frankenpattern top

October 18, 2020October 18, 2020 ~ Tia Dia ~ 13 Comments

I love fall. I love all the colours as they change, and the different shades that the changing light provides on the same tree throughout the day. They make me happy!

My top is a mix of Vogue 1412‘s front bodice, the back bodice from Burdastyle 09/2019 #111, and the sleeves from Burdastyle 09/2010 #136. I didn’t know what to do with this fabric, so I draped it around my sewing area on and off for what seems like a good 12 months, trying different ideas, laying out different patterns (not enough fabric), trying to work around a pattern repeat that I ended up completely ignoring, and generally second-guessing myself until I was struck by lightening (or courage), and laid out the pattern for the front bodice and started cutting. I would have preferred to use Vogue 1412’s back bodice, too, but I didn’t have enough fabric and wanted a more fitted back.

This is the third version of Vogue 1412 that I’ve made. I really like the front neckline, although this iteration, due to the slightly dropped shoulders of the back, and because I didn’t stabilize the shoulder seams, required a shoulder pleat, extending from a dart in the upper back through to a pleat in the front. It’s quite hidden with the busy pattern, but if you look closely, you can see it.

The fabric is a treat. It has a very fine herringbone weave, which just makes this that much more luxurious.

modal-wool-cashmere challis detail — _{a modal-wool-cashmere challis}

And it goes with so many different items in my wardrobe, just because of all the wonderful colours.

Burdastyle 01-2016-135 jeans — ^{these are not the shoes to wear with jeans}

This is probably my fifth pair of Burda 01/2016 #135, the skinny jeans with the interesting seaming details. I have worn this brown pair to the point of the colour fading, so I over-dyed it with Rit in my front loading washing machine and couldn’t be happier with the result. They don’t look faded and yucky! 🙂

Have you ever re-dyed a garment?

Burda 9-2010-110 and 111 – again!

February 27, 2012February 27, 2012 ~ Tia Dia ~ 12 Comments

Well, I’ve been determinedly trying to use my stash, and have made some new blouses. I don’t have many blouses or shirts in my wardrobe. I used to in a different life, but I guess with the SAHM thing happening, I’ve preferred knit tops over the years, and RTW ones at that. However, I have always had plans for this or that top with this or that piece of fabric, and have accumulated numerous tops over the years, all of them in an unmade state. This top from Burda’s September 2010 issue has seen a lot of versions in my sewing room, but this is the first time I’ve made up the sleeveless one. The fabric is a dotty silk charmeuse. The first time I made up this top I used a knit, and the fit was very pleasing. The second version was a woven, and it didn’t fit so well. In fact, it’s no longer living in my house. So for this version I measure twice and cut once. I’m happy with the sleeveless version. It will be perfect under all the jackets that I have (unmade) in my wardrobe. However, I didn’t really notice this for my knit version, but the shoulders are very wide – almost dropped. I had to take out 5 cm or 2 inches of width in the shoulder seam so that the armscye ended where my shoulders began.

And I made another long sleeved version of this. The fabric is a silk habotai, and I fell in love with all the colours and purchased this roll end from EOS some time ago. I wasn’t actually sure what to do with it, or if this pattern could be eked out of the 1.25 metres of fabric that I had. I did change up the grain. You’ll notice in the sleeveless version that the crossover is on the bias. I couldn’t do that with this print because I just didn’t have enough fabric. I also wanted very much to have the pattern match e.x.a.c.t.l.y., but I’m about 10 cm off on the front because I didn’t have enough of the pattern repeat. But it’s not too bad, although it’s not perfect, and I think no one will notice unless they look very closely. The front wraps rather closely because the facing edge is on the straight grain instead of the bias. The neckline sits higher as a result, but I’m OK with that. I did manage to have the back encompass one complete motif (there were about 5 to choose from!) and the sleeves are identical, too.

I didn’t take out the drop shoulder as I did for the sleeveless version – I didn’t care about it that much for this blouse. I widened the sleeves by about 3 inches for the last 20 inches from the sleeve edge. The bottom 12 inches or so of the sleeve are gathered, and fit very tightly. This was a problem I remembered from my first woven version, so I added the width this time. I also left off the ties because they are always in the way, even if you’re just wearing the blouse out for dinner! They drag through everything. I used one line of elastic thread and shirred the bottom 18 inches of the sleeves. This is about 9 inches more than the pattern calls for, but I wanted the gathers to be evenly distributed from my elbow to the wrist instead of all bunched up around my wrist.

I’m pretty pleased with this blouse! My DH’s opinion: “That’s a LOUD piece of fabric!”

Pattern Review: Burda 09-2010-111A

January 5, 2011January 6, 2011 ~ Tia Dia ~ 1 Comment

Well, I made this one up one more time. It’s turning into a TNT pattern. I saw the paisley in my local Fabricland and couldn’t pass up the pre-Christmas sale price.

I sewed up version A, which is for batiste or other woven fabrics. What a difference in the fit and feel stretch makes. This has no stretch AT ALL, and it really fits differently (read tighter) than my first version, pictured below.

I left off the sleeve ties. After wearing the knit version and always having to tuck the ends of the ties into my sleeves, I thought it would be lovely to just leave them off this time. It gets to be annoying having them drag through everything on the dinner table AND the kitchen sink. I ruched the bottom 12 inches of the sleeves instead, but after trying the top on, it became apparent I couldn’t even do that because of the close fit.

Keep in mind that I sewed this up one size smaller than I probably should have, which worked fine in the jersey, but made the fit noticeably smaller in the woven through the hemline and the lower sleeve area. I had no idea these sleeves were meant to be puuuuuulled on or off. At least they’ll stay out of the way, given the extra 7 inches of length. And I cut the sleeves short by about 5 inches because I thought there’d be too much sleeve bunched up at the bottom!

Well, one more UFO paisley item coming up, and then I’m on to my 2011 project list. I’m trying to get through the UFO stash on my sewing table as soon as possible!

Last project of 2010

December 31, 2010 ~ Tia Dia ~ 2 Comments

Well, today is the last of 2010, and it’s been a fun one. I started this blog, made new sewing friends, learned from fellow sewing bloggers, participated in Self-Stitched September and had a great time sewing up my stash and planning new projects.

This shirt is Simplicity 4076 made up in a crushed velour as half of the birthday gift promised to a friend of mine back in November. The other half is a new version of my very first BurdaStyle – number 09-2010-111B. I made it up in a heavier crushed velour in a deep burgundy that sometimes looks like magenta. It sewed up beautifully. I did change the sleeves, though, as after wearing mine all fall, the ties on the sleeves are VERY annoying. So I did my friend a favour and left them out.

I cut the sleeves a good 4 inches shorter than the pattern – it’s just to much extra fabric for a heavy velour like this. Then I gathered 6 inches of the sleeve length from the cuff into a 3 inch length and stitched the gathers so they won’t move around. I think it’s a much more practical take on this pattern. The fabric is very luxurious looking and very plush to the feel. I hope she likes it!

And lastly for this year, I had hoped to finish up this little quirky and spontaneously-decided-upon skirt from Burda September 2010.

On a whim, after cutting out the blouse 111B from the paisley fabric, I thought it would look interesting in the faux-wrap style skirt.

It’s got a lot of pleats – two layers of them in the overlap across the front. I may regret this once it’s sewn up, but hey – it wouldn’t be the first time I thought something would be interesting and then it wasn’t so interesting on me when it was completed!

Well, that’s the last of the sewing for this year. I look forward to more in 2011, and sharing and learning from you all. God bless you, dear reader, one and all!