Repeats: Burda 1/2013 #119

October 23, 2014January 28, 2016 ~ Tia Dia ~ 5 Comments

I made another two of these tops.

I used a burnout charmeuse in an animal print as the silk trim for the toasty caramel version. I had even less fabric for these than I did for the first version, so I’m missing about 2 cm of width at the hip level on each of these. I did the two-piece sleeve like my first version, too. It was the only way I was getting these tops out of about 1 yard of fabric. I also had to shorten the curve on the sleeves a bit, so there’s not as much fabric in the ruching as there is supposed to be.

If I have anything negative to say about this pattern, its the twisted bias trim on the neckline. As you can see from the photos, mine are more like ruffles. I just could NOT get it to twist by sewing the edges off centre along the neckline. It’s too back, but I can live with it. The only other changes to the pattern I made were to run a 1/4″ inch elastic through the neckline’s topstiched seam allowance because I did not interface the neckline edges as per Burda’s instructions. I don’t care much for interfacing on the interior edges of knit garments for some reason. I think there must be another way to get them to keep their shape. So running the elastic was my quick-fix solution.

The darker version’s trim is one of the most beautiful-weight silks I’ve ever come across in my local Fabricland. Occasionally they’ll carry fabrics from Télio & Cie, which are usually pricey, but the superior quality speaks for itself. This fabric was the end of the bolt, so I got it cheap. I’m hoping there’s enough for a top left over after cutting the bias trims for this. I love all the jewel-toned colours in it.

Again, all the fabrics are from my stash. It sure feels good sewing pieces from stash instead of buying something new. My goal is to keep shopping at home and only purchasing whatever notions or linings I may not have.

These are the last of the long-sleeved additions to my casual fall wardrobe. I’m loving them and hope they stand up to rigorous wear. I’ve been wearing them non-stop.

LATH Wardrobe: Burda 1/2013 – Trousers & Top

October 3, 2014January 28, 2016 ~ Tia Dia ~ 10 Comments

The first couple of items from my Lounge-Around-the-House wardrobe are done: the long-sleeved top (Burda 1/2013 #119) and the trousers with the fold-over waistband (Burda 1/2013 #112). I must say, I am really liking this shirt. I already have two more cut out ready to sew.

Burda 1-2013-112 and 119 — Construction still happening around this house. Will it ever end?

I like the fit of it – it’s not too snug or too loose – and the bias ruffle around the hem and neck are different from anything I’ve seen in tops. I like it in the contrasting fabric instead of tone-on-tone as per Burda. The bottom bias strip is about 3 inches wide.The neck trim is a 2-inch wide bias strip, folded in half and stitched to the neckline edge.The rayon knit from EOS is just divine. I love the quality of it. I would be happy with a stash of it in every single colourway. But back to the top: imho, the best part is the sleeves. They fit beautifully – just like a second skin – not tight and not loose – and the outside ruching is a nice touch. I didn’t quite have enough fabric for this top, so I split the sleeve down the centre on the straight grain and cut it out as two separate pieces. That sleeve piece is a fabric hog as is. It worked perfectly. Actually, I think I preferred cutting the sleeve this way because it eliminated the dart at the top of the ruching and running it into the seam all the length of the sleeve. In my mind’s eye I can see a fussy little pointy piece of fabric that won’t lay flat at the end of the dart. So I’m happy with my fix. Here’s a pic of the next one cut and ready to assemble. The trousers are super comfy. I added some length through the back crotch curve, and the fit is great. I’m really loving how Burda’s trousers fit these days. That, and the little tricks I’ve learned over the last year about crotch depth and that crucial POM 2″ up from the bottom of the crotch. The waistband is a rectangular piece of fabric about 14 inches wide, so it folds over. I cut it from the lavender knit as I had run out of the dark purple. Did I mention they’re super comfy?Perfect for hanging around the house with a warm cup of tea.

Burda lounge-around-the-house wardrobe

October 1, 2014June 11, 2015 ~ Tia Dia ~ 12 Comments

I’ve always had a hankering for making an entire Burda capsule wardrobe for some reason. I just love how they pull together an average of 10-12 pieces and they all work beautifully together. I recently cleaned up my sewing area a teeny tiny titch, and had the sudden impulse to sew a lounge-about-the-house wardrobe, courtesy of the February 2013 issue of Burda, after emptying out a large bag of knits that have been collecting over the last 12 months or so. After laying them all out, I decided on this colour scheme:From L to R: dark purple lightweight RPL, rusty rayon knit from EOS, graphic rayon knit from EOS, lavender lightweight RPL, and silk chiffon along the bottom. After shopping my stash, I decided I’d use the silk chiffon instead of the suggested silk satin. It’s lighter in weight, and I’ll double it if necessary to match the weight of the knits if necessary. I have 3 metres each of the light and dark purple, about the same of the silk chiffon and around 1 metre each of the print and rust knits. Here’s my plan:

1. long skirt dark purple (Burda 1/2013 #116)

2. knit pants in dark purple (Burda 1/2013 #112)3. dress with chiffon in light purple (Burda 1/2013 #110)

4. cardigan with attached scarf in chiffon (Burda 1/2013 #114)

5. ruched long-sleeved tee with chiffon trim in rust (Burda 1/2013 #119)

6. short-sleeve tee in graphic print (Burda 2/2013 #126)

7. possibly a chiffon blouse (Burda 4/2011 #114)

8. and, if I have enough fabric left, this colour block top (Burda 7/2014 #114)And that should give me a pretty good capsule wardrobe for fall LATH (lounge-around-the-house) wear.