Blouse Burdastyle 3/2010/124

Whenever I finish a post, I think, "Next time I'll write it up better. With good pictures."

Whenever I finish a garment, I think, "Finally it's done, let's get a post, any post, out there and be done with it."

Just so you know why my often-promised improved photography is so slow in coming!

(To clarify any color confusion: I am not this pale. And the blouse is navy blue with aqua dots and light blue buttons.)

Would you believe I mulled over the collar, something's not quite right, why is it standing up at such a sharp angle... and even ripped it out and redid it, without figuring out I'd sewn it together wrong? Because I hadn't sewn a stand-up collar before, I automatically sewed together the collar pieces on the short side... And I'm ashamed to say I did not go back and do it over. It's a bit victorian now, but fine by me! (I also didn't have any fabric left to recut the collar, having squeezed out 1.25 metres worth of blouse out of 1 metre fabric (and a light blue poplin for the inner yoke). Design challenges...

This blouse has a hidden buttonhole placket from the middle down, but shhhh... Burda doesn't let on, not even in the German version. Only after reading the instructions about 100 times I understood. Pretty, though.

All in all it's a bit prim and proper, and I'm not sure I love it. I laid it on top of a pair of DH's faded jeans, and it looked just right. Sadly, I neither have nor wear distressed denim.

I'm also not sure I'll continue with the blue SWALP. It's such a different colorway from all my other clothes, and not my best color at that. Maybe there are ways to get a little variation without changing my color style so much. On the other hand, I have everything on hand for the planned navy trenchcoat. (And there's even a Trenchcoat Sew-Along going on! If only I could figure out how to get in...) Hmm. Opinions, ladies?

SWALP Considerations

First of all, thank you so much for the nice comments on my coat and dress, and the kids' pants. It's so motivating to get compliments from people who know what it means to sew. So thank you!

I'm contemplating where to go next. (Other than some kiddie pieces that will most probably get thrown in in between!) Some considerations:

1. I'd like to branch out in color.

Yes, it's spring and I love pulling out the bright greens, soft pinks, buttery yellows that reflect the spirit of the season. But I already have quite a bit of these colors in my wardrobe, and I don't necessarily like them in jackets and pants, which I need more of - in spring weights - in my wardrobe.

A color I've been wearing very little of, unless it's denim or leisurewear, is blue. Since I have so little of it, I've been wary of sewing blue things, thinking they won't go with anything in my wardrobe. I will need to sew a few pieces/a SWALP, which gives me a bit of apprehension, but after the sewing successes of the last year, I'm half convinced I can make a go of it!

Exhibit A: These fabrics from the stash.

All bought at different times, they would go together very well I think! The blue (in the navy colorway, but not very dark) fabric is a lightweight wool if I remember right, enough for a suit. The red-white-and-blue print is a cotton voile, and the light blue polka dot is a lightweight poplin. I also have a white-on-white embroidered eyelet cotton that would fit in here.

2. I need to get into sewing blouses.

First, because I wear them a lot. Second, because I've never sewn them so far. Third, because the voile and poplin above are shouting "Sew me up already!" (Can't you hear it?)

And fourth, because dedicated sewer and refashioner Zoe, who impressed by dressing all-handmade in all of March, has just announced Me-Made-May, and I want to take part in it. If only in the "lite"version, meaning one of the garments I wear on any given day will be made by me. At least, that is the plan!

(I'm trying to convince myself Zoe with her lovely navy wardrobe in Me-Made-March isn't the reason I'm getting into blue. No no. I can't be imitating another sewer every second garment I make, right?)

3. Chanel style jacket anyone?

Prominently featured in my sewing hall of shame is the Chanel-type jacket I never finished (so far). All that handsewing overwhelmed me, and I appreciated having more than one finished garment at the end of the year, even though that meant leaving the jacket for someday.

Although I don't feel up to the task of completing said jacket, I have another Chanel-style bouclé fabric in my stash (in spring-y yellow too!) and I may have thought of a method to get a bit of Chanel style into a machine sewn jacket: by adding an organza underlining and quilting this to the fashion fabric, then sewing and lining it like a regular jacket. Tell me it can be done!

Exhibit B: Bouclé fabric, silk organza and lining (the lining is less brown and lighter, although not the exact orange of the bouclé):

This jacket would possibly provide more immediate gratification than the blue SWALP, but it would also need a few more pieces for company, and other than a pair of white pants I'm out of ideas. I don't want too garish a color combination, but most neutrals don't go with the bouclé either... Must go contemplate some more.

Happy sewing!

SWALP patterns and jacket progress

My mojo has, resolutions notwithstanding, been lost for quite some time. Whether this is due to sewing in gray and navy since December, the slight seasonal blues that always strikes right after Christmas, or DD's not having been well since December... I'm dragging my (sewing machine) feet.

See this?

Looks like a finished jacket, doesn't it? And it IS finished, except for the tiniest amount of handsewing. And it fits. And I like it. So why do I have to force myself to do a little bit of hem sewing every evening, instead of rushing to get it done?

I had visions of showing the finished garment beautifully styled and shot, on me instead of the hanger one of these days. Maybe that will happen. Maybe I'll need to sew something bright pink before that, to get myself out of this funk.

(Thankfully, DS has wished for a Winnie the Pooh costume for carnival. Sewing all that bright yellow and red ought to set me right, don't you think?)

Instead of swinging the shears and needles, I have been organizing my pattern magazines by copying all the pattern overview pages in my Burda and Ottobre magazines and putting them in a ring binder. Happy hours have been (and will be) spent leafing through these while putting my feet up and nursing a hot cup of tea!

So, without actually making progress, I feel like getting on with my SWALP by circling possible patterns. The thicker olive green wool knit might become one of these:

The patterned rayon knit may become one of these:

And finally, the skirt to complement the jacket, not from the same herringbone wool, but a heathered dark gray woven:

(As a side note, I considered making up a quiz "guess the year these BURDA patterns are from". Some are quite obviously dated, but some not, I think.)

Obviously, I have my favorites, but I'm not decided yet. Which do you think would fit well with my SWALP?

SWALP Continues

I am, as always, in awe of real, grown-up SWAP sewers. As mentioned before, SWAP isn't going to happen for sewing-ADD-addled me anytime soon, but Sewing With A Little Plan continues.

To make the most my resolutions, I used today's 30 minutes of sewing (resolution no. 3) to work on the jacket lining, and to think about how to get the most use out of the jacket once it's finished. I pulled out my winter fabrics, laid them against the half-finished jacket, and chose two fabrics for matching tops, and a dark gray wool for a matching bottom (more mix-and-match garments, resolution no. 4).

Left to right:

The light green olive knit is wool. In winter I like to layer my sweater knits over classic woven shirts, so I might look for a pattern that enables this.

The green-gray patterned fabric is a thin jersey knit, rayon lycra I'd guess. I should be able to find a pattern for that. I love surplice looks, so it might be something like that.

The bottom weight will likely become a skirt. I'll have to look for a pattern/style that goes with the distinctive lines of the jacket. A pencil skirt would be a safe choice, but I'd like a bit of flare. I photocopied all my Burda pattern overviews of the last ten years or so, and will take a good long look at those!

That should be doable before winter ends, don't you think? I also pulled out the red-and-gray plaid fabric that didn't make it into a jacket (yet). A plaid dress would match the herringbone jacket very well, but how often would I wear it? And wouldn't it enforce my solitary garment sewing tendencies? So, it's on to the separates first. Once the jacket is finished. I'm optimistic.

Parting shot:


DH gave me a miniature porcelain bell with sewing motifs for Christmas. Yes, I like my kitsch. Especially sewing-related!