Burda 2/2014 faves

Hello all!

Thank you for your kind comments and encouragement in my last post about my Vogue wadder!  I am happily working on the same shirt in a different fabric, and hoping that the second time around will be better.

In the meantime...

Look what I did (again)!

Yes, I was easily persuaded by the masses of people who love Burda Style magazine, and decided to subscribe again.

 I got a little too excited, and ended up subscribing to three months of Burda Style (the translated edition), one year of the new US edition, and two issues of Burda Style Easy.  I figured that I would find something in all those issues that would appeal to me, as I journey in sewing everything I wear this year.  Actually, that is the plan--to sew a garment from Burda magazine for myself.

I have sewn from Burda before when I made trousers for my son (see here), but I never ventured into "me" territory.  I was a little intimidated by the different sizing, and I also found that tracing their patterns was not as easy as the ones I traced from Ottobre Magazine.  With all that aside, I am ready to try my hand at their patterns, with renewed faith that I can make something work!

So, I got my first issue (2/2014) in the mail early last week, and I wanted to share with you the things I really liked, and what I planned to sew.

First off, let me say that I LOVE this magazine!!  There are so many wonderful garments in this issue!

Take a look:

This is a nice Raglan style mini dress with a square neckline.  I love it!  I am mostly fascinated as to how they got those stripes to line up!!

This is a tailored Boucle jacket with a peplum, zipper, and Raglan sleeves. So chic!!

Here is an A-line skirt, cut on the bias.  I love the A line style with a lot of movement, as well as the shaping in the waistband.

This single-breasted blazer with rounded edges is just gorgeous!  I like that it falls a lot lower on the body, and depending on the fabric, can be dressed up or down. The jacquard they used gives the structured blazer a more romantic feel.

And for plus sizes...

This two tone dress is stunning!  I love the color combination, and the slimming effect of the curve going across the dress.

You can't go wrong with a classic double-breasted jacket!  It is so flattering!

Last, but not least, I have saved my most favorite item for you:

This top is in my near future to make!!  

I am not sure when, but once I find the right fabric, this is one I just have to sew

I hope you all liked my picks. Those are just a few of the styles that stood out to me in this magazine, but there is so much more I left out that you might like.  If you are interested in seeing the full line, you can check them out here on Burda Style's Russian website.

Vogue 8536 Wadder

Hello everyone!!

I hope you are enjoying your weekend!  I have been busy working on my Vogue 8536 top, but without much success.  I am officially calling it my first wadder of the year!  How about that?  My first project, and my first wadder of the year, all wrapped up together.

But, if you know me, I have learned a lot from what I did wrong with this one.

This is what I ended up with:

I decided to make a long sleeved V-neck top out of a rayon jersey knit I ordered from fabric.com.  The fabric is called neon orange, and it has a bright hue that grew on me the more I worked with it.  It drapes nicely, and has a certain slinkiness to it, due to it's light weight.  

I started out with a size 12, but quickly saw that I needed a 10 instead.  So, I adjusted my pattern pieces, and was really starting to enjoy where my shirt was headed until I got to the neckline.  AAAhhh, a V-neck.  I didn't panic because I had sewn one before, but I made a critical error while following the directions.  The neckband is cut, and marked for a 3/8 inch seam allowance, but the directions say to thread mark, then snip your garment at a 5/8 inch seam allowance!  Anyhow, I made it work, and still finished the V-neck so it looked decent.

Then came my adventures with the sleeves.  Boy do I need practice with sleeves.  I watched one of my Craftsy classes, made sure I had everything oriented the way it should be, but still did, and re-did them. On one side I clearly eased way too much, and ended up with a gathered set-in sleeve.  The other side came out great, but after reworking it so much, I ate up a lot of the fabric and ruined the fit.

For the hem and hem vent, I couldn't figure out what the directions wanted me to do, and couldn't find a great tutorial.  I just sewed the edges of the hem vent and let it be.  I was so frustrated!  So frustrated!

(A little dramatized, but true)  By this point, I looked at my hubby and said "Honey, why did I decide I would sew all my clothes this year?!?!?!?  I mean, what will I wear!  I'm gonna have NOTHING to wear!!!!"

I have since gathered my emotions, and can see a lot of the positives from this sewing experience.  I will make this shirt again. Soon. Real soon. Like, I am already cutting out another V-neck in a different fabric.  I love the fit of the shirt, and it has real potential. The slight gathering on the sides of the top are adorable--I just chose something that didn't work out well.  Yet I refuse to be discouraged.  I definitely think this can be turned into a "win."

As for what I will do with this shirt? I am thinking about using it for my workouts.  I like to do a lot of running, and it will be great to wear during the warmer months, because rayon retains a lot of moisture.

Stay sew-filled!

  

Coming soon...

Hello everyone!

I hope you are enjoying your weekend.  I had some more fabric come in that I ordered, and I realized I made a mistake and ordered a bunch of lightweight sweater knits.  They are so pretty I will have to find a way to use them anyway.  One of them is bound to become a cardigan, for sure.  As for the other two, I will probably just have to wear a tank or cami underneath whatever top I sew.  I am open to any other ideas you may have regarding this.  That just goes to show I have to pay more attention when I am shopping online.

Actually, I must have been in rare form when I was placing this order because I ordered Neon Orange fabric!!  I stared in horror as I was taking it out of the box, but as I held it next to my body it didn't look as bad as I first thought.  So I will see what I end up doing with that piece.  It may even turn out to be my favorite (smile).

Since my last post I have been trying to figure out what the first garment I sew for the year will be.  I am still in the middle of the Sew the Perfect Fit class from Craftsy, but I wanted to start something (on the side) that was a little easier, and less time-consuming.  It took me a couple of days to finally come up with this:

V8536

This is Vogue Basic Design 8536.  I love the different neckline variations, and the simple design.  My hope is that this will become a TNT (tried n' true) pattern that I can use throughout the year.

I haven't decided on which View to make yet, but it will definitely be one of the long-sleeved versions.  In fact, I may try a few versions!

Stay sew-filled!

Happy New Year!

Today begins my journey into sewing all of my own clothing!! 

Last month, once I decided to fast from RTW for 2014, I created a plan of action.  It was after checking this book out from the library that my plan suddenly became clear:

Wear This, Toss That

Wear this, toss that! by Amy Goodman is a good book about making the most out of your wardrobe, and getting rid of what does not work for you or your body type.  The author includes a lot of helpful tips for choosing a wardrobe that has pieces that work together, so you can always choose to wear something you will love. 

My favorite part of the book, though, is her list of 30 pieces of clothing every woman must own.  I took her recommended list, headed to my closet, and began to check off items I already had, as well as starring the items I lacked. Now that I am sewing my own clothing, I will have the pleasure of creating items that fall into the following categories:

Button Down Shirt

Stylish T

Tunic

Blouses

Blazer

Little Black Dress

Day Dress
Sweaters

Bootcut Jeans

Skinny Jeans

Wrap Shirt

Cardigan

My list from above is not her list verbatim.  I added two categories of my own based on what I saw I needed, but the point is....I have a nice starting point!!

All year I will mostly focus on these different categories, and post my finished garments to the right.  Of course there will be adjustments as I go through the year to account for season changes (short sleeves, capris, shorts, etc.), yet I want to at least finish ONE garment for each category by the end of 2014.

Ok, on your mark, get set.................

(Here I)

GO!!!!!!

Stay sew-filled!