Next coat

I really like how the BurdaStyle book coat ended up. It has a somewhat military trench coat feel.

It was finished last Friday and I’ll get another chance to see it again on Monday before it is off for 18 months at BurdaStyle.

I don’t think I’m allowed to post pictures of the finished product or the sketches, so you will have to wait for the Book and it is a long wait till fall 2011. I totally think it will be worth the wait. Designers working on these projects are from 15 different countries and I’m sure every creation will be very unique. Plus the book will give everyone the opportunity to alter the patterns and recreate the designs.

I have learned/remembered a lot about sewing coats. Next time I will do all the couture touches, like in the Vogue book and next coats will be a little bit more feminine.

Armani put out an extraordinary wearable collection for fall 2010, and a lot of the colors are muted beige and creamy colors, but the cut is everything.

The latest Vogue Magazine has a page describing Beige as not being so boring when paired up with leopard print or bold colors like Red, Green or Purple (not all at once).

Who else is sewing for the book?

Coat:

http://ancien-nouveau.blogspot.com/2010/06/burdastyle-book.html

Becky: http://sew-and-so.blogspot.com/2010/07/burdastyle-book-project-part-2-mmmmm.html

Elaine: http://selfishseamstress.wordpress.com/2010/07/02/burdastyle-book-excitement-and-apprehension/

Lily: http://mirth-thehouseof.blogspot.com/

Haruna: http://netfet.blogspot.com/2010/07/burdastyle-book-work-in-progress.html

Angela Atkin: http://sewithought.com/?p=242

Blouse:

Novita: http://verypurpleperson.com/2010/06/a-busy-week-and-burdastyle-book.html

AnaJan: http://anajankovic.blogspot.com/

oonaballoona: http://oonaballoona.blogspot.com/

Julietta : http://sewionista.blogspot.com/

Dress:

CreativeMama: http://adithisammasews.blogspot.com/2010/07/excited-to-be-part-of-burdastyle-book.html

Liz: http://elily00.wordpress.com/2010/06/30/my-other-news/

Bag:

http://vivatveritas.blogspot.com/2010/07/burdastyle-book.html

Sundara: http://www.etsy.com/shop/sundarastudio

Skirt

NikkiShell: http://nikkishell.typepad.com/nikkishell/2010/07/burdastyle-book.html

?

Melissa: http://www.fehrtrade.com/article/356/knipmode-summer-2010-roundup

Casey: http://blog.caseybrowndesigns.com/

Roarah: http://orchidsinmay.typepad.com/orchids-in-may/2010/07/burdastyle-book-.html

http://www.petitcitron.com/blog/

Did I miss someone? I’d like to hear who else is sewing for the book.

The A Plus A Line Skirt variation

The A Plus A Line Skirt variation, originally uploaded by fmirela.

BurdaStyle contest entry based on free pattern from Burda Style.

Thanks to Twinkle by Wenlan! My inspiration came from the book The Art Of Manipulating Fabric thanks to Roberta for pointing this book out to me! Pretty cool!

I wanted to keep the fullness of the skirt, and apply a quick and fun technique of machine smocking. I used the same decorative honeycomb stitch to sew the hem and the topstitching on the yoke. Another change to the pattern is the lowered waistline (with about 5 cm).

Brief Instructions for the machine smocking

Wish me luck! 😉

No luck this time. here is the winner:

http://www.burdastyle.com/blog/the-winner-of-the-show-us-your-a-line-skirt-competition-is

And this out of 64 creations, some really gorgeous, a skirt with no hem at all and some lace over it wins, I have to disagree…I liked the third price winner more, and many others out there deserved it better, but oh well…cute stockings.

Malissa Dress Variation

Mirela, originally uploaded by Marius Popovici.

Here’s my cocktail dress based on the Malissa pattern for the contest at BurdaStyle.

My inspiration came from the raglan cut and the fabrics I had in my stash.
I eliminated the sleeves and collar and really kept it simple. I cut out the front and back panels, raised both and sewed them together at the shoulders. I used the all in one facing how to (very helpful!). I chose a fabric that drapes well and added a weaved ribbon at the neckline and under the bust. It can be worn with the weaved ribbon like a belt at the waist line or without it.

Materials: sheer black veil with velvet flowers surrounded by silver glitter lined with smooth white lycra (hemmed with lace) and a weave for the belt.

I still have to take a marco photo of the finish at the neckline. I have hand sewn the weaved ribbon at the neckline to hide the white lining from showing. The armholes are finished with a topstitch that keeps the lining in place.

I really like the lace hem on the lining, it shows through the sheer overlay fabric while sitting down.

I have used the lace or blindstitch attachment foot with a flatlock stitch on the server to overcast the lycra lining and attach the lace in one step.

The lace is placed rights sides facing over the lycra. The blade cuts the edge off lycra, the raw edge is overcast and the needle stitches just barely through the edge of the lace.

Then turn the lace and pull slightly, the vertical bars from the flatlock will show on the eright side, a nice flat stitch is on the backside.

Thank you for the Malissa pattern. I will sew it again and now my head is filled with many alteration ideas for it: as a top, as a beach dress, with a crochet neckline like Alison’s dresses, with a gather instead of pleats, with really short sleeves, oh the possibilities!
Can’t wait to see what everyone else creates!

Good luck!

Did I mention these awesome videos on sewing machine feet?

On the left side in the Main Menu there is  alike Free sewing videos, it takes you to a list of videos on so many sewing machine feet, I didn’t even know they exist.

How many feet do you have? 😛

Burda Modemagazine

for Mirela, originally uploaded by sardana_designs.

This is the monthly BurdaStyle page for September 2008 in the German edition of Burda World of Fashion magazine. Thanks BurdaStyle!!!

I’m really happy to be in there, since it is my favorite patterns magazine that I’ve been using since the ’90s.
I am very thankful to my mom teaching me sewing and to my husband Marius for all the time and talent he puts in taking my pictures. So glad to have Melissa right there next to me, my long time online seamstress friend. She is now collaborating on the Sewing Universe News Feed blog column for BurdaStyle.
Thanks sardana_designs (follow the link and see amazing traditional embroidery and beading designs) for the scanned page and to everyone for all the kind words!

Keep yourself inspired

…and organized!

Since I subscribe to Burda magazine, I like to save all Burda World Of Fashion photos and technical drawings from their site, where they have an archive dating back to 2004. I keep these files organized under folders having the same name as the magazine Burda 09.2008 on my local drive and find it really easy to browse through them using Picasa. Free download: http://picasa.google.com/

For all those other patterns that are not available online, you can scan the center pages with the summary technical drawings.

I do the same with the BurdaStyle patterns: download patterns, save the photos from the creations on the local drive under folders having the pattern name and the type of pattern: dress, shirt, pants, etc. Dress Shari i.e.

Browse through these images with Picasa, then right click on the desired pattern and say “Locate on disk” -> that is where I will find the printable version right at my finger tips.

Here are the tips on printing BurdaStyle patterns: at home or at copy shop.

I’ve also created an album inside Picasa where I copy all patterns that I plan on sewing.

I might also take pictures of all the fabrics in my stash and try to see if I can associate them with the desired patterns. I could be a simple and quick way to stay organized and on track with the sewing plans.

Inspiration one click away!

I try to keep all the magazines sorted by year and month. Did I post about this already?…oh well…

This way it is easy to get to the magazine and I don’t have to get all those heavy magazines out and spread them around the room whenever I choose the next project.

A lot of new downloadable free patterns are posted on the German Burda site:

http://www.burdafashion.com/de/DOWNLOAD/Free/1333669-1413206.html

seems that there are more then in the English version and you can choose the language at download time for some of them. There are also some cool knit patterns!

Seems that there is yet another crafting community out there at JoAnns: http://community.joann.com free to join, forum, project uploads..etc…

Deep Purple and Polka Dots JJ

Deep Purple and Polka Dots JJ, originally uploaded by fmirela.

BurdaStyle’s JJ blouse is ready! Pattern is here free for download:

http://www.burdastyle.com/patterns/show/167

Lately I seem to have found a new passion: silk! It is the most wonderful fabric to wear, it feels nice and even if it is really really hot outside, it dries fast and is breathable. Keeps you cool in the heat and comfty in a cold office.

It took me a while to start sewing this blouse, but once I started, the project itself was pretty fast. It has a stand up collar that is comfortable to wear even with all the buttons closed, it looks of open as well. The collar and the sleeve bands are made in a very similar way, so it got sewn faster then I had imagined.

The fabric was just enough for a belt. Unfortunately I didn’t have any bias room for the ruffles, but in the end I like it simple like this.

I chose white simple tiny buttons, to add some contrast. Sewing the buttonholes with the Brother is a breeze! All 6 of them in way less then 5 minutes.

Love the pattern, although there are a few things I would make different the next time. So, Yes! I would sew this again, I already have some white sheer fabric in mind.

The sleeves, I’m not really into puffy sleeve caps. I have made a mistake with this one, I did the gathers only on the backside of the sleeve, for no particular reason, and when I have realized that, it was too late, I had already cut the buttonhole…well…as long as I’m the only one that knows, I guess nobody will be able to tell….Ups! I just told everyone…oh well…lesson learned…

I inspected all the JJ blouses on the site and the description for one of them said: I wish there was more room for the bust…I thought! Great! I wish I would need more room 🙂 In fact, I do! just a little.

It is not that fitted, but with the belt and made in a fabric with a but of drape it has a nice shape.

I have a long torso, so next time I will lower the belt loops about 4cm down. I will also but in more buttons, now they are kind of far apart.

I like the shape of the hem and I bet it makes the blouse easier to tuck in. I would like to see some instructions on how to properly sew this kind of hemline.

Overall, I’m really happy with the blouse, can’t wait to make a jacket for it 🙂

Do you like Deep Purple?