Sewing ADD; Burda Style 02/2014 #111 Muslin

When I got home yesterday it was still daylight (at 5 p.m.!!!) I took the opportunity to trace off another pattern from the February 2014 issue.

Apparently when you realize the Burda mag tracing isn't that bad and you do it once, you become addicted to it and want eleventy patterns from the magazine and you want them NOW! So you exhibit sewists ADD and have far too many things that you want to crank out.

This issue has SO much good stuff in it and one that I absolutely love is the square neck dress, which is #112.

It's so sweet and romantic looking! Yes, it's boxy...can I pull it off??

 

I decide to start with the top - less commitment. 

It didn't take long to trace the pattern out and I cut it after dinner, while my kids were in a weird way...he was HELPING her clean the kitchen! They were also in full on goofy mode.
  
I had this thick black (twill?) remnant in my stash - just over a yard - and managed to JUST eek the top out.

Now, the top does not fit as badly as it appears in that first pic. I usually have my daughter take pics because hubby doesn't get that I need him to stand up and take them. He's sitting or lying down and I get Oompa Loompa effect.

BUT, it IS too big at the neckline, the armholes sit really low and there is too much fabric in the back. But then the front is riding up (I cut a 42). I posted on PR if I should do a 40 with an FBA and was told it looks like a tilted waist issue, not a full bust issue. Thoughts??

Also, The back isn't too tight but holy moly, the sleeves ARE. I think they are pulling the back making it look tight. I had to have him pull it off of me because I couldn't lift my arms enough to get it back off!

I really want this top and the dress!  I love the little sleeves! Although they are only a rectangle that has been folded over and gathered...

**Oh, it should be noted that it is intended to be cropped - the back length is only 16"

Also - and if you have this issue that might help - the sleeve is one pattern piece that you then divide into two pieces...only to sew it back together. Is there any reason I can't leave it as a one piece sleeve?

I did it!! BurdaStyle 02/2014 #135A

Soooo, I posted here that try as I might, the idea of tracing off a Burda Style Magazine pattern just wasn't working with my brain. I have opened the "roadmap" of patterns, looked at it, thought "how in the hell??" and folded it up and put it away.

But I got lots of good feedback and suggestions and decided I'd dive right in with a simple pattern (well...something with no more than 2 or 3 pattern pieces) to get me going.

I have to say, I was most inspired by Kathy. I decided, okay, that sounds most like what I'd do so I'm going to go with that!

So since I was inspired by Kathy (and not inspired to make a skirt - it was -25F here on Monday!), I decided I'd make the "crazy" draped top from the February issue.

Yes, I thought to myself...that is a crazy and impractical shirt. And then I saw Kathy's and thought...wow that's pretty dang cute! And Kathy is way more pear than I am but I decided it would look pretty dang good on me too!

Then I found out that Chris at Handmade by Chris had made it and hers was pretty dang cute too!!

I woke up on Saturday and it was bright and sunny (and cold!). I spent more time locating my pieces than I should've because I don't follow directions.

"OH!", I  exclaimed, "that red 21 tells me where the pattern piece is!"

Uh. Yeah.

Now, I have a little secret that perhaps other Burda Style mag tracers already knew...THE TRACING PART ISN'T THAT BAD! Seriously! It's like the other lines just kind of disappear and "yours" is the only one you focus on!

I buy my tracing paper from Blick Art Supply in Minneapolis (HERE). I get a 24" wide, 50 yard roll for under $10. It's $15 and I have almost always had a 40% off coupon when I go. My latest coupon expires next week so I need to hurry and restock! I use my very nice mechanical pencil that got me through my last two years at the U of M and the plethora of science, engineering and math classes. I like pencils!

When I located my pattern pieces I drew intersecting lines _| at places where the pattern "turned". This helped me stay on track. At one point, navigating a curve, I had moved from the size 42 (second largest) to a size 38 (second smallest). When I didn't reach my intersecting lines I realized I'd messed up. No worries!  Just erase and get back on track!

It took less than 10 minutes to trace the pieces.

Now. What did I do next? I set them aside and when I came back I knew there was *something* but couldn't place it. And I cut the pattern pieces out. With no seam allowances! Oooops.

I decided, No Worries! It's a knit and needs minimal sa. I'll just cut them when I am cutting the fabric. I cut approximately (:snicker:) 3/8" sa and hit the serger.

Oops. Doesn't work if you sew the wrong parts together.

Luckily I hadn't cut the sleeves so that was a minimal piece of the white knit ruined. Ok. slooooow down. Kathy has graciously put an excellent little pictorial on how to do the drape. I got out this odd green knit that I'd gotten in a FM bundle but didn't love. I recut my pieces and sewed them CORRECTLY.

The verdict? love. So much so that you can't get good daylight pics...just basement pics. Because I love it!

I cut a size 42 and it fits well through the body. The neckline is too large but I am not surprised. It's wide and drapey on the model AND I have a really narrow neck/shoulder compared to the rest of my upper body. I would (if I wanted to bother) cut a 40 neckline and 42 in the rest. The sleeves have a good amount of room and aren't constricting. The top flows over the body really nicely.

It is short though. I have a tiny, tiny hem. Like I turned it up 3/8" and stitched 1/4"

The neckband was supposed to be 29 7/8". In my head I had 29 3/8" and I didn't need to stretch it really at all. So I think that it is drafted a little too long and you might want to measure and draft your own.

But I serged it in place and did a little edgestitching to secure the serger stitches.

(the hem photo shows the color more truly)

It's so weird but CUTE!

Luckily I have a short torso so there is no belly action

Even Lily looks good in it:

Sleeves were turned up 3/4" and stitched with a 5/8" hem

I think I'm ready to tackle another magazine pattern!!!!  :-D


This is what he does when he visits me in the sewing room...he serges! LOL! I know it isn't the sewing, it's the power of the serger. I am repeatedly telling him to "slow down" and it's like he's 4 all over again! :-)

But this time he used the sm too