwear and then move on to outerwear.

I initially cut the size 36, as suggested by my measurements. The pattern is designed for a stretch woven, so I thought I wouldn’t downsize immediately. I ended up retracing the pattern in the smallest size. I think I’ll try to size it down a bit more next time, just because I’m used to the feeling of a snugger fit for underwear.

I like this style enough that I to make up several more pairs. I may just go a bit wild with the fabric combos. I have some black lace that would be fun for those side panels.

Have a hankering to try some lingerie sewing yourself? Obsessive Creativeness has a plethora of tutorial and free pattern links here!

My pattern review is on PatternReview.com here.