Finished: BSM 04-11-138A and BSM 09-10-135

Top: Burda Style Magazine 04-2011-138A

I  hate sewing knits prefer sewing wovens.  Lately, I've been more selective when choosing knits and I've been more successful.  I purchased this knit from Gorgeous Fabrics and sewing it really wasn't that difficult.  The only difficulty was choosing the correct needle.  A jersey needle worked better than a stretch needle on this fabric.  Usually, it's been the other way around.  I don't know why it made a difference, but it did.

Pattern Description:  
This top is actually an amalgam of two tops.  The body is BSM 04-2011-138A and the neckline is Pamela's Patterns #104.  The original Burda neckline showed too much skin.

Pattern Sizing:
The BSM body comes in Plus sizes  44 - 52.  Pamela's Pattern is XS - XL

Were the instructions easy to follow? 
Since I used two patterns, I used two sets of instructions. Both were very easy to follow.  The original BSM top called for a turned under seam allowance at the neckline. I preferred a bound neckline, so I used the instructions from Pamela's Pattern.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
The fabric was slightly busy, so I wanted a simple design. This long sleeved t-shirt had no design details to conflict with or get lost in the fabric.

Fabric Used:
I hastily selected this fabric from Gorgeous Fabrics.  All I wanted was a black and white knit.  It was easy to sew and I'm slowly changing my mind about knits.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:
I tried making the changes to the neckline without using another pattern but I lost my nerve at the last minute.  Good thing.  When I compared my neckline adjustment with Pamela's Pattern neckline they were vastly different.   My neckline would have looked really strange and I probably wouldn't have worn the top.

Conclusion: 

There will be other times when I want a no-frills long sleeved knit top.  I'm certain to sew this again.

Pants: Burda Style Magazine 09-2010-135

How many pairs of black pants does one woman need?  According to my closet, several.   I've made yet another pair.

Pattern Description: 

These are typical fly front pants.

Pattern Sizing:
This is a Burda plus size pattern, European 44 - 52

Were the instructions easy to follow?


What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
These pants have a partial lining on the front. I didn't know that when I decided on these pants, but I like the idea of a partial lining. The front lining was basted to the pants front and the two pieces were treated as one (technically, an interlining).  Even the fly guard was lined.  It makes a very neat appearance on the inside of the pants.

Fabric Used:
I bought this wool blend last year on a field trip to FabricMart.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:
I did not make any alterations to these pants, but when I make them again, I will add maybe an inch to the waist.

Conclusion: 
My next pair of pants is likely to be this pattern.

Sewing Mojo v. Blogging Mojo

I've been spending more time in the sewing room and less time at the computer.  I'm glad my  sewing mojo is back but it's been difficult to find time or motivation to document my sewing progress in a blog.  I finished this outfit over a week ago, but I didn't take the time to photograph or write about it.  Really, there isn't much to say.

Tank Top - Burda 3215:  Piece of cake!  The instructions called for a turned under finish on the neckline and armscye.  I used bias binding instead.

Pants - Burda Plus Fashion SS-2010-426 : These pants have an elastic waist and a mock fly.  I think the concept of a mock fly is a little silly.  It's just as easy to install a zipper – so I did.

Blouse - Burda Plus Fashion SS-2010-424:   The blouse fabric was somewhat sheer,  but I chose not to do french seams.  A serged seam was good enough for this casual outfit.  I decided on a narrow 5-thread stitch with the chain stitch needle in the rightmost position  and wide three thread overlock stitch.  When I tried to insert a needle into the rightmost position, it just wouldn't GO!   The next day, I took my serger to the dealer for a little look-see.   I thought the problem was me, but it turned out there really was something wrong with the machine. The good news was it could be fixed while I waited.  The bad news was I had to wait while it was being fixed!  I love my dealer, but waiting for over two hours did get a little tedious.  It wasn't a total waste of time, though.  I got to read a few sewing books that were in the store and I advanced two or three levels in Angry Birds on my iPod.

The straight stitch needle plate made a big difference in sewing the lightweight fabric.  I paired the needle plate with the patchwork foot and I had no problems with the delicate blouse fabric. 

I worked on this outfit in 20-30 minute periods to give my mojo time to get unpacked and settled-in.  I'm happy with the outfit because it turned out just the way I pictured when I bought the fabric.  

If I Thought of it ………

……why didn't the Bernina engineers think of it?

Recently, I bought a straight stitch plate for my sewing machine.  I can imagine sitting down to the machine, switching to a utility stitch,  and ………wait for it ………… BAM!  The needle hits the the plate, breaks and scares me out of 6 months of life.  And let's not even think of the broken needle point flying toward my eyes.  As I sit at the machine, there is no easy way to tell which plate is in the machine by simply looking.

It's very easy to tell the plates apart when they are not in the machine.

Here's an idea:  Put the bright red warning decal on the FRONT of the plate when it can be seen!   Sure, I can mark the front of the plate with a permanent marker or a stick-on dot, but shouldn't someone at Bernina have thought of that?   

NB: I broke a needle before I even had a chance to edit and put up this post!!!

My Mojo: Gone But Not Forgotten

I always get a little disoriented during this time of year.  It's "Back to School" time and my mojo always gets out of the way because I can get quite bitchy when summer vacation ends.  This  school-year is different because, if all goes according to plan, I'll be retiring at the end of it.  My attitude about my last year working in a large and failing urban school district is not the best. Frankly, it sucks.  Trying to keep a rein on all that sucky-ness is stressful and the stress has leached into other parts of my life - including sewing.  But,  I don't worry anymore when my mojo takes a powder.  Eventually things will fall into place and I'll be a happy sewer again - even if I'm unhappy at work.

Recent sewing projects have been for my daughter.  She wanted more dresses and selected three Burda patterns.  Her tastes are very conservative for a 21 year-old. (I wonder where she got that from?).  She has no interest in the sewing process - only the finished garment.  So, I selected several patterns I thought she'd like and printed them out. Instead of searching through an entire pattern catalog, she had to search through only a few pages.

I liked 7798 because it was more youthful than the other two.  So naturally, she wanted 7602 and 7972 sewn first. I finished the dresses weeks ago.  Maybe my mojo sneaked into the box when I mailed the dresses to her.

Just when I thought my mojo was back, I started working on an outfit that will be totally inappropriate for the season by the time I finish it.   I ran into a little problem.  I'm using a soft, sheer fabric I bought during at Fishman's Fabrics during PR Weekend.  It's so soft and sheer, it bunches up under the presser foot and a glop of thread forms on the underside.  According to Claire Shaeffer's Fabric Sewing Guide,  I should be using a  small hole needle plate on my sewing machine.  I don't own a small hole needle plate, so a trip to my dealer is in order.  I was disappointed when I couldn't work on the blouse.  My mojo tried to come back to me but was prevented from doing so because I didn't have the right equipment.  I'm sure the trip to the sewing machine dealer for a new throat plate will be inspiring and my mojo will come back home where it belongs.

TNT Times Two

A few years ago, I remember lamenting I didn't have any TNT patterns.  Since then, I've established a few TNTs.  I just finished back-to-back versions of BWOF 03-2007-129, moving this pattern firmly into the TNT category.   It started with a fabric purchase impulse and a fabric purchase mistake.

When I dragged my daughter to Fabric Row to find fabric for a dress, I met and fell in love with the gold colored batik.  I wanted to get it sewn while it was still warm enough to wear it.  I first choose a sleeveless top, but it was getting late in the summer and I didn't think I'd get it finished in time.  My window for wearing sleeveless is very small.  So, I looked through my Burda index and selected 03-2007-129.  Serendipitously, the fabric matches a pair of pants I made a few months ago.

I didn't buy lining fabric for Lindsey's  dress during the first trip, so I went back to Fabric Row.  I was in such a hurry I left my brain at home on the dining room table.   I bought fabric that was totally wrong for the lining – but totally perfect for a blouse.  Time was still of the essence, so I chose #129 again.  (Actually, I was just too lazy to search for another pattern.) I don't like wearing white because I always seem to spill something on myself whenever I wear white.  But, there is always an occasion for a white blouse and now I have one appropriate for the summer. 

I like this blouse pattern because the seaming gives the blouse a little shape - a less boxy look.  I feel extremely fortunate to have found the buttons that were a perfect compliment to the gold batik. 

After these blouses, I'm going to make two dresses, in absentia,  for my daughter.  She won't be here for any trying on, fitting or photographing for blogs.  Before she left, I measured her from waist to hem so I could hem the dresses without her.  She was so funny!  She was worried that I wouldn't remember to add a hem allowance to the measurement and the dresses would be too short. Twenty-somethings really believe they know everything and their parents know nothing!

Burda 8227: DD's Dress

Finally, I got to sew something for my daughter!  I sewed dresses for her when she was young and didn't have a choice.  It's been such a long time since I sewed anything for Lindsey that I didn't really remember why I stopped sewing for her.  But she asked me to make a few dresses for her and I was happy to do it.  It's nice to sew something that is a regular size for a change.

This dress also comes in a sleeveless version and in two lengths. It comes in sizes 10 - 24, so if we were into that sort of thing, my DD and I could have matching mother-daughter dresses. The instructions were straight-forward.  I used a sheer stay tape to stabilize the gathers in the front.   The fabric is a cotton batik.  Lindsey said the colors reminded her of a friend from India.  I wasn't sure cotton was the right choice for this dress, but with the broadcloth lining, it worked. The lining is actually an interlining – two layers of fabric treated as one – on the bodice.   I didn't have to make any design changes and fitting wasn't necessary.

While working on this dress, I remembered why I stopped sewing for Lindsey in the first place. She doesn't enjoy selecting patterns.  In fact, I went to the Burda website and pre-selected and printed out several options I thought she would like.   She's usually too busy to shop for fabric with me and trying on clothes for fitting is torture for both of us.  But while we were in North Carolina, we survived a visit to Mary Jo's in Gastonia, NC where she selected two pieces and three patterns for future projects.

Bean and his proud Dad

And what were we doing in North Carolina?!?  We drove there to meet the newest member of the family –  my nephew, who has a perfectly good given name, but whom I lovingly call "Bean".  He also answers to "Love Buggy", "Pedro", "Prince" and "Asparagus"!  I guess I'll have to start sewing little boy clothes in the future!