Sewing Room Temporarily Closed

My sewing room will be closed for about a week. I have to prepare for DD's graduation and party and there won't be much time for sewing. In addition, I have to take apart my sewing room when I have guests. My sister and brother are coming to town for my daughter's high school graduation and the associated festivities. She is the salutatorian and she has received awards for community service and I'm extremely proud of her. So, I don't really have a problem with using the sewing room to accommodate family members who are also proud of her. I have three siblings and we all live in different parts of the east coast. We are rarely in the same place at the same time. For this occasion, three out of four of us will be together. Time with the family is rare. My sewing room will always be there.

BWOF 03/06 #131

I love the design details included in BWOFs. They make the garments I sew look more like RTW and less like homemade. However, those details often present a challenge and elevate the pattern to 3 dots. These pants are a good example.

(click to enlarge images)



The front pocket looks deceptively simple: self fabric flat piping at the top of the pocket and inserted into a dart. But, add BWOF's infamously translated directions and 2 hours of my Sunday morning were gone! I'm not complaining. These details are the reason I love BWOF so much. But, pictures would have helped. Halfway into the process it occurred to me, "This must be a three dot pattern." Doh! The process included careful slashing of the dart prior to sewing; sewing the piping while keeping the rest of the front out of the way; and sewing the front unit to the yoke exactly on the same seam of the dart. Whew! My eyeballs were sore from reading and re-reading the directions. My bottom lip was swollen from being bitten in deep concentration. I have a bald patch from scratching my head.


But it's finished to my satisfaction.


Nothing boosts your confidence like a three-dot BWOF. I feel such a sense of accomplishment for having finished this. Having pictures included in the instructions would have really helped, but where's the challenge in that?

They'll Have to Pry BWOF out of My Cold, Dead Hands

Some Burdaphiles try to make something out of each issue before the next issue is published. Many are successful and I salute them. But, that has never been my goal. I was satisfied when I made an outfit from the Spring/Summer 2008 Burda Plus Fashion before the Fall/Winter 2008 issue came out 6 months later. My next project is a milestone for just the opposite reason. This blouse is from my very first issue of BWOF - July 2004 – the oldest issue in my collection. Styles have changed in four years but not that much. Blouses are more fitted these days. But, with my midsection, I can’t wear fitted blouses anyway. Besides, I've never been a trendy fashionista. Even though I don't make something out of every issue, I am definitely getting my money's worth. Of the patterns I've reviewed on PR, 62% are either Burda World of Fashion or Burda Plus Fashion. I try to use other patterns – I really do. I always look at other pattern company's catalogs whenever I'm in JoAnn's. I've made several Burda envelope patterns. I like Vogue patterns, but one Vogue pattern costs more than one issue of BWOF (even with first class postage rate). Butterick used to be my favorite pattern company, but even Butterick doesn't excite me the way BWOFs do. There is nothing for me to do but continue to anxiously wait for BWOFs to arrive every month and make sure I always have tracing paper on hand.

Finished: Kwik Sew 2923

This is my outfit for DDs graduation. It was so easy, I almost didn't blog about it. I'll probably spend more time looking for the right jewelry than I spent sewing this. You can't beat Kwik Sew for something fast and easy.

Pattern Description:
From the Kwik Sew site: Women's skirt and tops. The pull-on flared skirt has elastic in casing at the waist. The View A top has bust darts, a V-neckline, a front button closure, side hemline slits, ties on the back and full length sleeves. The View B pull-over top has bust darts, a faced V-neckline, side hemline slits and short sleeves with slits.

Pattern Sizing:
1X - 4X

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?
Yes

Were the instructions easy to follow?
Kwik Sew's instructions are always so easy to follow. The pieces are so simple you don't really need instructions. The instructions for the skirt consisted of no more than 3 steps.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
I wanted a fast and easy skirt and top and this pattern was perfect.

Fabric Used:
The skirt is made from a cotton/linen blend and the top is linen; both from JoAnn.

Pattern Alterations or any design changes you made:
The long sleeved version of this top has a tie in the back. The short sleeved version has no real design details. I felt guilty because the top was so simple, so I put a tie back on my short sleeved top. For modesty's sake, I also added a lining to the skirt and I shortened the skirt considerably.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
This is a perfect pattern for anyone learning to sew. I will probably sew it again when I need another quick, summer skirt.

Conclusion:
This outfit was so easy, I almost feel guilty reviewing it. I made the top in a few hours on Saturday and the skirt in a few hours on Sunday.

The Next Step: Drafting a Pattern

For a long time, I've wanted to try drafting a pattern. I have a book with easy instructions. I have a guinea pig (my DD) with a body more typical than mine. School will be out in a few weeks and I'll have some extra time. I've been reading Make Your Own Patterns by René Bergh, and drafting a pattern seems like something I can actually do. I'm going to start with a simple A-line four panel skirt for DD. I've asked myself why would I take on the challenge of drafting a pattern for a simple skirt when I already have several skirt patterns. The answer is simple; to quote British climber George Mallory, "Because it's there." Every once in I while, I need a new challenge. Sewing is the safest area in which to challenge myself. Another reason to try drafting a pattern is to use tools I bought ages ago. Several years ago I enrolled in a certificate program in Industrial Fashion Methods at Philadelphia University. One of the tools we had to buy was a square but I never really had a chance to use it. I also bought a contraption that turns a plastic ruler into a compass. Both of these tools could be used to draft the skirt pattern. I've already spent the money on the book and necessary tools, I might as well draft a pattern.

I've Been Tagged

1. Pick up the nearest book.
2. Turn to page 123
3. Find the fifth sentence
4. Post the next three sentences.
5. Tag five people and acknowledge who tagged you.

Sherril has tagged me. I’m not reading anything at the moment and all of my unread books are upstairs. So, I closed my eyes and randomly chose a book from the bookcase next to my desk.

An Ordinary Woman by Donna Hill

“You think I don’t know how broken up you were after Steven … and Carl? Of course I do. It wasn’t easy for you. It’s never easy for a woman to lose the man she loves.”

Wow. How shallow. How cliché. Maybe I need to up my game and read something with more “literary merit” (to quote DD's English teacher). Nahhh. I read for the same reason I sew – to relax and escape from the grind of daily living.

Everyone I know has already been tagged. As a matter of fact, I was beginning to feel left out because no one tagged me. It seems this game has run it’s course, but it’s been fun reading everyone’s contributions.