tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43752526116241932322024-03-14T01:49:01.278-07:00Chanel No 6 (A Novelist at Her Sewing Machine)Why six? Because when you make it yourself, you add one more essential element...your own vision.Inkstainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03849218858979776045noreply@blogger.comBlogger206125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4375252611624193232.post-38526101477926939942022-12-18T03:52:00.000-08:002022-12-18T03:52:01.104-08:00Sewing for 2022 was limited...but a preview warning of coming (disasters?) attractions for 2023<p>Yes, I did some sewing this year, but it seemed rather more like a case of 'oh, God, now what?' than Wow! I tried to learn how to sew a bathing suit to replace some worn out functional black one-piece suits I wear three times a week, (more on that in a coming and very painful post) and to sew a bathrobe to replace one that my mother had given me thirty years ago, which had become little more than a sentimental terrycloth rag. The delays, disappointments and dirty fixes on both projects are in the coming posts. Just warning you in advance.</p><p>Also, this year I'll be tackling <i>Patrones</i> yet again, determined to find out why I can't get the fit right after my patchwork-print dress. I'm finding the measurements gap between the Burda parameters between bodice and hips hard to believe, that armscythe too deep, etc. Perhaps a basic toile is in order. Their styles are marvelous and forward-leaning. A shame to leave those mags under-utilized.</p><p>Meanwhile, happy holidays to my few followers and a general wish for more peace, kindness, health, and sanity for 2023.</p>Inkstainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14961194929547402778noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4375252611624193232.post-92205991287904883282022-08-09T11:07:00.005-07:002022-08-21T00:27:51.317-07:00Easy Burda cotton dress 2B, Issue 3, 2022, <p> Well, this was really meant as a quickie test dress to see if I like this version of the loose ruffly summer trend of 2022. It has the vibes of a Fibre Mood pattern but being Burda, it holds back just a notch on the fullness in the sleeves, the silhouette, and the ruffle variation. I want to be on trend, but not feel I'm wearing a little girl's doll dress—</p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEia-Ls3jR1surxSux6uuytOukSkeQ7fiFzesxGLuhwVPnUhXCujLu3axC9VwJNnYiGnQ4pqVTOkbv-tw9Of964Spr3ZqetH5rW_fndo4CIewbGsbwLAt_kInVqgvzqeS_IHUlptSiN7CZVwRN4LtFZfurXcVgBQP84k-W5yD3I1Od4RH5cKzDU5HthuSQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEia-Ls3jR1surxSux6uuytOukSkeQ7fiFzesxGLuhwVPnUhXCujLu3axC9VwJNnYiGnQ4pqVTOkbv-tw9Of964Spr3ZqetH5rW_fndo4CIewbGsbwLAt_kInVqgvzqeS_IHUlptSiN7CZVwRN4LtFZfurXcVgBQP84k-W5yD3I1Od4RH5cKzDU5HthuSQ" width="180" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgply9Od8NrR0Ry5g0s8JskNrIGW-1g4yV6EnMms2jR3z7bzeMDMzhsbhHMJb4xhgqEipRD9o7Z7k_jVq5k8ww6GqYD1JpeQNXDJRR9vmJTR3qRd9yX42AXYYssjs4tQEedgH00DWPT879STJ2FbLDESg3NjEL7xqSzwlSb7vXK9QshYxAQq-2-6Y44oA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgply9Od8NrR0Ry5g0s8JskNrIGW-1g4yV6EnMms2jR3z7bzeMDMzhsbhHMJb4xhgqEipRD9o7Z7k_jVq5k8ww6GqYD1JpeQNXDJRR9vmJTR3qRd9yX42AXYYssjs4tQEedgH00DWPT879STJ2FbLDESg3NjEL7xqSzwlSb7vXK9QshYxAQq-2-6Y44oA" width="180" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxs_mggK7ipZdjuxsY2wvgkJrDw9YGGO_WVvR23PB6b5bhIBtAIgHqXLUJXCfuvfhlv5bmsKd7eX7x9-GdqjbVqYNgmZZLtojnE6S-QuHAGFcYzDcRqd07ulqiuzGE3_6s1Gu3dNPszXm97fZa2RmfNiSb_pFTRnT7AR72v31KrK8bu4CWxsbJ0UvkyQ/s1060/Screenshot%202022-08-09%20at%2019.23.32.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1060" data-original-width="854" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxs_mggK7ipZdjuxsY2wvgkJrDw9YGGO_WVvR23PB6b5bhIBtAIgHqXLUJXCfuvfhlv5bmsKd7eX7x9-GdqjbVqYNgmZZLtojnE6S-QuHAGFcYzDcRqd07ulqiuzGE3_6s1Gu3dNPszXm97fZa2RmfNiSb_pFTRnT7AR72v31KrK8bu4CWxsbJ0UvkyQ/s320/Screenshot%202022-08-09%20at%2019.23.32.png" width="258" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4gp-QbmWodWkgKQY5Sa82rdkfX7cZwnPfND0qBM5xcnmHlwMweP7Q8hd-a27OW6ItloHmhxrE01l4E3sIsJfIYYjvfKloI70BHYHWjp-oxQ9Kd0EPquig2T6wOc4uHt4B3-ayG0G-JEweMprOE_BHaczJX9V--baqLsN94CmyA6WvfV9tAcwGWjdiwg/s1310/Screenshot%202022-08-09%20at%2018.02.43.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1310" data-original-width="870" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4gp-QbmWodWkgKQY5Sa82rdkfX7cZwnPfND0qBM5xcnmHlwMweP7Q8hd-a27OW6ItloHmhxrE01l4E3sIsJfIYYjvfKloI70BHYHWjp-oxQ9Kd0EPquig2T6wOc4uHt4B3-ayG0G-JEweMprOE_BHaczJX9V--baqLsN94CmyA6WvfV9tAcwGWjdiwg/s320/Screenshot%202022-08-09%20at%2018.02.43.png" width="213" /></a></div></div><br /> which is what I'm seeing in some of the French indie patterns so popular this summer. I saw a fair amount of 'buffet dresses' during our Italian holiday. Too much ruffle, too froufrou, and too voluminous for someone my age.<p></p><p>I cut the neckline in size 40, tapering to a 42 in the bust and a 45 for my hips. I got 3 meters of this 100% cotton from Coupons de St Pierre for only 10 Euros and it's still on sale here:<span style="color: red;"> <a href="https://les-coupons-de-saint-pierre.fr/fr/coton-soldes/46771-coton-imprime-raye-cachemire-fond-blanc.html?" target="_blank">the cotton I used</a></span> and I ran it up in a day and a half, counting the tracing, adding seam margins, and cutting out. I made a self-belt and inserted pockets, too, to elevate it a bit from Burda Easy's minimal design. I opted for the longest ruffle of the three Easy options.</p><p>In the end, I'm very happy with the result as a fresh casual dress, today worn on the hop to a neighbour's small lunch on her delightful enclosed veranda offering a fresh mountain breeze.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"> If the season were longer—though who knows if this hot weather will ever abate!—I might make one like the Broderie Anglaise shown above.</span></div><br /><p></p>Inkstainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14961194929547402778noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4375252611624193232.post-68317617508433823882022-07-12T03:03:00.001-07:002022-07-12T03:03:33.161-07:00Burda sun dress April 108/4/ 2022 and matching quilted cotton jacket, 120/2/2021<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjjK5ppeFs7WL3oPv8dFJMoOY4JSWXAxMf3tH9EnNMZri1BDKZdQcuId776l5u04NwEwcp_PWfkhyxxgmgiJlTDg8PVhpXdbHj9061cm6uVvVgtnH7uZWLX21SUSCm4FCeGr95L6Wu0WzfTe6TdNMmJHl1VBsO_UfAueJIeTHPsJMbqYT3XToNbYcbVcA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjjK5ppeFs7WL3oPv8dFJMoOY4JSWXAxMf3tH9EnNMZri1BDKZdQcuId776l5u04NwEwcp_PWfkhyxxgmgiJlTDg8PVhpXdbHj9061cm6uVvVgtnH7uZWLX21SUSCm4FCeGr95L6Wu0WzfTe6TdNMmJHl1VBsO_UfAueJIeTHPsJMbqYT3XToNbYcbVcA=w300-h400" width="300" /></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkOuFjhwKGzjeh-0RfRRHF4S6B2fmQUIOWDDKtr3ysAr6ERfqdElcuN_cMLxL3xQWxbDr2lQz7d6Lndx5oLTt00MZGUHGYhmTysvFmkROyhLWrrhN2r7QBxZmXrjxpst8j47n0CEmLfXT3jM4kQdpon1SesOu0Hn9g893OXzuhGocjwg6fTKAN73sGtA/s1288/Screenshot%202022-07-12%20at%2011.37.26.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1288" data-original-width="836" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkOuFjhwKGzjeh-0RfRRHF4S6B2fmQUIOWDDKtr3ysAr6ERfqdElcuN_cMLxL3xQWxbDr2lQz7d6Lndx5oLTt00MZGUHGYhmTysvFmkROyhLWrrhN2r7QBxZmXrjxpst8j47n0CEmLfXT3jM4kQdpon1SesOu0Hn9g893OXzuhGocjwg6fTKAN73sGtA/s320/Screenshot%202022-07-12%20at%2011.37.26.png" width="208" /></a></div></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiRlASqKirkOYjWMEPxgGjmsjCSZpmw6SjwnvWfgdzgS21c1qFUq-aJdrjQvX2C7oFStB1UWtptS7-RIEZkkTJQtbbN2Mnj3b5YO1lUjbl6b2Rcx8kI0nWIOsD940dhqKI9Sz8kTh7KsmOcptEa5q2N9G33N8V0U1j1c5FlBBkSFg22rswwPIE2_NUKRA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiRlASqKirkOYjWMEPxgGjmsjCSZpmw6SjwnvWfgdzgS21c1qFUq-aJdrjQvX2C7oFStB1UWtptS7-RIEZkkTJQtbbN2Mnj3b5YO1lUjbl6b2Rcx8kI0nWIOsD940dhqKI9Sz8kTh7KsmOcptEa5q2N9G33N8V0U1j1c5FlBBkSFg22rswwPIE2_NUKRA=w300-h400" width="300" /></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhMsiZ0XI5fTBRlm1neaKRDxnK3sdEkERQZNYqDTlSChO4J2-93kXWEdlGuquRSTdXGe4VKzpCC6Q5os7os78KRh5flVR7McAz1H_yxi6dXSi_k9pLyltODcVbvKfOJ9lNYX0ZcGbPvGX4UMYwFGVJyr-Q2i7YiyZV5ZWvFXZXFVOQjqmABjTfRtDAaOQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhMsiZ0XI5fTBRlm1neaKRDxnK3sdEkERQZNYqDTlSChO4J2-93kXWEdlGuquRSTdXGe4VKzpCC6Q5os7os78KRh5flVR7McAz1H_yxi6dXSi_k9pLyltODcVbvKfOJ9lNYX0ZcGbPvGX4UMYwFGVJyr-Q2i7YiyZV5ZWvFXZXFVOQjqmABjTfRtDAaOQ" width="180" /></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjwRsHEYOBqQhJoqT3jL4xIoiRv6ThSzSxeGq4LJRFo6yk8TdKO6JDbV1YgX4cyygEaraFwEHabzT9w2g3neP74XsRAyeYllbDvJF1_z27yrPCSLSj9Fl7oQNNYOBC5P_f3bm0pVfLqNrP7ZZlp2oWX7lwHN7tlzsalHUSm-LYpIArDXzQeh89ByuDz2Q" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjwRsHEYOBqQhJoqT3jL4xIoiRv6ThSzSxeGq4LJRFo6yk8TdKO6JDbV1YgX4cyygEaraFwEHabzT9w2g3neP74XsRAyeYllbDvJF1_z27yrPCSLSj9Fl7oQNNYOBC5P_f3bm0pVfLqNrP7ZZlp2oWX7lwHN7tlzsalHUSm-LYpIArDXzQeh89ByuDz2Q" width="180" /></a></div></div></div><br />Not the most flattering photo in Italy by my husband, showing I should wear the dress lower on the waist, but otherwise it turned out well. I think the placement of the casings as marked doesn't take my short waist into consideration. Lesson learned.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Also I used a very soft fabric which delivers a less crisp effect than the cotton used by Burda which gives a nicer result with the pleats around the neck, but the dress was almost weightless to wear in the midday Italian heat. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I'm especially proud that the dress and its matching jacket were both squeezed out of 3 metres of double gauze cotton purchased for practically nothing from Coupons de St. Pierre online. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">One of the dirty fixes as I ran out of fabric was to use elastic for the interior of the two dress ties that finish at both hips and only use the main fabric for the ties outside the casings.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I made two alterations to the jacket—I added pockets using bits of the IKEA cotton that I dyed pink years ago for a T&T Burda shirt pattern and second, I lengthened the sleeves to eliminate the knit wristbands. I just dislike knit wristbands or any bomber jacket references.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The patchwork lining for the jacket will look familiar to anyone following this blog. Some of the pink silk came from the wedding kimono I sewed some years ago, other remnants were from the slew of three pink dresses I made last year.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> I tried using a binding foot to make the finishing job easier, but the quilting padding got stuck and I wasn't willing to hot-press the seam margins flat, so in the end, only hand finishing the second edge of the binding gave me the quality finish I wanted.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I covered three large snaps with the pink gauze fabric but the fabric is just too thick for the snaps to 'take.' I may come back to this if I'm convinced the jacket needs closures but on a summer evening, I can do without.</div><br /> <p></p>Inkstainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14961194929547402778noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4375252611624193232.post-24106318052999878302022-07-05T00:08:00.003-07:002022-07-05T00:08:41.258-07:00My thoughts on Fibre Mood, with a debut dress "Harmony," Book 14 2021...not entirely a success but instructive <p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi4DBMRfNNETf0vCCb7_2F1BLpRW52Or7HTI75wwKCz7rWKld7Ss4lY9ACO72S8W1nhV9UBAiegXAHzfmgUKHDlSXAL2SlnDQYmPjeMDbaKYZayPi7krY_Gi3ITK4ikjLTXK3RhcHplAkCSo2Eqb0HQswkAesQQ6ZJV5KGWaBqiOrwsLjNmbhJXhfuLsQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi4DBMRfNNETf0vCCb7_2F1BLpRW52Or7HTI75wwKCz7rWKld7Ss4lY9ACO72S8W1nhV9UBAiegXAHzfmgUKHDlSXAL2SlnDQYmPjeMDbaKYZayPi7krY_Gi3ITK4ikjLTXK3RhcHplAkCSo2Eqb0HQswkAesQQ6ZJV5KGWaBqiOrwsLjNmbhJXhfuLsQ=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>I've been eyeing the Fibre Mood fan club here in Europe for some time. They use a lot of linen and broderie anglaise and give off an artistic, somewhat bohemian vibe, drawing on loose, blousey artistic silhouettes evoking lofts in Amsterdam, country walks in Provence, and Paris galleries. You couldn't imagine anything farther from the fitted Dior New Look or tailored Chanel bourgeoise lady look or the classic Ralph Lauren Hamptons look or the Armani Milanese suited executive or the New York activewear mood if you tried.</p><p>The Harmony blouse might have been the wrong choice for a woman of my age--the nautical look was meant for four-year-old English princes and Shirley Temple. To offset the Lord Fauntleroy effect, I should have stuck with the Fibre Mood fabrication for women over 50--plain linen or lightweight denim.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjHW7-pEhbXcub47fYk9qvczxAgH52jE4MXr4HLpdSfO2Z7rnRWF97-J8mLhJZxi_lQld5qj64BjrpRKQhW9Y1ZTr65uDBeMpQnUX6W8sD5pm-8E_zYDn-TavljF7GmvAa6Y9VEcomnyS5j5r8cSNxbuTHkfD_dgvbEfUVv1VYQmgRrzQQizM0L12RO5g" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="998" data-original-width="1498" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjHW7-pEhbXcub47fYk9qvczxAgH52jE4MXr4HLpdSfO2Z7rnRWF97-J8mLhJZxi_lQld5qj64BjrpRKQhW9Y1ZTr65uDBeMpQnUX6W8sD5pm-8E_zYDn-TavljF7GmvAa6Y9VEcomnyS5j5r8cSNxbuTHkfD_dgvbEfUVv1VYQmgRrzQQizM0L12RO5g" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">But no, I saw a quilting cotton online for pennies with a tiny anchor motif on a navy background and thought, why not? I used a discarded pillowcase for the white trim and red buttons on the fiddly neck closure on one side. The result was a cool, light dress for early buffet breakfasts at an Italian hotel over the last few blistering hot weeks, (photo above in Liguria) But the dress looks too twee for Geneva city wear and too seaside for Swiss mountain wear.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">My first take on using a Fibre Mood pattern? I was less than thrilled with their diagrams' very fine lines, fiddly unfamiliar colored notation system, but most of all, with the disappointment of having no written instructions inside the magazine's printed manual. I had to keep checking and rechecking explanations for the complicated construction of the bodice framing trim insertion on my computer. (That is not a proper sailor collar you see, but an inserted trim.) I was raised on the bold, black and white diagrams of the Big 4 patterns and when I buy a pattern, I expect the instructions to be included. I think Fibre Mood do it online so they can offer multiple languages beyond Vogue's English and French.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Fibre Mood also advises a 10 cm seam allowance to be added, but again, I'm used to adding 1.5 cm to everything. What with the computer here, the big book there, and still not understanding how I was supposed to turn those corners, flipping here and there, it was a muddle. I also found the construction of the neck placket hard to read for the same reason of unfamiliarity with their system.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I suspect this is a problem of simply not being used to such a different style of colored graphics and the need for a computer. Their styling is growing on me and their latest magazine is very tempting. As the French say, I may 'crack' again.</div><br /> <p></p>Inkstainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14961194929547402778noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4375252611624193232.post-67192862426457149002022-05-22T02:50:00.000-07:002022-05-22T02:50:11.665-07:00Recovering/restyling/rediscovering a "Pink Dress Fail" from BurdaStyle 4/2021/102<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">To this happy, sunny frock<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgpBfifXMFnB-WSYSrJXpXPZLtQ_PrLwAaAsKu42FxUAWdYlcsSNn-bVe1pHKygc0gDqsBRMMq9uHM0etFRABRtriShnQ2kEwh1hoe3Or8qRDkXJwrPuOOQGEoUyL-0WA0XX9z5mFOpSucBqkeJN-tr7mWNZGdYHq-dTilzXZBJNRH-h_3UKxeGCetcZQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgpBfifXMFnB-WSYSrJXpXPZLtQ_PrLwAaAsKu42FxUAWdYlcsSNn-bVe1pHKygc0gDqsBRMMq9uHM0etFRABRtriShnQ2kEwh1hoe3Or8qRDkXJwrPuOOQGEoUyL-0WA0XX9z5mFOpSucBqkeJN-tr7mWNZGdYHq-dTilzXZBJNRH-h_3UKxeGCetcZQ=w240-h320" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiyocrwLgTMOPcLWFGJyKDHQRNaIIV3svMUF9wBtCoEYLAaCwMiChR5fADc3LFWnJRuKyH1e-bhKqz6pQNPdTYXQok7gUCS9sqQtJcgMr36l-nrOnwV9FpB3sOKc9l0Pe2VO1VOzL_POjrhYDMbemzfaWByyyjHYa_DFfKyeYebY47fVr_tFVFrZXy78Q" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiyocrwLgTMOPcLWFGJyKDHQRNaIIV3svMUF9wBtCoEYLAaCwMiChR5fADc3LFWnJRuKyH1e-bhKqz6pQNPdTYXQok7gUCS9sqQtJcgMr36l-nrOnwV9FpB3sOKc9l0Pe2VO1VOzL_POjrhYDMbemzfaWByyyjHYa_DFfKyeYebY47fVr_tFVFrZXy78Q=w240-h320" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">From this draggy dumpster-fire sack:</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFfPmhi0Zk1Wf7htqETgRAUfZrRG_NyXIUTWGt8Uxf0zfgtbOf2zm2oc9Aqzn_xzwmOT2QcC-NMi84ao4TQf1NdYqOdXd2jZb6QlSz-FmhlwENySsb9Jc7XB1icn8VOrRYnAI7RcwVi9is9klvIDBnbyHP-1xmd4GaqbqkQKbfL_8dbX4AzP4b0HpzfA/s640/IMG_4097.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFfPmhi0Zk1Wf7htqETgRAUfZrRG_NyXIUTWGt8Uxf0zfgtbOf2zm2oc9Aqzn_xzwmOT2QcC-NMi84ao4TQf1NdYqOdXd2jZb6QlSz-FmhlwENySsb9Jc7XB1icn8VOrRYnAI7RcwVi9is9klvIDBnbyHP-1xmd4GaqbqkQKbfL_8dbX4AzP4b0HpzfA/s320/IMG_4097.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /></div><br />Inspired by a fashion spread in the French weekly, <i>Elle </i>last spring, I threw together (with some rather epic setbacks in fabric supply, condition, fitting etc.) three pink dresses. The one I considered the least successful was the <i>muumuu</i> like 'buffet dress.' On me, it just looked like a baggy ton of viscose without definition or style. I never wore it, not once.<p></p><p>BUT, it's now my favorite garment, eliciting repeat requests from my husband. What happened? Not much! All it took was a western-style belt to pick up on the prairie-flower motif and a shorter hem.</p><p> I am not the 'buffet dress' type. Lesson learned.</p>Inkstainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14961194929547402778noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4375252611624193232.post-57983257765090321252022-04-19T23:56:00.004-07:002022-04-19T23:56:52.460-07:00Another alterations story: Daughter found vintage piece for birthday 'recovery'... <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUTb3I8cHWxNLWKCLwlGZCHgK7GcuUEBtCdmBlWq8Ac4ZEFQFUCmAQkqb_z1NDGBP1CrIwF9K3NwhI3imk2hUIKvHEplMMyMKI4irYXZzScZIphWGjaKH0C2dt2f-9IGDBm75XHQdMEp_gfPxPe9MoONYA2cdSj91UTkKdBESsCd2-t38FLywG-RV0gw/s2048/finished%20jacket.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1151" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUTb3I8cHWxNLWKCLwlGZCHgK7GcuUEBtCdmBlWq8Ac4ZEFQFUCmAQkqb_z1NDGBP1CrIwF9K3NwhI3imk2hUIKvHEplMMyMKI4irYXZzScZIphWGjaKH0C2dt2f-9IGDBm75XHQdMEp_gfPxPe9MoONYA2cdSj91UTkKdBESsCd2-t38FLywG-RV0gw/s320/finished%20jacket.jpeg" width="180" /></a>Remember my Ralph Lauren hacking jacket alteration, thanks to a find by my daughter in a Soho vintage shop in London?</p><p> She did it again.</p><p>New Luisa Spagnoli jackets run some $600 dollars, <a href="https://www.luisaspagnoli.it/us_en/jackets-blazers-promotion.html">https://www.luisaspagnoli.it/us_en/jackets-blazers-promotion.html</a>, so when Actress Daughter on a very, very slim budget found one in a vintage shop in London, she snatched it up for my birthday. It boasted a great true red wool-mix fabric in excellent condition and wonderful Italian Roman head buttons with flawless finishing.</p><p> But it was a size 42, just a bit too tight around the hips and too short in the sleeves, but fine across the shoulders and chest.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrwPCZPxbgLhpPKeGmWk9iUIYPPSIf1pp76Zjn1oN7sGwd3WS8zmFa4Ho9Vei64y09FmJzS7LaNYo90HqUFUOLqLQrY7vCptX-vlw4F2wmUJvh3eBAWrXKQv-DSeXq9egABtVBChgaZ8R1mi92_UEfasdLtCeTqxZDyYpy-aBvmZsSgII5E5kozDCWoA/s2048/sleeve%20hem.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrwPCZPxbgLhpPKeGmWk9iUIYPPSIf1pp76Zjn1oN7sGwd3WS8zmFa4Ho9Vei64y09FmJzS7LaNYo90HqUFUOLqLQrY7vCptX-vlw4F2wmUJvh3eBAWrXKQv-DSeXq9egABtVBChgaZ8R1mi92_UEfasdLtCeTqxZDyYpy-aBvmZsSgII5E5kozDCWoA/s320/sleeve%20hem.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Yzu91vRQ7tjdBJiruwBorps1wc_pvT2nx9Xf974s_nrDYlS5ZLTD6qEQ99mhwnSd5BFNQt1OW4JNYbyh5rprlql9i-JzUtaK5iUZKrLZeT-lm7hFdosHko3LVXOOvNgWd5gwNiCdBGXMWDx8evZHBLt0BC0fbSwn80xr-cIdl9LfWI0YEYXkR6lqqw/s2048/sleeves%20pinned.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Yzu91vRQ7tjdBJiruwBorps1wc_pvT2nx9Xf974s_nrDYlS5ZLTD6qEQ99mhwnSd5BFNQt1OW4JNYbyh5rprlql9i-JzUtaK5iUZKrLZeT-lm7hFdosHko3LVXOOvNgWd5gwNiCdBGXMWDx8evZHBLt0BC0fbSwn80xr-cIdl9LfWI0YEYXkR6lqqw/s320/sleeves%20pinned.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL-vtuyTTbZYPTVI4xwDviAzp4R2dqO_KwPyvoc65Qm8iScpE9ixy3jS9KMLXcL_qDpbAbu70bfpnkVJq7FnSswaT8m31KDhxzkvFlm_jdHmRGxfFuYaXicN_1KqgibI1ApI9Rq4bMaQS8zHlZ-zaBNf1pe6lbrH48yWpM2m3oBgygunWUQU5tDfN_cw/s2048/jacket%20hem.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1151" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL-vtuyTTbZYPTVI4xwDviAzp4R2dqO_KwPyvoc65Qm8iScpE9ixy3jS9KMLXcL_qDpbAbu70bfpnkVJq7FnSswaT8m31KDhxzkvFlm_jdHmRGxfFuYaXicN_1KqgibI1ApI9Rq4bMaQS8zHlZ-zaBNf1pe6lbrH48yWpM2m3oBgygunWUQU5tDfN_cw/s320/jacket%20hem.jpeg" width="180" /></a></div></div><br /><p></p><p>Like any good quality jacket, this piece had enough seam allowance to let out the three back seams in the back to about 5cm and to let down the sleeve hem by about one inch. I also moved the front buttons by half an inch. The whole rehab took about 90 minutes.</p><p> It needed a Milanese finish, so I've styled it above a red and black Krizia silk scarf I inherited from my own mother in the 1980's.</p><p><br /> </p>Inkstainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14961194929547402778noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4375252611624193232.post-77541723612091641802022-04-09T01:25:00.016-07:002022-04-09T10:29:55.309-07:00Back to an old love--safari dressing. A 'camp shirt' with gifted fabric from Indonesia, rendered into BurdaStyle, April 2021, 105A<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi58IH5RIeRdpl_YcsMsIlt0fqx8D4jCbmVYCAI7uewwQT17zWhQ9fCtCgqflRo916P3jT0VrM9x_YxNXK31pU1q2qkRdn8kSSJ3lvRv7MwOv9L9Hb3bac3cVXqQ90pISWbFaEDEFfIfqkBXLyWeqRpAIo9DrpwZdEAIkEcJihJwaPUSL71DN2_Q_lwJQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="240" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi58IH5RIeRdpl_YcsMsIlt0fqx8D4jCbmVYCAI7uewwQT17zWhQ9fCtCgqflRo916P3jT0VrM9x_YxNXK31pU1q2qkRdn8kSSJ3lvRv7MwOv9L9Hb3bac3cVXqQ90pISWbFaEDEFfIfqkBXLyWeqRpAIo9DrpwZdEAIkEcJihJwaPUSL71DN2_Q_lwJQ=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></div><p><br /></p>Strictly speaking, lilac, pale mustard, and brown aren't my colorways these days. I've pretty much got an all-blue self-sewn wardrobe for day, with a run of black concert outfits/jackets for those pre-COVID evenings, and a breakout spring selection of cheerful pink/mauve/buff in jeans, cottons, and scarves for the rainiest days.<p></p><p>But when I was gifted a little over a rather narrow meter of excellent-quality cotton batik, I thought, why not? Well, here's why not. One end of the length had a blazing royal blue rectangle (muffled now as the lower back section) which clashed with the overall coloration, IMHO, and there were running borders down both sides which limited pattern placement.</p><p>But I do have a soft spot for safari/camp/hotweather wear with an ethnic touch. So I persevered and cut this out very carefully, single piece by piece, to make sure that the border selvages landed at the hems of bodice and sleeves perfectly, and that the only royal blue bits that are visible from the front are perfectly positioned as shoulder pieces.</p><p>This is a pattern that I'd already spotted last year but it required 1.30 m of 140 cm wide, according to the mag instructions. Haha, not true—if you're really canny.</p><p>Burda featured two versions, one in a Hawaiian mood, below, and the other nautical with stripes. My version pictured above is only short of buttons, but the custom buttons are ready (below) for tomorrow. I need to be fresh to do buttonholes!</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEicH5YmLkiKG9ZoM6iB8fYAmuDM36GOyoKuJRZWlozlqRRqUnJST_1_fnpfvfPy11s_Y3ZNu6vsX-sl3zt8aJuwHCWuUA-GXGGqo-BRIlQDfSNewPf0Hr_FGvavNn0VbrJyXOnqJyb8yMhlEYZRfaMdPg05MlgxK6Hb7UT91oHBza1ORnjTOwnIF6uIhA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEicH5YmLkiKG9ZoM6iB8fYAmuDM36GOyoKuJRZWlozlqRRqUnJST_1_fnpfvfPy11s_Y3ZNu6vsX-sl3zt8aJuwHCWuUA-GXGGqo-BRIlQDfSNewPf0Hr_FGvavNn0VbrJyXOnqJyb8yMhlEYZRfaMdPg05MlgxK6Hb7UT91oHBza1ORnjTOwnIF6uIhA" width="180" /></a></div><br />I've tried layering the shirt already under two different beige-khaki safari jackets and both tone down the garish print to my satisfaction.<p></p><p>Now all I need is a bit of tropical sun! In case you missed it, I wrote a three-part post on 'safari dressing' in the archives here ten years ago! Everything I wrote then still holds. It's a classic style of dressing for springtime.</p><p><a href="https://chanelno6.blogspot.com/2012/08/safari-jackets-part-i.html">https://chanelno6.blogspot.com/2012/08/safari-jackets-part-i.html</a></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjzm00-QdRgWrMj_vN9XrLcNz96hY6z7EO2QYwluROzlOkvf7QhN14by12w5jJgxfBtH7qTw9UKLtOMseZrBk1PeBkXhLqsF1nAml-LXZmTGj8s2OgmyiSCaTxxceOPfARuviJtnJrqo4qN4IchF6mpBQWO3XY4KSjMX67KXVXl1N1yRC_1sCofc0nzg/s1230/Screenshot%202022-04-09%20at%2010.11.13.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1230" data-original-width="908" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjzm00-QdRgWrMj_vN9XrLcNz96hY6z7EO2QYwluROzlOkvf7QhN14by12w5jJgxfBtH7qTw9UKLtOMseZrBk1PeBkXhLqsF1nAml-LXZmTGj8s2OgmyiSCaTxxceOPfARuviJtnJrqo4qN4IchF6mpBQWO3XY4KSjMX67KXVXl1N1yRC_1sCofc0nzg/s320/Screenshot%202022-04-09%20at%2010.11.13.png" width="236" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p>Inkstainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14961194929547402778noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4375252611624193232.post-56796015403799511322022-02-22T03:32:00.008-08:002022-02-22T08:20:01.044-08:00A 'vintage' 1959 car coat, BurdaStyle October 2021, with some Chanel-look camellia buttons from Zaza of Canada<p>I don't keep much of a 'stash' but since getting hooked on buying three-metre remnants from Les Coupons de Saint Pierre in Paris (<a href="https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/lescouponsdesaintpierre/?hl=en)">https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/lescouponsdesaintpierre/?hl=en)</a>, I've found I can't resist certain bargains. </p><p>So I found myself with some inexpensive poly black bouclé. Because I already have a very loved and sturdy black bouclé Chanel-type jacket of better quality material, I decided to 'have a go' at beefing up this bouclé for a Chanel-feel retro coat. (The last black coat I sewed was the Burda Easy 'waterfall' style that shoots all the way to my ankles and feels like wearing a cozy cashmere blend blanket. But it lacks definition or chic for evening wear.)</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEipDLU6lEWSzA9OkMpD_tD4HRkev55DGx4q8j-IjBbJ5EEaiPdY1azLkp7ag1LyC_eEsPesKCoj7TO4lBPAltZNY6-Sbtsw9-CS6k3LFZ9EYX3R0lTVDejyKq6IpnhkG8JMSO0UDe3ne17UjlWLXO2AdWj1S2jGsrlWPgHfAOpOsK0MvAnL2-hR3agWOg=s640" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEipDLU6lEWSzA9OkMpD_tD4HRkev55DGx4q8j-IjBbJ5EEaiPdY1azLkp7ag1LyC_eEsPesKCoj7TO4lBPAltZNY6-Sbtsw9-CS6k3LFZ9EYX3R0lTVDejyKq6IpnhkG8JMSO0UDe3ne17UjlWLXO2AdWj1S2jGsrlWPgHfAOpOsK0MvAnL2-hR3agWOg=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh5ZIvjBVe8UWBr_Eskfbzv-qAiLlwvfLdUyxqHAWZA4f8r9k6dg3Q-kM63boKFe4HlthXvVfKs7zjT2M1fOAnZcuRQn7gWxRVe4fvOpccGHDTnSn5lkWqZHjJRFuFOUQQPT2Y0n1S94TqCs6lcZsl-3uE7HTfGMH8xy76o4c2iRPDIuR1DqyJp1e2PlQ=s640" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh5ZIvjBVe8UWBr_Eskfbzv-qAiLlwvfLdUyxqHAWZA4f8r9k6dg3Q-kM63boKFe4HlthXvVfKs7zjT2M1fOAnZcuRQn7gWxRVe4fvOpccGHDTnSn5lkWqZHjJRFuFOUQQPT2Y0n1S94TqCs6lcZsl-3uE7HTfGMH8xy76o4c2iRPDIuR1DqyJp1e2PlQ=w300-h400" width="300" /></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjz-oQN_ZV8TMO-gVUQZVTn9l-PpcIovXz9k58Z-9p4OE9U7d0OzrSRSq7XvIZsHHh6Eh4XmqJVypdyKFWKmU2_AWdZujCqw8aTG4iFa9f2Xd63QWXHeaDJuelS4SNIheaxCQNyXqhV6b7SsAhBAkvuZz2n5KrRyi4zy5gZkDZ6m5xn62KReQKmd28NcQ=s640" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjz-oQN_ZV8TMO-gVUQZVTn9l-PpcIovXz9k58Z-9p4OE9U7d0OzrSRSq7XvIZsHHh6Eh4XmqJVypdyKFWKmU2_AWdZujCqw8aTG4iFa9f2Xd63QWXHeaDJuelS4SNIheaxCQNyXqhV6b7SsAhBAkvuZz2n5KrRyi4zy5gZkDZ6m5xn62KReQKmd28NcQ=s320" width="240" /></a></div></div><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhvHzlRMdF7PqS1TteVoZYRlylX1CaXCXpg3t0nwst9XKX3hw1Db6i3_yzehavJQ9ZSP-9WRUgVhrqjtB9CqE86TJGmWAHUzqyaf_LUjRNZ6PV1QgmAerMZ3xgJvxBVG6SafdgpktZSFx0kDrO5uMX_YPeLjHACm4Hg_jEYlRQUYjWGysuZOBRaXQ9KPg=s1006" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1006" data-original-width="780" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhvHzlRMdF7PqS1TteVoZYRlylX1CaXCXpg3t0nwst9XKX3hw1Db6i3_yzehavJQ9ZSP-9WRUgVhrqjtB9CqE86TJGmWAHUzqyaf_LUjRNZ6PV1QgmAerMZ3xgJvxBVG6SafdgpktZSFx0kDrO5uMX_YPeLjHACm4Hg_jEYlRQUYjWGysuZOBRaXQ9KPg=s320" width="248" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjZMrBUU4MWwh1mWvtUXNaV9GXJErmoK9IQBSR57s9mdOpv_n5Jgoyu4UXo8IB2p7XYeg7wGPgUrG_sQwjzoEGYSncDKIu-egHw0r7vaO4Bry-K73gjBcJZXbCvsloW5JFvm0L7gR0Z_UP4vRvpPNZA3Cu1nFGJHnVfO3nkrYfFYIFa8ELrOiyYOin_dg=s978" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="978" data-original-width="752" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjZMrBUU4MWwh1mWvtUXNaV9GXJErmoK9IQBSR57s9mdOpv_n5Jgoyu4UXo8IB2p7XYeg7wGPgUrG_sQwjzoEGYSncDKIu-egHw0r7vaO4Bry-K73gjBcJZXbCvsloW5JFvm0L7gR0Z_UP4vRvpPNZA3Cu1nFGJHnVfO3nkrYfFYIFa8ELrOiyYOin_dg=s320" width="246" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>For variety, I went for the knee-length October Burda Style vintage car coat which they showed in both iterations in 1959 and in 2021 in teddybear fleece. That's not my favourite fabric, to be frank, though it's in fashion right now. I think it risks looking like a bathroom rug if not kept in very good nick and well-accessorized. </p><p></p>I underlined my whole coat with lightweight interfacing to add body to the slight 'boule' shape and collar. Notice how I'm styling it with a classic scarf around the neck to enhance the fifties' feel? I also ordered a very sturdy poly satin lining. The pockets are fully interfaced, lined, and hand stitched to the body. There's a nifty 50's style belt draped at the back from the side seams.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmStMX7cWvzQvwoxtmPl62saB0TW8WGh93m2MKQIb_-Q7EK0kWphfzG-Uieatu8uGwonlLqDYtIzEB3E6YFp4xiw1kFyEMILyke4EExB0Ite1YnrFQ0e-FOK0WHwYPm3AOkDySeory_hTQ/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmStMX7cWvzQvwoxtmPl62saB0TW8WGh93m2MKQIb_-Q7EK0kWphfzG-Uieatu8uGwonlLqDYtIzEB3E6YFp4xiw1kFyEMILyke4EExB0Ite1YnrFQ0e-FOK0WHwYPm3AOkDySeory_hTQ/" width="180" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyEeuyKQnnrZFbB3wXCvQyl37hWiaM1m_2a9Vv5-UFRPmKMGrKlXbTC5nWbCpE4SldE0aHklelXPaW1imlCDwLIiRk37ERmKZtyEcMgBKUp-5-SIE3KIaD7ajvSQtwOAVUqRXEpRCs8Fkx/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyEeuyKQnnrZFbB3wXCvQyl37hWiaM1m_2a9Vv5-UFRPmKMGrKlXbTC5nWbCpE4SldE0aHklelXPaW1imlCDwLIiRk37ERmKZtyEcMgBKUp-5-SIE3KIaD7ajvSQtwOAVUqRXEpRCs8Fkx/" width="180" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The fabric didn't seem like it would take well to cutting in buttonholes, so I decided to order black coat snaps for the interior and to try an Etsy supplier, <a href=" https://www.etsy.com/shop/ZazaofCanada?ref=simple-shop-header-name&listing_id=1049829038" style="text-align: left;">Zaza of Canada</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">for a set of Chanel-style 'camellia' buttons in black and white for the exterior.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href=" https://www.etsy.com/shop/ZazaofCanada?ref=simple-shop-header-name&listing_id=1049829038" style="text-align: left;">Zaza of Canada</a>'s service was prompt, the order beautifully packaged, and Isabelle's communication excellent, but only one little hitch occurred—probably my fault—one of the buttons' flowers detached from its base. I had to re-glue it together with Cement It, my heart in my throat fearing I might damage the button before stitching it on again.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The buttons are the main event of this coat, so perhaps I should have ordered a backup button or two for the future. I may order other buttons again from Isabelle at Zaza of Canada but with the caveat that these are not workhorse features but handmade luxuries.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Thanks anyway, Isabelle! Great service!</div><br /><br /><p></p>Inkstainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14961194929547402778noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4375252611624193232.post-2387680558210040792022-02-21T10:13:00.003-08:002022-02-22T03:10:41.914-08:00Two Burda Easy blue sweater dresses saw me through another semi-confined winter Covid season<p style="text-align: left;"><br />So, it's time at long last to put my two winter sweater dresses to bed and get ready for some spring sewing. But for friends Down Under just approaching their autumn/winter season, I recommend these two Burda Easy models that satisfy the need to be cozy during the simpler life many of us are leading these days (and I can hardly believe it, but I'm actually writing about two COVID winters, not one, that's how strange my concept of time during confinement has become.)</p><p style="text-align: left;">As part of my 'capsule wardrobe' which features a lot of French or navy blue, I purchased two different knits from Coupons de St Pierre, (both synthetic mixes, but not toooooo bad in terms of comfort and quality.) </p><p style="text-align: left;">The first, actually cut out during the Christmas season of 2020-2021 (maybe the worst Christmas for our family ever, as the London-based daughter was trapped in London by Swiss flight cancellations) was this dolman-sleeved, cowl-neck <span style="font-family: times;">06/20 #3C in a navy 'chiné' poly-rayon knit with a lot of warmth and loft. You can see below a close-up of the slightly tweedy knit. I accidentally cut double the length needed for the self belt and ended up liking it worn that way as a kind of feature.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb2LspLu7D6CtaSwYLD5L3QMKQBFnI0gaSvlYJ45IpHsDSmiiWcseiinN83h5LONp68gLs3K48ssokn4RGPZT3sq-N7pM5RHG1oXqvrZEbDXqnS3GMPqe5fp3VtZehTvoc7WLgbG_Ps1v7huY_9jGJSfdccBn1eYrTamV13jAgpP0beo-x8qNQaaF-4Q/s1046/Screenshot 2022-02-07 at 19.27.32.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1046" data-original-width="870" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb2LspLu7D6CtaSwYLD5L3QMKQBFnI0gaSvlYJ45IpHsDSmiiWcseiinN83h5LONp68gLs3K48ssokn4RGPZT3sq-N7pM5RHG1oXqvrZEbDXqnS3GMPqe5fp3VtZehTvoc7WLgbG_Ps1v7huY_9jGJSfdccBn1eYrTamV13jAgpP0beo-x8qNQaaF-4Q/s320/Screenshot 2022-02-07 at 19.27.32.png" width="266" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5zdU2wob_Rg-JuKhhkwyzLYIXSq3iF9494v2RAKpa67GTvADDC2Y7o5cZg1ZYNbqRRSGjd14rS9mw3r71Z-0DjB5ZmlxfA31ioI4HCX5Et0lEt0cbPFbnaXumIyY53rB-jRU0nb_JgPZ71yy0qFVn6i4a7Ovfk6dBQSNswZ5_3VeOtBWEAWfOdFluXQ/s874/Screenshot 2022-02-07 at 19.27.12.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="874" data-original-width="826" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5zdU2wob_Rg-JuKhhkwyzLYIXSq3iF9494v2RAKpa67GTvADDC2Y7o5cZg1ZYNbqRRSGjd14rS9mw3r71Z-0DjB5ZmlxfA31ioI4HCX5Et0lEt0cbPFbnaXumIyY53rB-jRU0nb_JgPZ71yy0qFVn6i4a7Ovfk6dBQSNswZ5_3VeOtBWEAWfOdFluXQ/s320/Screenshot 2022-02-07 at 19.27.12.png" width="302" /></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgzexhtsXqtHyuOcsKzEWuQSQbujgqVC7ePEu54zPHp2uphVx2Lmr1ynOCramYUb8Dh23i9gtNAKDZ4aqsIfjVIbqCHP-qCLPoaMgyDBkf-crXpTijv1wl-f7FNw8IOS2WnXyXntWXfZXRtM0hZcyfare3gLxl-qUX8HZvxGU9yqKu1Edyz9Veg-jgVcg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgzexhtsXqtHyuOcsKzEWuQSQbujgqVC7ePEu54zPHp2uphVx2Lmr1ynOCramYUb8Dh23i9gtNAKDZ4aqsIfjVIbqCHP-qCLPoaMgyDBkf-crXpTijv1wl-f7FNw8IOS2WnXyXntWXfZXRtM0hZcyfare3gLxl-qUX8HZvxGU9yqKu1Edyz9Veg-jgVcg=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></div><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiugaIGqfvzkMrxZBMApks2PGWDlK9Xy3QnurUXEETS0jQFz3dLaWGxicSjcJ7cmcASpkBvzMkz5ZB9PWuVNLyWBnH3vL_b20ECA0ksMSjQXVMsVvdV8p2M0sGoDLhoLXWhHSO2bpQZS3iwDkcGS7w6ays8pxmW381rCaxk0b1bot-xmO44huD7hQQYIw=s640" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiugaIGqfvzkMrxZBMApks2PGWDlK9Xy3QnurUXEETS0jQFz3dLaWGxicSjcJ7cmcASpkBvzMkz5ZB9PWuVNLyWBnH3vL_b20ECA0ksMSjQXVMsVvdV8p2M0sGoDLhoLXWhHSO2bpQZS3iwDkcGS7w6ays8pxmW381rCaxk0b1bot-xmO44huD7hQQYIw=s320" width="240" /></a></div><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>The second, sewed last spring was this turtle-neck with a standard sleeve, done in a slightly dressier, looser navy blue knit with a bit of silver lurex woven through. Again, because these pictures can't do the different knits justice, I've done a closeup of the sleeve.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhAMwZ7QA_svVFz3YcADOsUcwyCKcAcX7qXnKNAh1FVSabFXslUr4vzvPER4XnEcoDs7BmusEYtEIedfJsHFM02DjcmvJsw0hvg2liwwMu2OXlsojm9gNblf243M3jUhJhSy4eveA8WyxgOdiBmyvfJo-2nVFXrUr3fk5ZgmOUlS7LrhfmmHbOVBbqKyg=s2016" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2016" data-original-width="1134" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhAMwZ7QA_svVFz3YcADOsUcwyCKcAcX7qXnKNAh1FVSabFXslUr4vzvPER4XnEcoDs7BmusEYtEIedfJsHFM02DjcmvJsw0hvg2liwwMu2OXlsojm9gNblf243M3jUhJhSy4eveA8WyxgOdiBmyvfJo-2nVFXrUr3fk5ZgmOUlS7LrhfmmHbOVBbqKyg=s320" width="180" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEinstpFtfH246ZNmAr6yAQjaN1SJEBWXdvEm7B6akVXdV8w56Gkvfa-ziAaHmsU8njYvhWecVnSStXx-At_ubvG-bFyHz201SmdXbQERpIE6TJap1nQPcYLmRg8zDvRQKroS-IH0ArNziGFTVGRfTpxDsZ79fpjCGYUAx5Jm4muRvAbAqSmZdsWB1XlJw=s640" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEinstpFtfH246ZNmAr6yAQjaN1SJEBWXdvEm7B6akVXdV8w56Gkvfa-ziAaHmsU8njYvhWecVnSStXx-At_ubvG-bFyHz201SmdXbQERpIE6TJap1nQPcYLmRg8zDvRQKroS-IH0ArNziGFTVGRfTpxDsZ79fpjCGYUAx5Jm4muRvAbAqSmZdsWB1XlJw=s320" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh-oM1xoxN6N5Bh2RKGdHspVVPxHFSaiStnoitz7LmXJVay3vs8VhCL8RW9aMjr-swQIU4pimMXGAtWiqDAxgLvcLzHcVromCiq4ndBFIiMI7tSwMflUw4MLieXVy4aoiuIO9nwnhoFlWjVwuNikG4PR3BEU92oUG4AkHz3SuaLYLMPxg5cxRdepVriuw=s640" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh-oM1xoxN6N5Bh2RKGdHspVVPxHFSaiStnoitz7LmXJVay3vs8VhCL8RW9aMjr-swQIU4pimMXGAtWiqDAxgLvcLzHcVromCiq4ndBFIiMI7tSwMflUw4MLieXVy4aoiuIO9nwnhoFlWjVwuNikG4PR3BEU92oUG4AkHz3SuaLYLMPxg5cxRdepVriuw=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></div><br />This second dress is actually a Frankenpattern using the Burda Easy turtleneck top pattern and extending it by overlaying to lengthen in another Burda knit dress to get the silhouette right. I think it could still use some pulling in with a belt.<p></p><p>Burda's website no longer shows these last two patterns as Burda Easy downloads. They seem to have morphed into Burda Catalogue paper patterns...but for the record, these are what I overlaid to get a pattern for a pretty standard turtleneck knit dress.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOtglaVxq5e6vLNpSNqraJcTqpOgDEqxbR899phMTm-4pun4iDY5vN06IsbjIb9GwBjSrHnqUM0v--WHYcCqWtHFn71C65-y4mSmboTvwYt-z27U8hw7aUe5fYGDB8tKYGjLNcYE_W5Hz9hCVEcTgfcYYh0PS-ZGqALOc-r1L1oCi0nYwiI3Vw9MnOpw/s1306/Screenshot 2022-02-08 at 13.01.11.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1306" data-original-width="1026" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOtglaVxq5e6vLNpSNqraJcTqpOgDEqxbR899phMTm-4pun4iDY5vN06IsbjIb9GwBjSrHnqUM0v--WHYcCqWtHFn71C65-y4mSmboTvwYt-z27U8hw7aUe5fYGDB8tKYGjLNcYE_W5Hz9hCVEcTgfcYYh0PS-ZGqALOc-r1L1oCi0nYwiI3Vw9MnOpw/s320/Screenshot 2022-02-08 at 13.01.11.png" width="251" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijNOyus9QmoXkygAI59Lm_FffuIdPzETbA-XyqCWBWDnmvgzNaYcBC4XJNY7IiEPnJCKjl_BNBRoS9fh-mZrPyxJEtGlCLdDEIsIK_Wqc5T5PkYbcp2amS5ZhUsOp0UAk5VQUpDbIWYuizDiE-R89TM9nRaRQHWUA-wGlnlCR36vu1VbdORsg8K6Effw/s1484/Screenshot 2022-02-08 at 13.02.39.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1484" data-original-width="1060" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijNOyus9QmoXkygAI59Lm_FffuIdPzETbA-XyqCWBWDnmvgzNaYcBC4XJNY7IiEPnJCKjl_BNBRoS9fh-mZrPyxJEtGlCLdDEIsIK_Wqc5T5PkYbcp2amS5ZhUsOp0UAk5VQUpDbIWYuizDiE-R89TM9nRaRQHWUA-wGlnlCR36vu1VbdORsg8K6Effw/s320/Screenshot 2022-02-08 at 13.02.39.png" width="229" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p><br /></p><p>Both were as promised, quite quick and easy sews. In fact, I think I spent as much time tracing and prepping the patterns as cutting out and sewing up the dresses! And frankly, life right now is still Covid-limited and all my more beautiful or formal clothes for concerts or dinners out are languishing in the back of the closet. The lurex number was just right for a family New Year's Eve dinner at home with a son and girlfriend. I've found myself regularly pulling out the dolman number for any day I'm just damned sick of my denim jumpsuits and stretch leggings.</p><p><br /></p>Inkstainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14961194929547402778noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4375252611624193232.post-10784629491530184432021-11-04T10:13:00.000-07:002021-11-04T10:13:05.450-07:00So I tried Patrones for the first time..with mixed results<p>After my long gripe about the repetition of designs from <i>BurdaStyle</i>, I had to put my needle where my mouth was, so to speak, and try another pattern company. Here in Switzerland we get some translated versions of <i>Patrones</i> magazines, delayed by at least one season after translation into <i>Couture Actuelle </i>with instructions that are even more minimal than <i>Burda's</i>, and outlined on the pattern sheet in only half the sizese.g. If you wear a 42, you might have to guesstimate when tracing between the lines for size 40 and 44. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuEo5XdFydyQcOac0CXTz30TPQtwxvcV6m75_iOpW6qka7bCe1xYkEYgUGmrFqBIOSN3yF_XgYwGK-Hnal2mipb7dAVS_3A0Sre1mwTr1Ha4KkoDg47hY_QYUGruGu4klvCp4nzuZu5VkB/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="264" data-original-width="191" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuEo5XdFydyQcOac0CXTz30TPQtwxvcV6m75_iOpW6qka7bCe1xYkEYgUGmrFqBIOSN3yF_XgYwGK-Hnal2mipb7dAVS_3A0Sre1mwTr1Ha4KkoDg47hY_QYUGruGu4klvCp4nzuZu5VkB/" width="174" /></a></div>But still, some of their designs are very chic indeed. And lately Burda has been looking clunky rather than trendy.<div><br /></div><div>(But in one of the draggiest new developments in the home sewing world, this company sells translated magazines too late in the season or only make their patterns available online to people outside the Spanish market via an app on Google Play for downloading pdfs. For the French market, it seems, they choose to translate some of the mags, but not every one, as far as I can make out.)<p></p><p>Anyway, I grabbed the French version of the magazine above, full of some delicious maxis meant for last spring. I had a bit of a drama trying to estimate whether my size was the same as the German <i>Burda</i> ones, and according to the charts, I had to size up.</p><p>I'd seen a lot of patchwork motifs this summer and got a nice, fun viscose for nothing much from Coupons de St-Pierre. The colors were a bit drabber than I expected, definitely on the autumnal side. So I traced out this maxi shirtdress:</p><p>and where I would have been a 42 bodice, I went up to 44 and traced a 46 skirt. In the end, I got this:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0N7MmerZOUlq4AMl2cfM414aRR29x0KJJqFPnGYmCKyxyHqlKVMGe6Ai9IN6Sfm2qDnxep9OJyB5-K02ayyXzwHrhnnB_6Rs5Jbq2sQcHFLSCoXCBDxftPYe9LwWWCy1kE4JQLIgQ9D0w/" style="background-color: red; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0N7MmerZOUlq4AMl2cfM414aRR29x0KJJqFPnGYmCKyxyHqlKVMGe6Ai9IN6Sfm2qDnxep9OJyB5-K02ayyXzwHrhnnB_6Rs5Jbq2sQcHFLSCoXCBDxftPYe9LwWWCy1kE4JQLIgQ9D0w/w480-h640/IMG_4223.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU61kCrrP3g7AzLE2if_XDy7IiGNesz3MBYj0sp0VcBQNyTAXy-lKcsjdraxd6_Xd00M_M1r757tyMor0D42amz1e05IExvKiNTkgDV6T29KpQcZGYom5BVGy0wpN3NJxca4uEG91OuSXX/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU61kCrrP3g7AzLE2if_XDy7IiGNesz3MBYj0sp0VcBQNyTAXy-lKcsjdraxd6_Xd00M_M1r757tyMor0D42amz1e05IExvKiNTkgDV6T29KpQcZGYom5BVGy0wpN3NJxca4uEG91OuSXX/w480-h640/IMG_4215.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">It wasn't entirely a failure, and certainly educational. The bodice is just too roomy and the armholes too low. I had to take in both sides of the skirt before inserting the side zipper by hand. I shortened the skirt when I saw that it was just all TOO MUCH, too much patchwork business, too much fabric, and way, way too much droopiness. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">After finishing the dress, I did what I should have done from the outset. It turns out that I should have cut a 40 everywhere in the bodie and moved to a 44 in hips and waist.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I don't know about other people's experiences with<i> Patrones</i>, but I suspect the mandarin collar piece was not well drafted, as it proved too short to enclose over the upper edges of the front facing. I re-checked the pattern template sheet to make sure I'd been faithful to the lines. I had to rip and restitch the margin of both front collar curves, reducing my 1.5 cm seam allowance down to a mere 7mm seam to make the piece long enough to enclose and complete finishing the raw blouse facing upper end edges.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I'm also not convinced by the style of the skirt's design. It was made up of two semi-circles which ended up with a lot of the drape collecting at the sides and resulted in bias droop at the sides, while the center of each piece was not cut on the bias, making it shorter in front and back than the sides. I let the skirt hang overnight and remedied the uneven hem with careful handstitching. A skirt this full, should in my opinion, be cut in more equal gores, to distribute the bias droop, like the McCall's maxi described in a previous post about 'pink dresses'.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Fed up a little, I realized I had no inclination to make a man's type tailored cuff in the sleeves, so I binned the interfaced cuffs and went for an elasticated ruffle sleeve which was more in keeping with the feminine feeling of the patchwork. By sheer coincidence, I had three self-covered buttons in my stash left over for many decades from my (now grown) daughter's baptism dress sewn in pink silk. They look fine, and as there was no need to insert buttonholes, I did a dirty fix and just sewed the bodice closed under the buttons.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I've styled it here with a brown leather belt. It's not a dream dress, but not a disaster, as experiments go. I'm not quite sold on <i>Patrones</i> as a substitute for <i>BurdaStyle</i> yet, but I may try a smaller project like a blouse to get the fitting/sizing right.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I wore it to host a luncheon last weekend and got one compliment on it, which was nice.</div><br /><p></p><p><br /></p></div>Inkstainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14961194929547402778noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4375252611624193232.post-44967518935874159452021-10-06T02:49:00.002-07:002021-10-06T02:49:23.000-07:00Is Burda going bankrupt? Or just bankrupt of ideas? They're pushing the limit of reselling us old patterns. As far as I'm concerned, sell your shares now...<p></p>Don't get me wrong. I love Burda, which replaced Vogue Patterns in my sewing room years ago, (when I began to find Vogue patterns were not only overpriced, especially when mailed from the US to Europe, but just a little...over-designed and bordering on weird.)<div><br /><div><div>Clearly, my happy, youthful days of sewing upmarket classics from Ralph Lauren, Yves St-Laurent and Donna Karan from good old Vogue Designer patterns was never to return. So I collected and then began to subscribe to Burda. I've now got all the issues going back to late 2008. Every one.</div><div><br /><div>And really, I'm worrying about Burda's commercial viability, as they seem to be reducing the number of designs each month and recycling old patterns among those offerings with hardly an apology. I've randomly collected here some of the very recent examples where I've caught Burda's team 'taking our money for old rope,' as the sad saying goes.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Coming up for the November issue, for example, is the new winter coat!!! oh oh...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhxklELOoYBsWWv5uwtzF2OPfXehAX7vgNhLqrRkXlNWo-NpNlilWopjWVq7mFyIHT9-Fd2htNj9TdsxakyUR8DeeEqpkGUo1qvDcJAs6dafN20Im75g2066qnTaZlJW5bhucgzMi14bHxyASyKIs8nJ-JD7n1DeZU7-yxP4qJjG6qCQ7ZIxlBwYBxTcA=s773" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="580" data-original-width="773" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhxklELOoYBsWWv5uwtzF2OPfXehAX7vgNhLqrRkXlNWo-NpNlilWopjWVq7mFyIHT9-Fd2htNj9TdsxakyUR8DeeEqpkGUo1qvDcJAs6dafN20Im75g2066qnTaZlJW5bhucgzMi14bHxyASyKIs8nJ-JD7n1DeZU7-yxP4qJjG6qCQ7ZIxlBwYBxTcA=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Do I mean the old trenchcoat here, from October 2015, with the only difference being the gathered sleeve hem?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiS0sDm-5Ol6dIjlyo5oT3qYcrVwEzXvTOuwJu5zHiLUE25bmYLwZHE-bodbM1J4UYhsZGK1ZSXFvZ8LV0L-OOGRz71gZhndVAhjUmoESQNbafGxdYSMb47ZB0BUK--A8KPozyNXPwYioNnwbwEtr3Fc4A5Y1_i3KAnA3grsnm70UhlJpphBkdOrW_Dtg=s1040" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1040" data-original-width="952" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiS0sDm-5Ol6dIjlyo5oT3qYcrVwEzXvTOuwJu5zHiLUE25bmYLwZHE-bodbM1J4UYhsZGK1ZSXFvZ8LV0L-OOGRz71gZhndVAhjUmoESQNbafGxdYSMb47ZB0BUK--A8KPozyNXPwYioNnwbwEtr3Fc4A5Y1_i3KAnA3grsnm70UhlJpphBkdOrW_Dtg=s320" width="293" /></a></div>Howbout the dress they sold me in the September 2021 issue, which looks just like a rehab with longer sleeves of a dress I bought from them in April 2014, below?</div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6BUZ2C9Us17_800hm96ZVo_93dUoLfhkkJphSYxZnQuKbLLm8tbQgEWDiNENpd8xfLhB_ITt0fhwi9BhIsa7kPhxTLqTYQwKwsHTMIrxbLuEDCtq4cxL7RK00uQD4m7q_gbXsBwgZcFeq/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6BUZ2C9Us17_800hm96ZVo_93dUoLfhkkJphSYxZnQuKbLLm8tbQgEWDiNENpd8xfLhB_ITt0fhwi9BhIsa7kPhxTLqTYQwKwsHTMIrxbLuEDCtq4cxL7RK00uQD4m7q_gbXsBwgZcFeq/" width="180" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKtUz0pHLkef_LGGzFNTzyCE1vZ38w2LYLJKi3R7L6iAtIV5ntFpzRL4OHmHrU-2Rqyk0Tm8ROtWDJZqW2Zom8PmaR2GOjNhp28rFHTSM4YMyYnO1-t61cTFeHAr7pxUBvwEPU6cS8KI_o/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKtUz0pHLkef_LGGzFNTzyCE1vZ38w2LYLJKi3R7L6iAtIV5ntFpzRL4OHmHrU-2Rqyk0Tm8ROtWDJZqW2Zom8PmaR2GOjNhp28rFHTSM4YMyYnO1-t61cTFeHAr7pxUBvwEPU6cS8KI_o/" width="180" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">But wait, what about the stylish trenchcoat they offered last month?</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWFmt0CEpn95FkMNHqos2Q3Z9GUnFC0UtKQ7F2bf1NlDfdHQasjBk2J2EPGQ2a5s5UVkRh12VGdfgjAQBbmdrnXKrMyaJXBE4nEJ-ekR-2oB8xv4oChDg-DtNtAilxyfBExjC0iCjxweMM/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWFmt0CEpn95FkMNHqos2Q3Z9GUnFC0UtKQ7F2bf1NlDfdHQasjBk2J2EPGQ2a5s5UVkRh12VGdfgjAQBbmdrnXKrMyaJXBE4nEJ-ekR-2oB8xv4oChDg-DtNtAilxyfBExjC0iCjxweMM/" width="180" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Oh, oh, here it is looking pretty familiar, from my back issue of November 2012. The only change was in the storm flap at the back.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGIj8fRotAMDA68Rjyrs2llAs3EMkVDV4x1u0iTsl1GU_GvlL8SilemgGq2Pj5fxWWRGfG8Qp1ceKh8ILFGwnFVDJmFHa8hqoLDcAgu7hJ7VRgWQdrgTwHPs-AFmiPMjz4ca2W8PitM2cy/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGIj8fRotAMDA68Rjyrs2llAs3EMkVDV4x1u0iTsl1GU_GvlL8SilemgGq2Pj5fxWWRGfG8Qp1ceKh8ILFGwnFVDJmFHa8hqoLDcAgu7hJ7VRgWQdrgTwHPs-AFmiPMjz4ca2W8PitM2cy/" width="180" /></a></div></div>But surely this is new? That natty October 2021 jacket?<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Mw0hzDUAb4AkKXtDbjww9zHKYnYAqcVQtKm-thg1U5X_bAibSCWADqu53htUROY7jWmtcl58MS8YZ5p1_uxlsxEVjUBFuXRJRLztZTHb-LaYH_IXD9iZlKCG-LqKx__M8E1byUOP7XEj/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Mw0hzDUAb4AkKXtDbjww9zHKYnYAqcVQtKm-thg1U5X_bAibSCWADqu53htUROY7jWmtcl58MS8YZ5p1_uxlsxEVjUBFuXRJRLztZTHb-LaYH_IXD9iZlKCG-LqKx__M8E1byUOP7XEj/w177-h236/IMG_4207.JPG" width="177" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Nope, it's already on my shelf in the November 2011 issue but resized. Gee, thanks, Burda.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4nMly9NxuNVHjFPRTDFXv6_gvQrmgKKtAecH6tyys5R3kpZ10h1oKT1EQmmhtHH6IS-WQ7iboyKUXh0d8TOfsoV-Y4CIAh4klydBj1Pv9yHaBGRZxXb-DN4OJIP8ZbKZ8vY_L9fXetM2E/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4nMly9NxuNVHjFPRTDFXv6_gvQrmgKKtAecH6tyys5R3kpZ10h1oKT1EQmmhtHH6IS-WQ7iboyKUXh0d8TOfsoV-Y4CIAh4klydBj1Pv9yHaBGRZxXb-DN4OJIP8ZbKZ8vY_L9fXetM2E/" width="180" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And that dress they served up for this month in October 2021's issue? Well, you can see its little brother to the left here, which I already purchased in the issue of August 2009.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpneIKUbpZsoA7QaGXRXa0aRlXmdv4y4iK4GbEL-7XqdB7ucEDXewCZOSWtyqcRQD32E36Uw_LBg2Os5YNkbDKjAzkQ3nLPbg39tqxgYg9-YQzdwMvvRzsg5KF7GmxF5dKgAUq_al4yt8q/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpneIKUbpZsoA7QaGXRXa0aRlXmdv4y4iK4GbEL-7XqdB7ucEDXewCZOSWtyqcRQD32E36Uw_LBg2Os5YNkbDKjAzkQ3nLPbg39tqxgYg9-YQzdwMvvRzsg5KF7GmxF5dKgAUq_al4yt8q/" width="180" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieV_gzEL8sScrQurQAlwrgDAQj70h10ffzLnpUOzGN6AMs3YvpYLZepZQUWvtPFndg4y2C6QgdKY0lSr7mK2yJ7qMpmR1LLmnc6S6CnbVIkKq54MGPGD3E6wlCvx9IqUrzAmQvqHp_yubB/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieV_gzEL8sScrQurQAlwrgDAQj70h10ffzLnpUOzGN6AMs3YvpYLZepZQUWvtPFndg4y2C6QgdKY0lSr7mK2yJ7qMpmR1LLmnc6S6CnbVIkKq54MGPGD3E6wlCvx9IqUrzAmQvqHp_yubB/" width="180" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Now I'm not going to blame them is their pencil skirt of every season resembles its cousins from years past. Or a classic blouson jacket looks like its elder brother. There's only so many ways you can design a gathered or pleated skirt.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">But really. Is there anyone home at Burda? Anyone who might see this post and rethink their rehash policy? I don't have many followers for this blog and I feel like I'm screaming my protest into the void. The magazine seems to have a new editor, a man who might think he's part of a streamlining team, but in reality he might be the costcutting new broom who's taking us for mugs before he merges Burda into some conglomerate for selling off.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /><br /> <p></p></div></div></div></div>Inkstainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14961194929547402778noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4375252611624193232.post-51354930943982512672021-08-27T08:59:00.005-07:002021-08-27T08:59:58.580-07:00Palate cleanser, a Marinière knit t-dress made from elongated pattern from Burda Easy May 2020<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgga6xAs5_wGhbOrqKiuixAk2aQjqPy2NFT-LqajpSW_Fs2XcJ92XZ2PyqI6MDcZdjaNl0V-dHqsJbWUbRMIv23HGr-Ii_3ato0LPEgtFrbRrq5hT3zlTosJvT0Bb-l_KBto1hh_cqkn7y9/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgga6xAs5_wGhbOrqKiuixAk2aQjqPy2NFT-LqajpSW_Fs2XcJ92XZ2PyqI6MDcZdjaNl0V-dHqsJbWUbRMIv23HGr-Ii_3ato0LPEgtFrbRrq5hT3zlTosJvT0Bb-l_KBto1hh_cqkn7y9/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Trdu_TudfRepzgFH3IQLXDtf0jfsQsDB8RuSrU6sqs3Sed_OxPgG6_RVfxyOJGNhd9Zc9NTTdeiHFEC1ZePKblg_qdNkMwBzcPpb0rMjobCGms6Svrv1-RIFRjuA97o_hTzgYAQ8tt6_/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Trdu_TudfRepzgFH3IQLXDtf0jfsQsDB8RuSrU6sqs3Sed_OxPgG6_RVfxyOJGNhd9Zc9NTTdeiHFEC1ZePKblg_qdNkMwBzcPpb0rMjobCGms6Svrv1-RIFRjuA97o_hTzgYAQ8tt6_/w480-h640/IMG_4162.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYfsK9xDcm7pk1SX5uThs-yukWhfXxGlvmV8xnsluVmZPbZI9d2LXdoBk1UVGFq5zgVhSUPLRXm70n7BCMZr6QViWp19wwBPowa_fL7rtePUDSfXcnd-GAi7f5cAgYNUFgHrWAnqXJPj8u/s1014/Screenshot+2021-08-27+at+17.53.31.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1014" data-original-width="812" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYfsK9xDcm7pk1SX5uThs-yukWhfXxGlvmV8xnsluVmZPbZI9d2LXdoBk1UVGFq5zgVhSUPLRXm70n7BCMZr6QViWp19wwBPowa_fL7rtePUDSfXcnd-GAi7f5cAgYNUFgHrWAnqXJPj8u/s320/Screenshot+2021-08-27+at+17.53.31.png" width="256" /></a></div><br /></div><br />After my weeks of fussing over the pink summer maxis from McCalls and BurdaStyle, I needed a quickie palate cleanser. So I threw together this striped T-shirt dress by elongating a Burda Easy boatneck T-shirt pattern from a long tunic into a below-the-knee version.<div><br /><div>In the end, it wasn't so easy. This pattern was too rudimentary for my taste. Without a separate binding offered by Burda for the neckline, I ended up finishing the raw edge three times, twice by machine zigzag and then a third roll-over by hand to give the neckline the necessary body to stay flat against the chest and not curl over. I also finished the hem and sleeves by hand using an invisible stitch.</div><div><br /></div><div>The dress was too big the first time I wore it, (I'd cut a 42-45) and I had to put it back under the needle and take in a good inch on both sides and also insert an open inverted pleat at the center back neckline taking in a full two inches, (a nice design feature in the end) because the 42 was just too large around my neck. Next time I would cut a 40 at the neck. I also had a bit of trouble matching up the black stripes perfectly along both sides and had to entirely rip out and restitch one side altogether.</div><div><br /></div><div>This dark cotton knit is perfect for autumn and overall, it's just about what I wanted to throw on—a classic French sailor T-dress in a lively combo of colors for not much money from a Coupons de StPierre remnant.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p></div></div>Inkstainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14961194929547402778noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4375252611624193232.post-76946219005358488492021-07-21T11:04:00.000-07:002021-07-21T11:04:12.546-07:00The two 'Elle' Pink Dresses Experiment that almost didn't happen...because of fabric disasters. McCall's 7974 and Burda 'buffet dress' 4/2021/102<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">One of my COVID confinement resolutions over the past 18 months has been to improve my French and learn German, two of Switzerland's four official languages. It's about time! To help my French fluency and vocabulary, I subscribed to the daily <i>Le Temps</i> and the weekly <i>Elle</i> (which is pretty much eye candy, I admit.) There's not much to say here about the newspaper, which certainly informs me about local affairs. As for German, I finished with Duolingo and am now stumbling through murder mysteries by Donna Leon in the German editions by Diogenes.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Meanwhile, each week, (at least until the summer set in,) <i>Elle</i> did a set of dedicated fashion pages every week, which I always found inspiring during these unfashiony, depressing pandemic seasons. There was one page featuring their 'Dress of Spring' in pink ( see below) that I just fell in love with.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> I quickly ordered some viscose crepe and viscose rayony stuff in two retro flowered prints that I hoped would capture the 'feel' of the Elle looks. Please note that these were bargain-basement buys in pre-cut 3 metre lengths from Coupons de St-Pierre in Paris. We're not talking big bucks here.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And I searched far and wide (okay, okay I ran through my decades of Burda for an afternoon) looking at years of maxi patterns. Despite some misgivings about the 'muumuu' effect of a so-called 'buffet dress' on a woman my age, I finally opted to try the April 2021 Burda cover design (see in green below) after watching the Great British Sewing Bee episode on that style. I was taken with Burda's nice detail of turning the endless gatherings into stand-up ruffles along the cascading tiers. (I realize now that a buffet dress was precisely one look this Elle page avoided!)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijKq85Izh592cdrBqRiYtXV8ZRIpQbTAoguKc4YYkcEdgd5n9l_nejq4nWJFfNiBkWH5HpXL4SA7NW1-Sl6hT5Zxi7YdTNclvx7bszuhuTPgrHzlgYKpACKmm21KEaekfJV7AR86AXv3Yc/s2048/Elle+pink+dresses.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1521" height="508" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijKq85Izh592cdrBqRiYtXV8ZRIpQbTAoguKc4YYkcEdgd5n9l_nejq4nWJFfNiBkWH5HpXL4SA7NW1-Sl6hT5Zxi7YdTNclvx7bszuhuTPgrHzlgYKpACKmm21KEaekfJV7AR86AXv3Yc/w377-h508/Elle+pink+dresses.jpeg" width="377" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">For the second dress, I was going to settle for a Burda wrap dress when I fell in love instead with a cute model of McCall's 7974 worn on YouTube by the beautiful French sewist, Raphaelle Dvn, (see her version below) but Raphaelle is some forty years younger than I am. I should know better, right? This popular model is supposed to be a knockoff of something called the Cult Gaia Willow Dress. Okay. I'd never heard of it, but I'm not exactly ahead of trends.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">For weeks McCalls didn't have a paper version in stock, so I finally broke a longstanding resistance to PDF patterns and downloaded it during a $4.99 sale. I always hate Burda tracing, but I hate printing and scotch-taping computer paper even more. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I cut out the McCall's dress first. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">DISASTER! Only after I'd suffered through constructing the pattern, reminding myself that one time, long ago, I sewed with Big 4 patterns with seams included, and congratulated myself on an exhausting evening of pushing pins through stiff paper, did I glance down at the floor and see a long and important pattern piece still waiting UNUSED. It was the side back section of the skirt, "cut 2" no less..</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And I had no more fabric.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And of course, neither did the good people in Paris, because that is the point of their existence, selling remnants into nonexistence, right?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">So now what?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I had only five sections of a seven-section full gathered skirt: two front, two front side, and one back cut on fold. Anyway, after a night of kicking myself, I resolved to see if the sections of the skirt that I did have would reach around the waist seam, and praise the Sewing Gods, after basting with very narrow seams, they did—just. My dress now featured a kind of thirties-ish fitted and flowing skirt rather than a cottagey, gathered skirt. The result is not what McCalls intended, but perhaps a little less 'milkmaidy' on a woman of my years. (btw, the very low-cut V-neck required some digging into the lingerie drawer for an almost forgotten nude bra with a very low-cut middle.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The final insult of this project was that 7974 requires 13 buttons 13!!!!@$% and I had to order self-cover buttons all the way from Germany because my local Swiss outlets didn't have any in stock. Continuing my Olympic quest for Dodo of the Year Gold, I ordered 11 cm size when I should have ordered 15 cm; getting these tiny buggers covered with slippery viscose was the work of a whole weekend and many curses.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXZuuT7OoU1z1R5ihzpMTY-2zdeR9Hq-bjToEJzGxFOrHdXEfhlk1ZarNt_0qpMt0DCl7VvW5CmHYgoQnQHzvSF1AX3iVg9SFyxkllqiwlGa9PXSPBXjPvSgEK76Y544Zf4Zs90ZafBXQQ/s640/IMG_4133.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXZuuT7OoU1z1R5ihzpMTY-2zdeR9Hq-bjToEJzGxFOrHdXEfhlk1ZarNt_0qpMt0DCl7VvW5CmHYgoQnQHzvSF1AX3iVg9SFyxkllqiwlGa9PXSPBXjPvSgEK76Y544Zf4Zs90ZafBXQQ/s320/IMG_4133.JPG" /></a></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-sWBuoRy7VULVLZCrixy9O0E8LhxFDqeYx28bT6JaLYY89XqepS18JSlz1qw5wRvJ1rGr91aLBSAsbWgdbk0tHYJR9EFL7wrOKKzn15Fhm4jrOQvnkSuVhLgmM9oxTNRy2VSadcpsX2hH/s640/IMG_4139.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-sWBuoRy7VULVLZCrixy9O0E8LhxFDqeYx28bT6JaLYY89XqepS18JSlz1qw5wRvJ1rGr91aLBSAsbWgdbk0tHYJR9EFL7wrOKKzn15Fhm4jrOQvnkSuVhLgmM9oxTNRy2VSadcpsX2hH/s320/IMG_4139.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTBUUmYM5G5XIluO5kuTjgKK60YRHB3Fj8Vnf529rRw6Yx76bCsDA24SJppKL0wWYNEYvSoFaywWtQtEl78USICvA74-FNDj3vyEQgAJ3wvSsX8-UJweHQ_RO7zdAQ2Hg1O5_yVigfokVh/s1320/Screenshot+2021-07-21+at+17.26.31.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1320" data-original-width="810" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTBUUmYM5G5XIluO5kuTjgKK60YRHB3Fj8Vnf529rRw6Yx76bCsDA24SJppKL0wWYNEYvSoFaywWtQtEl78USICvA74-FNDj3vyEQgAJ3wvSsX8-UJweHQ_RO7zdAQ2Hg1O5_yVigfokVh/s320/Screenshot+2021-07-21+at+17.26.31.png" /></a></div></div></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ3de-90fIJ-_GzqvBiQ3y9d8bubeHcLLeTz3PuJ7iI600XjTJaQsnZ4XhVmf-JJR1N0DKEzBw1yM9jCPw6dBFX0e6PEJdvUfGM2pS3MAmZMcIFNWfHbyfATl55Tzsm43z2o6ISASoaPC3/s1210/Screenshot+2021-07-21+at+17.59.59.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1210" data-original-width="962" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ3de-90fIJ-_GzqvBiQ3y9d8bubeHcLLeTz3PuJ7iI600XjTJaQsnZ4XhVmf-JJR1N0DKEzBw1yM9jCPw6dBFX0e6PEJdvUfGM2pS3MAmZMcIFNWfHbyfATl55Tzsm43z2o6ISASoaPC3/s320/Screenshot+2021-07-21+at+17.59.59.png" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Raphaelle Dvn, in Corsica, a lovely sewist on instagram, and Pinterest. Her vlog is great for practicing French comprehension with a slightly regional twist.</div><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />And Disaster Two? On to the Burda cover dress. This demanded a mammoth job of cutting out many ever-increasingly large rectangles and again, I was trying to squeeze a 4-metre maxi pattern into a 3-metre remnant. I was pretty crafty by now and managed it by cutting the bottom tier as economically as possible and making up a little shortfall of about twelve inches wide using fabric left uncut elsewhere along the margine of the shortest, upper tier.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This is a slightly kinder V-neck than the McCalls in the bust area—still deep but not 'find me a special bra' deep. Also it asks for rouleau button loops. I hate making rouleau loops. Mine came out like little origami folded triangles, instead of loops.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Also, you can't tell from Burda's line drawing (below) but it includes a simple, non-gathered mini-lining under the neck-facings down to mid-thigh. This gives you a built-in slip—nice if you're using very lightweight fabric as your main fabric. Not nice, if you forgot to order lining fabric and have to waste time going to a store to get it. (Me, of course.)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4rYkj3l39-7QqdHMSXvbCWHGRNiUCTYMuFzcrviAplbV7YJdfonmPHZkqwsH6myAzaTv6bWs9qKSPGYmu1YpPxYEPQxFocQE7Z7xOu9Lx4fQC0jlkrg9rHwUBNjQNmWYG_sFU5Qy337Zs/s972/Screenshot+2021-07-21+at+18.32.05.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="972" data-original-width="752" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4rYkj3l39-7QqdHMSXvbCWHGRNiUCTYMuFzcrviAplbV7YJdfonmPHZkqwsH6myAzaTv6bWs9qKSPGYmu1YpPxYEPQxFocQE7Z7xOu9Lx4fQC0jlkrg9rHwUBNjQNmWYG_sFU5Qy337Zs/s320/Screenshot+2021-07-21+at+18.32.05.png" /></a></div><br />But you should use a very, very, very lightweight fabric. Even my crinkly viscose crepe is a little too thick. Because this dress is a fabric hog. You want to feel like you're flowing in the light seabreeze, not drowning in a shroud, readied for burial, right?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">But that wasn't the disaster, believe it or not. I could live with the sneaky piecing in the back of the lowest tier, and the pointy button loops, and the missing-lining-fabric-excursion, but only after assembling the dress (by which I mean endless nights of gathering) did I notice a hole and a rip about an inch long, damage from the tagging by St-Pierre in the warehouse, smack in the center front of the upper tier. Had I examined the fabric before cutting, these tears would have been relegated to the back of the bottom tier or left altogether on the cutting room floor.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Well, I'd had it by then—well past cursing. This whole Pink-Dress-of-Spring-Thing had taken up weeks of my time and spring 2021 was well over! So I just finely machine-seamed these two tears closed and hoped for the best, ironing them as flat as possible. Luckily wrinkly crepe takes an iron well. Can you find them now? I can't— and I'm wearing the damn thing.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">But let's be frank. There is a Sad Sack thing going on with this Burda model on me. Notice the lighter fabric on the Burda girl doesn't pull down the Empire waistline like my viscose crepe does. Short of a seabreeze on a terrace in an Italian hotel at sunset, I feel more 'muumuu' than buffet. But before I bin it, I think perhaps I'll raise the hem a few inches and sit on a jungle tree stump in heels like the lady above. Or at least give it a straw hat and some higher wedge sandals...and a cocktail.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVgfpKlTsZNXy21o-BTDZSSXi_pjrdLFHFRZQEXP8d09kGUwI2wX-3Ph8kg4hEavYL7DDg-xgXD679f-QtqW2LKzG6D0sa05x0qgnXOtEbCRoMgjbffcrkQhCm9dPTsZmrlTWchjddw40N/s974/Screenshot+2021-07-21+at+18.32.21.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="974" data-original-width="744" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVgfpKlTsZNXy21o-BTDZSSXi_pjrdLFHFRZQEXP8d09kGUwI2wX-3Ph8kg4hEavYL7DDg-xgXD679f-QtqW2LKzG6D0sa05x0qgnXOtEbCRoMgjbffcrkQhCm9dPTsZmrlTWchjddw40N/s320/Screenshot+2021-07-21+at+18.32.21.png" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdcDscVSosOk3VsIiES31ljvgA55HKfd8UMVdLTWc0jQzyKUAhXiZceClfKQER4Sf75-1Kn7TTdv10BTx5rrXKfwpnvDEVFCYPba9xPZIgntaTBtGtjscoEowFjLDB_3RV6IQxt5p04A2A/s640/IMG_4097.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdcDscVSosOk3VsIiES31ljvgA55HKfd8UMVdLTWc0jQzyKUAhXiZceClfKQER4Sf75-1Kn7TTdv10BTx5rrXKfwpnvDEVFCYPba9xPZIgntaTBtGtjscoEowFjLDB_3RV6IQxt5p04A2A/s320/IMG_4097.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimy19raXfhfk6m6lVuZGCMrr-jvAmwryVSsbOnYJTACW8xkQGeWV-w_0SXvoaPdPtuxwyKmqo7ZFMRRj_GCqznwgBqHj2hmwuhIJpUsRqJ-B_s0k_EwSxBHUWK9kaeEb3L9rktdhc18B6-/s640/IMG_4127.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimy19raXfhfk6m6lVuZGCMrr-jvAmwryVSsbOnYJTACW8xkQGeWV-w_0SXvoaPdPtuxwyKmqo7ZFMRRj_GCqznwgBqHj2hmwuhIJpUsRqJ-B_s0k_EwSxBHUWK9kaeEb3L9rktdhc18B6-/s320/IMG_4127.JPG" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br /> <p></p>Inkstainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14961194929547402778noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4375252611624193232.post-49506043539967064082021-07-13T01:14:00.002-07:002021-07-13T02:11:54.178-07:00Burda's 'origami?' or 'Japanese?' wrap dress, February 2/2021/101<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This dress couldn't be simpler to make and I imagine what determines the outcome, even more than usual, is your choice of fabric. I used a pure cotton remnant from Coupons de St Pierre in Paris (https://www.les-coupons-de-saint-pierre.fr/fr/) </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">who supply offcuts of 3 metres each for a song. It took me a while to get them to ship into Switzerland where I have to make sure that every order comes in under Sf60 including postage, so the total doesn't double because of added import taxes (EU to Switz).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I chose a floral that looks rather Japanese because the wrapped tie design struck me as slightly reminiscent of an obi tied at the back of a geisha's waist. My fabric might even be a quilting cotton, since it isn't drapey or see-through but it is certainly lightweight and I wore a short slip underneath for a little body here in the Swiss mountain summer.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I might have lengthened the skirt slightly, but not by much, and I included a bit of side slit to ease walking. The folded cuff is interfaced and sewn down which I like (not rolled, like in Burda's photo) and I finished off the seam edges inside with a simple zigzag stitch. (I don't have a serger, and frankly, have survived over 50 years without one.) </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">My one complaint about the design is that this dress begs for pockets, which I will add.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">From the front, the design can have a slightly dowdy housecoat feel to it, (needs a necklace to improve the plain V neckline) but the bow over the butt at the back is very saucy, if done in a crisp fabric. Linen might also be nice. Burda used a viscose for their rendition (see below) which might reduce the perky bow effect, but seems to have made their bodice more flatteringly drapey. (Mine comes off as a bit boxy.)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Anyway, it was perfect for a recent Sunday lunch here at home where I did all the cooking and didn't want to wear anything floaty or unwashable over a gas flame and spattering frying pan.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I would say this is a perfect dress to throw on for an elegant breakfast buffet in a really nice hotel resort, or sightseeing with hat and sandals. Not as vulgar as shorts or as revealing as a sarong, but very easy to pack flat, light and simple as a bathrobe, yet flirty and fresh.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU7Qxm-Li7YNIIc7gSoJvL17U2YxpXODcvK0dE9-rAWM30tu5lb90YOVx6nLa6J5Bmgg9fORfFKp-QN-9GmtrsFrjDa0u6mB6otPXTC6xvuzk4dZpBKGX6xKjUwnUvsJPK_GSAm5Nv2HZV/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU7Qxm-Li7YNIIc7gSoJvL17U2YxpXODcvK0dE9-rAWM30tu5lb90YOVx6nLa6J5Bmgg9fORfFKp-QN-9GmtrsFrjDa0u6mB6otPXTC6xvuzk4dZpBKGX6xKjUwnUvsJPK_GSAm5Nv2HZV/w300-h400/IMG_4082.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br /><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvUq01UCv957aIOZ0Rpuv6dw-8cINxLvS99IVxyPYcD4STVdy3OKnOocpnTk_5_0_0DzeSj6Efo7tlTfpQrDT0mv1c3mL519_rCNK4E9ST5k5z-M8mDD1rgOyPAG4cQrjk-DEdOPg907z-/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvUq01UCv957aIOZ0Rpuv6dw-8cINxLvS99IVxyPYcD4STVdy3OKnOocpnTk_5_0_0DzeSj6Efo7tlTfpQrDT0mv1c3mL519_rCNK4E9ST5k5z-M8mDD1rgOyPAG4cQrjk-DEdOPg907z-/w300-h400/IMG_4087.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcZ8jdLVAbvuj24LsulTB1pOhpKFs4aartijgJYYCJucWoWJwBuzZVhRWLkmJaXobek9qfO1oo9SX9mhcAAZAsFu87hHD0nHJ6cua6OeCIGgMnQHOZE5FhOfk9uKAL5Fg2JB0t5H0tgEAQ/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="286" data-original-width="214" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcZ8jdLVAbvuj24LsulTB1pOhpKFs4aartijgJYYCJucWoWJwBuzZVhRWLkmJaXobek9qfO1oo9SX9mhcAAZAsFu87hHD0nHJ6cua6OeCIGgMnQHOZE5FhOfk9uKAL5Fg2JB0t5H0tgEAQ/" width="180" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglJ8RIqzQGhqI2u8XwYopIJXOuIL82YueSg9mVromDgS9f35Wlt_DqNNJYLeXV-H3IzyTxLP2UE9TyjGRE-GkOqmYrtQEkcHVNRXlO5Z1LA1jzGbb_CneqbJWfusDqzH1dOQ4GhQbdMLqR/s750/Screenshot+2021-07-13+at+10.00.48.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="498" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglJ8RIqzQGhqI2u8XwYopIJXOuIL82YueSg9mVromDgS9f35Wlt_DqNNJYLeXV-H3IzyTxLP2UE9TyjGRE-GkOqmYrtQEkcHVNRXlO5Z1LA1jzGbb_CneqbJWfusDqzH1dOQ4GhQbdMLqR/s320/Screenshot+2021-07-13+at+10.00.48.png" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /><p></p>Inkstainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14961194929547402778noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4375252611624193232.post-50595433973887011452021-07-05T07:38:00.001-07:002021-07-05T07:38:26.328-07:00Another blue shirt with inserted, full dolman sleeves Burda 113, April 2020<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYANuu4GEyXp7skriAofiDhRiuZPQ_sM5naGgdOMRjKVsuvr5a_GpTxRuIQ1fnytLJD5cAOALNVgGZ5p4HByg1az6ZLzr6nxbDnSK58i0b-XbBvALQcKKr7q_hThcHt6TZ6zmIdUVCSEo-/s640/IMG_4030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYANuu4GEyXp7skriAofiDhRiuZPQ_sM5naGgdOMRjKVsuvr5a_GpTxRuIQ1fnytLJD5cAOALNVgGZ5p4HByg1az6ZLzr6nxbDnSK58i0b-XbBvALQcKKr7q_hThcHt6TZ6zmIdUVCSEo-/s320/IMG_4030.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb5jUrHw-l74MWNFRJ4viSxINVHnvhuBj57GWj2WSo2yimKCwV2qBuG0UyXRGwFCAI_nw7eHlFXWlE6U20oeLajNKvfF8SSHablkEd-14ZgH4nuXEMhRsHNx_Jz38BaHO2NFmyGvJWVwVy/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb5jUrHw-l74MWNFRJ4viSxINVHnvhuBj57GWj2WSo2yimKCwV2qBuG0UyXRGwFCAI_nw7eHlFXWlE6U20oeLajNKvfF8SSHablkEd-14ZgH4nuXEMhRsHNx_Jz38BaHO2NFmyGvJWVwVy/" width="320" /></a></div><br /> As part of a wardrobe that's becoming rather 'capsulized' around variations of French, cornflower, or light blue, this was a wildcard, a blouse with a difficult and voluminous cut that demands sharp interior corners to accommodate large dolman sleeves. Notice in the Burda photos just above the difference that fabrication makes--in the crisp cotton you get fuller sleeves and a good peek at the interesting design, while the viscose green on the righthand side droops to ill effect.<p></p><p>Unfortunately, I did my version in a strange blue viscose ordered online that lacks enough crisp hand to keep the definition. This blouse seems to be an unconscious echo of the drapey Burda blouse I made last year in a similar blue with a similarly strange diagonal cut and less than successful flouncy sleeves. </p><p>It seems that I just can't learn this lesson. If you want to get into architecturally-cut blouses that show off novelty lines, don't sew them in shapeless viscose!</p><p>Anyway, it's a cool-looking, loose-fitting piece that demands very hot weather, crisp white pants and a Greek shore.</p><p>Next up--I confess to an experiment with Fibre Mood, a nostalgic dip back into the McCall's pattern world of my youth and the famous (almost) Burda origami twist V-neck dress!</p>Inkstainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14961194929547402778noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4375252611624193232.post-8619990310314265072021-03-22T02:21:00.007-07:002021-03-22T09:32:09.113-07:00THE LONG READ; My version of the season's quilted jacket, made from six pairs of old jeans and lined with a patchwork of remnants, using Burda Easy pattern 06/20 #1B<p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRRT9GH09ic-FEEqaUKwV_KLTZMrmfGBFhUogb8R2nC3fvKizcAi8kFXxQFp-Cp9fAfgm8UVzTFZ2QpUe8RO9Z3JtpUEBLu4ETmwbu0n3uoQaLMkHS4lL616iLBHzGEIMpbONRLNAaTgPy/s640/IMG_3891.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRRT9GH09ic-FEEqaUKwV_KLTZMrmfGBFhUogb8R2nC3fvKizcAi8kFXxQFp-Cp9fAfgm8UVzTFZ2QpUe8RO9Z3JtpUEBLu4ETmwbu0n3uoQaLMkHS4lL616iLBHzGEIMpbONRLNAaTgPy/w480-h640/IMG_3891.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh84wtiPEFeMEkmKfQIyPkXM5TB62zoO1i4mF9Jr1Da1bzbbbvJrn8jQprnA-jhyynG8OKFMXwNLRg7uGPUkqK2QWlfSIyJrXqnENyQ8qGzvdEJRUubkUBEJm7EATP2NRytSSLQadWaaZFo/s976/Screenshot+2021-03-22+at+09.32.22.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="976" data-original-width="778" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh84wtiPEFeMEkmKfQIyPkXM5TB62zoO1i4mF9Jr1Da1bzbbbvJrn8jQprnA-jhyynG8OKFMXwNLRg7uGPUkqK2QWlfSIyJrXqnENyQ8qGzvdEJRUubkUBEJm7EATP2NRytSSLQadWaaZFo/w510-h640/Screenshot+2021-03-22+at+09.32.22.png" width="510" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br style="text-align: left;" /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI-T6rc40CUCHL47NK3dZNzjjyE19lj-hlRJgQHso71V6EPFgGD_Qh9e5j_ExrTkVlT7_ybnO0m0aJ2-AN9xS_zbJqhF1jmxvfdhhQ6iDKqqTZZA-hNEQwAj05FoKafyPuLy3LNNWiU5KC/s976/Screenshot+2021-03-22+at+09.32.01.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="976" data-original-width="778" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI-T6rc40CUCHL47NK3dZNzjjyE19lj-hlRJgQHso71V6EPFgGD_Qh9e5j_ExrTkVlT7_ybnO0m0aJ2-AN9xS_zbJqhF1jmxvfdhhQ6iDKqqTZZA-hNEQwAj05FoKafyPuLy3LNNWiU5KC/s320/Screenshot+2021-03-22+at+09.32.01.png" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">This project was more ambitious that many of my recent stints at the sewing machine. It started with one of my grown sons pulling a pile of used jeans out of his closet over Christmas in a big clean-up of his childhood bedroom. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I picked apart all these jeans to see what I could rescue. I became interested in doing a version of the popular quilted jacket with a touch of the Japanese denim work-jacket look, (although I wasn't prepared to go full-on recycled rags with shashiko embroidery.)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"> I considered a number of patterns, including a recent, collarless, Burda Style version of the popular Tamarack Jacket. But already, the basic shell of the jacket design above, from Burda Easy last summer, had caught my eye for that extra touch of the mandarin collar.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Well, it's done, at last. <i>Enfin.</i> Nailed it. But the whole project was a bit of a long-haul bitch, tbh.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">First I collected and quilted a lot of blue and white remnants from last summer's dress projects to produce a cotton lining, making sure that the sleeve linings would be in proper slippery fabric, of which I happily had just enough navy blue. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">The next stage of construction was a matter of feeling my way without the benefit of any instructions.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">(After patchworking together enough yardage for the lining, see below) I assessed as best I could the placement of the exterior pattern pieces on the denim. One of the reasons to opt for the Burda Easy pattern was the two-piece sleeve. I did not have any jeans piece that could accommodate an entire width of a standard sleeve.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Then after putting in the neckline darts on the four front pieces, I quilted all the denim pieces to the lining pieces one by one, allowing enough extra margin to allow for shrinkage during the quilting and to allow me to re-cut a cleaner seam allowance once the batting was sandwiched inside. The patchworking and quilting of all the elements of the jacket took a couple of weekends.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">A more serious drag was next: I constructed the side and shoulder seams and then found myself making bias binding from lining leftovers to enclose all the quilted interior seams that were pressed open. These raw seam edges couldn't be biased together because of the sheer thickness of each seam allowance. In retrospect, perhaps I should have assembled the jacket body and lining body pieces at the side and shoulder seams (I also had to introduce a center back seam to accommodate my narrow jeans pieces) and then quilted those two body pieces together before inserting the sleeves. And then there was the binding of the sleeve seams to do as well, requiring some very hot, tough steaming pressing to get them to behave, pressed outward.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I wasn't sure how to manage the collar which I wanted to ensure would stand high and not flop over. I ended up constructing a finished collar, very carefully quilting it after slipping the cut batting inside, and then attaching the finished collar directly to the jacket. This left me with a difficult bulk of seam around the neck but I didn't trim it down--that width of fat bulk was going to serve as a sort of stand supporting the collar upwards. I finished it by pressing the whole thick seam allowance affair down into the interior of the jacket and closing it up by hand-stitching an opened-up length of the bias over the interior as a clean facing.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I finished the edge of the jacket sleeves, front and bottom by HAND on both sides of the edges with the 30 cm navy blue cotton seam binding that I ordered online, along with the batting. I used the same bias binding to cover two large jacket snaps. I skipped the inserted pockets in the Burda pattern, as I wasn't sure how to do a clean insertion with all the quilted seams going on, so instead I stole two patch pockets from the jeans scraps to apply to the front.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I also rescued two belt loops from the jeans and found a completely forgotten belt in a shoebox. It's a bit of a tight cinch for me to close the belt and maybe I'm better off letting it hang, hence the belt loops.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">But overall, it's been a good COVID confinement project and I think it's a good jacket for casual, work and garden wear.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">And apart from the time expended, it was pretty much FREE.</div></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGICcqI-QQiUH_BmVd6shEBQRx222bQVzpMcy-N6XDZl24V1fGdaDzYu9oaTtoikB_ZMO0PR1F6SvpRdGRYqwl5JuVbzHwnBQA3w-EDTMhqfGu8RyWM3AAqALppXCxjgLJeQdKhYkgAE4-/s640/IMG_3790.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGICcqI-QQiUH_BmVd6shEBQRx222bQVzpMcy-N6XDZl24V1fGdaDzYu9oaTtoikB_ZMO0PR1F6SvpRdGRYqwl5JuVbzHwnBQA3w-EDTMhqfGu8RyWM3AAqALppXCxjgLJeQdKhYkgAE4-/s320/IMG_3790.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVbVVA0A8e_gaA87kftdi2u1tBO2nxX5upEZ1d9ozAr5ioIXpSvYQh_C7LhzjWpaUQvNtYilpennHnAblk6ATe6rt_QaidhONs90nMMU_05z4jlKoIWgVTlT3N4x5sEexBaSz6N-gXl1Kj/s640/IMG_3859.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVbVVA0A8e_gaA87kftdi2u1tBO2nxX5upEZ1d9ozAr5ioIXpSvYQh_C7LhzjWpaUQvNtYilpennHnAblk6ATe6rt_QaidhONs90nMMU_05z4jlKoIWgVTlT3N4x5sEexBaSz6N-gXl1Kj/s320/IMG_3859.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbMn3ir9VCrcfRbDCUYTsHF6gG1NIKiVLaRuLITwJ4sJ_52oxBSMJRq9cSPrEGnqgDn7-cXC-Y8RwuEYMWPLdGxNBhwWg0ioka_0KO-PmhDVanKrge0L7cMILCt7_tpf8lMHNUqIpgbrd2/s640/IMG_3883.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbMn3ir9VCrcfRbDCUYTsHF6gG1NIKiVLaRuLITwJ4sJ_52oxBSMJRq9cSPrEGnqgDn7-cXC-Y8RwuEYMWPLdGxNBhwWg0ioka_0KO-PmhDVanKrge0L7cMILCt7_tpf8lMHNUqIpgbrd2/s320/IMG_3883.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs1jJjJtoKFd1w8ruNcwexMPwSomPwmd4x0a4XJBmI_yqTvxWvEVZ27dPkikqZaSZf7axovaBR0eubwelRgvFCqYnTc-Nqz72yFMDvOGhbZmO-we4QEyUs90skxsnuwsyd_kScPM9GPfka/s640/IMG_3887.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs1jJjJtoKFd1w8ruNcwexMPwSomPwmd4x0a4XJBmI_yqTvxWvEVZ27dPkikqZaSZf7axovaBR0eubwelRgvFCqYnTc-Nqz72yFMDvOGhbZmO-we4QEyUs90skxsnuwsyd_kScPM9GPfka/w480-h640/IMG_3887.JPG" width="480" /></a></div></div></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_mXmynY7vT8dQW6dchPjBSD9PbUjhM8XtHbYlZt-8LXlyYADGtlYNqGM3beIb6XlbAMSOTbCUdxncBtfYAtQCQyF6OO5rMOai-WwqdnhE_MjUUO7TZJ8BAuTVb8J5jty_pZnyNDElR430/s640/IMG_3893.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_mXmynY7vT8dQW6dchPjBSD9PbUjhM8XtHbYlZt-8LXlyYADGtlYNqGM3beIb6XlbAMSOTbCUdxncBtfYAtQCQyF6OO5rMOai-WwqdnhE_MjUUO7TZJ8BAuTVb8J5jty_pZnyNDElR430/w480-h640/IMG_3893.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p>Inkstainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14961194929547402778noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4375252611624193232.post-88950930501808923762021-03-22T01:27:00.003-07:002021-03-22T03:51:50.298-07:00Burda is repeating too many designs...COVID side effect or new policy?<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibZni_A6C_VatlxnITfNPlacNgWwAgGPnWsVh2ImRA0_fBcf4pU0qGCArmTLzF_AYmuZowrKp6pCvjBJkwS7yPle3fi2xn1KWVnkcFV8voMIctDKLqZJXsFUM29AiSxmd4ZjqeVcw8Jr81/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1555" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibZni_A6C_VatlxnITfNPlacNgWwAgGPnWsVh2ImRA0_fBcf4pU0qGCArmTLzF_AYmuZowrKp6pCvjBJkwS7yPle3fi2xn1KWVnkcFV8voMIctDKLqZJXsFUM29AiSxmd4ZjqeVcw8Jr81/" width="316" /></a></div><br /><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZPg47La7_FOhmvlRNVVTkXbfZUUgEqg5UG5HmCQZhtJCwdB4sV-DyzrqnIqj-Nckz2m_K9Sz6Wjj6AXeTGSvZ8agYXzl8h1iLo9ENKGJTYpbzPHAizTdxtmxbUnQoK8Jq-X3NCFIb6s9H/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1534" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZPg47La7_FOhmvlRNVVTkXbfZUUgEqg5UG5HmCQZhtJCwdB4sV-DyzrqnIqj-Nckz2m_K9Sz6Wjj6AXeTGSvZ8agYXzl8h1iLo9ENKGJTYpbzPHAizTdxtmxbUnQoK8Jq-X3NCFIb6s9H/" width="320" /></a></div><br />Seen that twisted top design before? I have, and in fact, I sewed it up in the dress version many years ago. But it has just reappeared in a 2021 Burda Style magazine. As did the parka below, in an edition that appeared some ten years ago. So did the elasticated skirt with the slit, above, only a few years ago. In fact, Burda Easy seems to think we just want the same knit sheath dress with a collar variation and yet another pair of joggers or leggings to get by. Come on, Burda. The Easy editions were much better before you increased the number of issues per year.<p></p><p>This 'new money for old rope' approach with Burda seems to have stepped up—or I've just collected thirteen years of Burda only to discover that they always recycle old designs?</p><p>For me, the disappointment started with Burda Style monthly reprinting some of their featured retro designs that had been collected for their 'one off' vintage issues of the past, the 50's, the 60's, etc. But they were upfront about that. They weren't trying to sell their vintage greats as if they were new product, but marketing them in a different publication for a wider audience. I could forgive that, as many people passed up those special editions and missed some great designs.</p><p>But now, those of us who collect BurdaStyle mags might have noticed that we're often just getting recycled patterns without any admission that these were sold to us already.</p><p>Take April 2021, for example: here are two jackets, the one with the button the 'new' April 2021 version and the one with the snapped collar, the version from 2011.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTKFHYQhGKTtJFxO2Rqv_BSMfYKAemATGOJHoAfSuGj1hH2DEaMJX1mI47TIIfYKRTVHBaOl12QcL4sFOvcqOALmFfIP3YLj2TTi51vC-gCQZcvSbc28zZvm0CEir7pubhE2qxrmIlpF9Q/s2048/Screenshot+2021-03-10+at+15.10.19.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1555" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTKFHYQhGKTtJFxO2Rqv_BSMfYKAemATGOJHoAfSuGj1hH2DEaMJX1mI47TIIfYKRTVHBaOl12QcL4sFOvcqOALmFfIP3YLj2TTi51vC-gCQZcvSbc28zZvm0CEir7pubhE2qxrmIlpF9Q/s320/Screenshot+2021-03-10+at+15.10.19.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtRXvfzlxKHr4_Wognikq6TiurMdqDHUshkUJ_51yWynCzH4V5MNdsRqMdVUrzuOY11NAG5mgYGaqS7GuK6FNpVGtTBJNQ0WG8fpR9Vg4G7DVXiS4scfJKcBMwJHkMCFEAuFlmBpGN2VWL/s2048/Screenshot+2021-03-10+at+15.09.04.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1555" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtRXvfzlxKHr4_Wognikq6TiurMdqDHUshkUJ_51yWynCzH4V5MNdsRqMdVUrzuOY11NAG5mgYGaqS7GuK6FNpVGtTBJNQ0WG8fpR9Vg4G7DVXiS4scfJKcBMwJHkMCFEAuFlmBpGN2VWL/s320/Screenshot+2021-03-10+at+15.09.04.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><div>There is a possibility that this is a sad side effect of the COVID crisis which may have reduced Burda's creative possibilities. Okay, that I will certainly understand. In our own extended family, we've suffered two deaths and nine cases to date. People are grieving near and far and what's a little duplication from Burda?</div><div><br /></div><div>So, no, I'm not going to go on over trivia, but I'll keep an eye out.</div>Inkstainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14961194929547402778noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4375252611624193232.post-14697497289986192212021-02-04T04:15:00.006-08:002021-02-04T04:54:02.338-08:00Spring is about to spring again and 'model' goddaughter about to sprout a Hector<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsevOi4AJ4JC3j_6YZ0FnOJ9ry1aDYr5OE1hqZI-ywdKiPskL5N0HCy4K_ssuZwqVtYxIFZ0SjSkUNSHV8_BqU85GIoCXDvTTgnUJ4YgDsIR6s_6Ezfydj7Mrdjbr9sajlIzIXW8uIqtr_/s1600/e9b72e25-5979-4b52-8aa5-40c918f9906a.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsevOi4AJ4JC3j_6YZ0FnOJ9ry1aDYr5OE1hqZI-ywdKiPskL5N0HCy4K_ssuZwqVtYxIFZ0SjSkUNSHV8_BqU85GIoCXDvTTgnUJ4YgDsIR6s_6Ezfydj7Mrdjbr9sajlIzIXW8uIqtr_/s320/e9b72e25-5979-4b52-8aa5-40c918f9906a.jpg" /></a></div><br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0clv2daYn_fzadVQDTNwGvHOYx34Xc7L_XSFgPNQmCuCCPwnFrfOVyOWg0sN-9J1rU4KOcULYheNfccx0G3NhMk_znIeCDwqcSvn3R-zBLbvJdBQOOlE-X_xpldiQ3MhPuQRLd334IA4H/s640/22a0c4f2-07fd-4d7a-a75a-aaefe0c52915.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0clv2daYn_fzadVQDTNwGvHOYx34Xc7L_XSFgPNQmCuCCPwnFrfOVyOWg0sN-9J1rU4KOcULYheNfccx0G3NhMk_znIeCDwqcSvn3R-zBLbvJdBQOOlE-X_xpldiQ3MhPuQRLd334IA4H/s320/22a0c4f2-07fd-4d7a-a75a-aaefe0c52915.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Yes, I've been doing some sewing of a rather modest variety: two tube skirts in black and blue heavy stretch knit to fill out my Covid-simple needs— to go with all the blue and black tops that I have. I have of late noticed that my wardrobe is hanging together more colorwise, around a palate of white/cream, black, navy, with red or mustard accents. I reckon two navy and two black skirts over tights and ankle boots are good, staple substitutes for the ubiquitous leggings and motorcycle boots I so often reach for.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">(And I needed a backup black skirt for future travel, should I be so lucky. Fiddlerkid washed my London-capsule-wardrobe after my last visit over a year ago, as a courtesy. But he accidentally put my black tube skirt on his kitchen counter top, which had just been bleached. So...deep-six that skirt!)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Over Christmas, I also sewed an Easy Burda dolman-sleeved cowl-neck sweater dress in a cozy poly-rayon navy knit and I'll blog that after sewing the slimmer turtleneck top in the latest Burda Easy edition for comparison. Belted sweater dresses over tights and ankle boots seem to be just the right balance of being dressed, yet home-comfortable for Switzerland's extended COVID lockdown.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And more on a bigger project to come later. I'm turning a drawerful of old jeans into a quilted jacket for the gardening season to come.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">But as you can see, a few January days went into knitting my London-based goddaughter a boyish version of my go-to baby sweater pattern seen so many times on this blog before. (I've done the seagull lace version in grey, pine green, denim blue, ivory, and two different pinks.)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This time instead of doing the prescribed lace stitch or the Aran cable I tried on the ivory version, I invented the 'Jurassic Scandi' navy number pictured above for the little guy due in a month. I reckoned someone about to be christened the virile-sounding 'Hector' won't be into duckies. Sadly, the straight stitch means it won't stretch for a growing baby for as many months as the classic Elizabeth Zimmerman pattern, below.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU39h0wrFANDV4YRf-FbjRF9QZ_vZgwopyNdz0TuUxiAo4pvfpdgvYKTaaIKtMjoyeHYI9ZvThfNszvUkIo21g271LQYQ5NiXvAlT6Y2kQe-T7AO-o4UZFrdYNDcrsvjrRGeTrrPGK-GUg/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="259" data-original-width="194" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU39h0wrFANDV4YRf-FbjRF9QZ_vZgwopyNdz0TuUxiAo4pvfpdgvYKTaaIKtMjoyeHYI9ZvThfNszvUkIo21g271LQYQ5NiXvAlT6Y2kQe-T7AO-o4UZFrdYNDcrsvjrRGeTrrPGK-GUg/w214-h285/image.jpeg" width="214" /></a></div><br /></div><br /><p></p>Inkstainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14961194929547402778noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4375252611624193232.post-72657494819081842042020-11-03T09:48:00.004-08:002020-11-03T10:31:43.923-08:00Back to the Future, the second Burda longer dress, (a 'handkerchief') dress meant for autumn, November, 2019 103 A/B EPIC FAIL. Should it see out 2020 or die an (ig)noble death?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz4h0S94LWdaA6k51ssvigKqebjkG06IkS7Q7ph1knPZWDEF1jcLdzgZJa7S5L__M6ZYKb4VSxu-dl-Rw6xwj8lqQKlDlFj4utVbs9KE8oWGqUiqPfVB0o6NUB3OWHMnFA1LgZjc70z5VB/s640/IMG_3693.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz4h0S94LWdaA6k51ssvigKqebjkG06IkS7Q7ph1knPZWDEF1jcLdzgZJa7S5L__M6ZYKb4VSxu-dl-Rw6xwj8lqQKlDlFj4utVbs9KE8oWGqUiqPfVB0o6NUB3OWHMnFA1LgZjc70z5VB/s320/IMG_3693.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipHnQQt2MxpWKCVN6_tPp_8HGLMKoW4bhLnfO7_qfxt_ejHQqZib0FgvDVFIsfBpxkwtLXyVl7j2j7VA0IV12lMT8z1rgAUQr4vWJVFetWLRrEBqQq7c4652hb8jP4BJqg52zZVpX5lYn4/s640/IMG_3694.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipHnQQt2MxpWKCVN6_tPp_8HGLMKoW4bhLnfO7_qfxt_ejHQqZib0FgvDVFIsfBpxkwtLXyVl7j2j7VA0IV12lMT8z1rgAUQr4vWJVFetWLRrEBqQq7c4652hb8jP4BJqg52zZVpX5lYn4/s320/IMG_3694.JPG" /></a></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzqRsZCuwwVWF9R2kDSjxuIQut0yGWu3nEWlQn0OlgEuWMklL5k1famxrneDyl6nII5Gep8AuCCNNzpDBAirUMRfE1botCI6N7tpUKcb8PoNBFw1KUtse8ConaNJKoyCKJnAzujGk1H7Y/s1600/handkerchief+dress+10%253A2019%253A103B.jpg"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzqRsZCuwwVWF9R2kDSjxuIQut0yGWu3nEWlQn0OlgEuWMklL5k1famxrneDyl6nII5Gep8AuCCNNzpDBAirUMRfE1botCI6N7tpUKcb8PoNBFw1KUtse8ConaNJKoyCKJnAzujGk1H7Y/s320/handkerchief+dress+10%253A2019%253A103B.jpg" width="186" /></a> The second autumn dress I sewed up for Fall-Winter 2019 repeat <b>2019</b> pre-Covid was another attempt to wear the longer skirts lengths without looking dowdy. I wore skirts and culottes this length in the 70's the first time around and still have some fantastic Vogue Designer patterns from that era to prove it. It's a little harder to wear now that I'm so much older, with wider hips, a shortening torso, and the inability to trot all day in the high-heeled boots that make it work best. But I liked the grace of this silhouette after so many years of tight, knee-length sheaths.<br />
<br />
This was made up in a drapey navy-blue leopard viscose print ordered online. There are two unsatisfactory things about my fabric choice for this design: First, the 'leopard print' is too busy to see any of the waist piecing and second, the underside of the fabric is noticeably different from the printed side. Ideally, the skirt should flow without drawing attention to the two sides of the hemline.<br />
<br />
This dress is a fabric hog as the skirt pieces are cut on the bias. I'm not sure I'm really feeling this handkerchief hem. And to do it, I needed 3.5 metres of fabric, almost twice the fabric needed for a sheath dress.<div><br /></div><div>Well, it was a good thing I had extra; I decided that Burda's strange single bow design looked sad, even half-assed. (Even though a secretary wears one of these single-bow blouses in white silk in the recent BBC David Hare thriller <i>Roadkill </i>starring Hugh Laurie.) My solution was to cut mirror pieces of the long tie for a classic pussy bow blouse instead.<div>
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This dress was also a frightening reminder of how much my skills and patience have slipped. I forgot how to do a proper invisible zipper and made a bit of a mess of it. Only later did I review Kenneth Lane's excellent Youtube on this particular step and have resolved not to mess up again.<br />
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But worse! I misread the instructions and doggedly went ahead putting in the zipper below the collar point, assuming the collar folded down over the zip in the back. Wrong. So I had to add a dirty fix—to close the collar at the top.<br />
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Added to that frustration the fact that, in the end, I wouldn't have chosen this fabric online if I'd had a chance to see it up close. It doesn't look like leopard print at all, just a messy, ugly print. An entire long dress of this stuff just looks... awful. I'm not sure how much wear, if any, this dress will see.<br />
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UPDATE as of January 2020, not worn once. EPIC FAIL<br />
UPDATE as of February, 2020 worn once under a long navy cardigan to casual dinner out. Looked all right, just, as the cardigan gave it a bit of shape at the waistline.<br />
UPDATE as of March, quarantined, so no need to wear a dress until 2021.<div>UPDATE Lost weight during lockdown, so took it in at the side seams. Looking at it again and thinking it's okay to bring out for autumn 2020. So maybe I'll post this to ask all of you:</div><div>UPDATE okay, it's the one-year anniversary of wearing this dress exacly once. So I put it on and styled it with a similar long cashmere cardigan, this time in beige.</div><div><br /></div><div>I think it just passes, but hell, it took me a year to figure out what to do.What do you think? Is it okay or the ugliest dress in town?<br />
<br /></div></div></div>Inkstainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03849218858979776045noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4375252611624193232.post-33671119158593524812020-09-10T23:02:00.003-07:002020-09-11T00:11:05.059-07:00ARRRGGH! Trying to delete some spam comment, I lost all your wonderful comments going back at least a year! I'm so sorry! (meanwhile...) Burda Easy Cardigan January 2020 models 4A+C. A modest replacement with a few hesitations.Okay, I think I've sorted out this new Blogger format and restored all your valuable comments that do cheer up my days. If I missed an important one, let me know...and I'm trying to thank KS below for her kindness about the Epic Fail jumpsuit, and Blogger keeps saying I'm in error, so...arh again.<div><br /><div>Sadly, I long had a beloved navy blue cardigan that finally died. I had just successfully built up a capsule wardrobe of navy blue items, (various blue blouses, a pull-on stretch pencil skirt from Burda Easy, navy jeans, tights, culottes, leggings, navy and white striped T's, a navy cashmere turtleneck stolen from my husband,) you get the idea.<br />
For me, navy had become 'the new black' over the last few winters. The jewels in my capsule were two navy-blue jumpsuits to be worn under various kimonos in silky blue prints for evenings with friends at home. I wore one to the wonderful wedding of goddaughter in England under one of my kimonos, blogged already.<br />
But the basic piece that pulled many of these combos together by day was my basic navy cardigan.<br />
Now dead. I scraped it across some wet white paint and when I tried to remove the paint, I rubbed an actual hole in the weave in the front tail.<br />
I have tried here, with only some success, to replace it. With the best of intentions, I ordered a navy blue knit online that turns out to have just a tinge of too much violet to it. And the pattern I chose, which looked quite trendy in Burda Easy in January 2020 may not be my style. The hem is asymmetric, the sleeves are a bit too dolman for my taste and without neater finishing by a knit cuff or elastic, the sleeves require being pushed up the arm not to look a bit naff. There are no buttons, so the tie from Version A is a must, as are the pockets from Version C. I had to make little thread belt loops which I hate doing, too.<br />
But let's give it a winter to break in and I may learn to love it as much as my long, slim-line classic with the buttons.<br />
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<br /></div></div>Inkstainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03849218858979776045noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4375252611624193232.post-17693314128200690082020-09-09T06:41:00.002-07:002020-09-09T11:28:49.171-07:00CONFINEMENT SEWING PART II Croquet Dresses for Lockdown Games, Burda Easy March 2020 #4C, Burda Style 6-2020-118, and Burda Style 4-2020 cover model, with Burda's Hollywood homage<p>During a summer of serious Covid confinement, keeping in consideration my soon-80-year-old husband's lung frailties and my own last decade of serious health treatments, we needed to find a more and immediate source of daily joy here in our Swiss village in hard-hit virus-heavy Vaud. Our three adult kids were in lockdown in London. Our constant worries for them with their employment abruptly curtailed or, in one case seriously overloaded, were sometimes overwhelming. Our routine companions here were also being ultra-careful because of age and health histories and sticking close to home. I continued writing and husband continued his own projects, but...meh...</p><p>We had wonderful weather, a large house and garden to enjoy, a vast library of music and books to rediscover, the internet and a new Netflix account, and myriad digital contacts with friends and family. And we've kept our health, fingers crossed, so far. The numbers are shooting up again and we know we're counted among the 'vulnerable.'</p><p>But we mourned our cancelled vacation to a beloved hotel on the Ligurian shore in Italy, where the virus has been raging up and down the coast with the coffins piling up, as well as our traditional visits to rough it lakesite at camp with extended Swiss family in Walchwil, not far from Zurich, another national hotspot of infection. I also missed all our usual outings to concerts in Lausanne and Geneva for which I love getting properly dressed.</p><p>So, no occasions, no meetups, no sewing?</p><p>Working hard as usual, we still needed to play away from the computers on a regular basis. So we settled into a serious season of good old-fashioned American croquet, with suitable iced drinks and lots of laughs. And I sewed three 'croquet' dresses, (as this is a decorous sport, to say the least.) White sneakers were <i>de rigeur</i>.</p><p>First, the striped linen-viscose number, with its very loose-fitting, dropped waist and unfitted bodice is my tribute to the 1920's resort of Deauville, using Burda's Easy March 2020, 4C. The only challenge of this model was to match up the stripes and reverse the given layout for the more interesting horizon/vertical effect of the stripes.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_M6U_UnyjKWz8yy2bwR1DKj5KMHDxU_azAup8bfy0NrJt5_t2t02QtKB6fwnHK4WEIeZLJMS0IF9O_EqiDwpZvKPJxjR8t1rcvs27bUU3DoMqkGTd_hSzAiU4NZ0BuESjpBr2WBdp31o/s640/IMG_3573.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_M6U_UnyjKWz8yy2bwR1DKj5KMHDxU_azAup8bfy0NrJt5_t2t02QtKB6fwnHK4WEIeZLJMS0IF9O_EqiDwpZvKPJxjR8t1rcvs27bUU3DoMqkGTd_hSzAiU4NZ0BuESjpBr2WBdp31o/s320/IMG_3573.JPG" /></a></div><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ2z0s2B63YtQaURYfJyzdut91EVBGeWgRmeTP93nQ-Pj0J8Yz4qvb0LEfiSKUPa0MERffoJTw9HSFYstZZfiAXRWmioDXXMalc1q0qeEnafxJBG5F65nQtpSunKYJXHvlPLo5ndwQ7r0/s1516/striped+dress.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1516" data-original-width="992" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ2z0s2B63YtQaURYfJyzdut91EVBGeWgRmeTP93nQ-Pj0J8Yz4qvb0LEfiSKUPa0MERffoJTw9HSFYstZZfiAXRWmioDXXMalc1q0qeEnafxJBG5F65nQtpSunKYJXHvlPLo5ndwQ7r0/s320/striped+dress.png" /></a></div><br /><h1 class="article-name-height margin-xs-bottom center-sm" id="product-title" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "playfair display", serif; font-size: 32px; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: 0.6px; line-height: 26px; margin: 0px 0px 7px;"><br /></h1><p>The second dress, Burda Style's 6-2020-118, is my tribute to a 1940's tea dress, with its chintzy viscose print, fitted waistband, and slightly puffed shoulder seam. To mature this wrap dress a little for a woman my age, I finished the lower edge of the sleeve without the gathered puff. The construction of this design's waist band extending into ties turned out to be a bit of a puzzle. I had to take it slowly, and translate Burda's cryptic instructions from the French into English with an uncharacteristic level of attention. Their construction of what should have been a straightforward collar was also odd and I ended up just reverting to what I was used to doing with similar collars, using a technique from a book of couture shortcuts.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNSQT4Jtxmd7Xh4IgcHZSVpT3CenOecQRNFF17vnB0qOBXb_wh5CzTdxE7mI4Zdvxa0SdSs3wdo22s8n_eVf3wrMWBvZyxPBf4jidK3LetZM5cWcWfwwRxzR_Hk3zPrA7Iv8cTQuv7SdY/s640/IMG_3546.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNSQT4Jtxmd7Xh4IgcHZSVpT3CenOecQRNFF17vnB0qOBXb_wh5CzTdxE7mI4Zdvxa0SdSs3wdo22s8n_eVf3wrMWBvZyxPBf4jidK3LetZM5cWcWfwwRxzR_Hk3zPrA7Iv8cTQuv7SdY/s320/IMG_3546.JPG" /></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3xOKp_09wocjZVsM6uslquz0b67imNLqp-SSEIUMqsyJ0PyyCoFuRJoka5ULYeoMS26WKxQZb-lHT6_H1OKyYPNEaZNeaVW9lYddTl0Uz6JfuQLCW8mQCvOcqC5r5Mnk9rAnHKsyMmO4/s640/IMG_3548.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3xOKp_09wocjZVsM6uslquz0b67imNLqp-SSEIUMqsyJ0PyyCoFuRJoka5ULYeoMS26WKxQZb-lHT6_H1OKyYPNEaZNeaVW9lYddTl0Uz6JfuQLCW8mQCvOcqC5r5Mnk9rAnHKsyMmO4/s320/IMG_3548.JPG" /></a></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL5zT_9l-jbEJlhZSjGQxTMv6_hx9Kn_oQN5Tdqzu8IEJtvmjE3rJYykRHRZ1Kog0TzJLg5FDkpb5xRoGwutCJtTO11NKrJjuq6wO4OBBLnJ6N5p5WGr2QW9ujVlmJ6RlPZVxw83oEi7U/s1508/Screenshot+2020-09-09+at+11.34.41.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1508" data-original-width="904" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL5zT_9l-jbEJlhZSjGQxTMv6_hx9Kn_oQN5Tdqzu8IEJtvmjE3rJYykRHRZ1Kog0TzJLg5FDkpb5xRoGwutCJtTO11NKrJjuq6wO4OBBLnJ6N5p5WGr2QW9ujVlmJ6RlPZVxw83oEi7U/s320/Screenshot+2020-09-09+at+11.34.41.png" /></a></div><br />My third 'croquet dress' is a rip-off of the <i>Pretty Woman</i> polka dot dress, done in a lively red viscose. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWTVoLSy-3DTIIJrwnFQA7Hlo-DGXmJCvU-Zk_tL42sbqJ4CoVXgcBc55TIubF-sLIfKZ0Ng8l2uAoipoWKh_WTYGuewaGmV1vMBlLVZgEC66lwbuBIExY7wLCitDZNr_6DOfouuxPKxU/s640/IMG_3577.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWTVoLSy-3DTIIJrwnFQA7Hlo-DGXmJCvU-Zk_tL42sbqJ4CoVXgcBc55TIubF-sLIfKZ0Ng8l2uAoipoWKh_WTYGuewaGmV1vMBlLVZgEC66lwbuBIExY7wLCitDZNr_6DOfouuxPKxU/s320/IMG_3577.JPG" /></a></div><br />This is a beast of a skirt to hem, as the skirt pieces are cut on the bias, but the result gives a really lovely flow. I skipped the slit cut at the back neckline as I found this construction cheaply designed, without a center seam and in the end, unnecessary. The dress slips over your head without any special opening at the back.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This was the featured cover dress of the April 2020 Burda which included a wonderful tribute to memorable dresses from Hollywood, including Julia Roberts' brown version in <i>Pretty Woman.</i> I love the rare occasions when Burda does this.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLIhg048Cya6TpLVdE9G4w2gt9KRZqLhufOG3aibDKpIIErStlU5NUmupZQ0XdjxhFe4lLFner_9Tlf-Ega20iad75YUfqA6k3s1c2k9M_t0YFzRTSPKHR0J9eFK0Y9nja294taNXBb9c/s940/Pretty-Woman.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="528" data-original-width="940" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLIhg048Cya6TpLVdE9G4w2gt9KRZqLhufOG3aibDKpIIErStlU5NUmupZQ0XdjxhFe4lLFner_9Tlf-Ega20iad75YUfqA6k3s1c2k9M_t0YFzRTSPKHR0J9eFK0Y9nja294taNXBb9c/s320/Pretty-Woman.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNqOevR6ji9gNTz8OK8q4k5lglTvQRI6dDVH04Zzk2Oot-PAutS0ibXTBOWUZPEQMkS1OgKnUcrMozSJeFaWZr2Jwc_o_2PScMvlGLzzy4oCvJxaZB5fiLB2h4GzhIaysz4o7xfo5AKtI/s1518/Screenshot+2020-09-09+at+14.56.14.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1518" data-original-width="1170" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNqOevR6ji9gNTz8OK8q4k5lglTvQRI6dDVH04Zzk2Oot-PAutS0ibXTBOWUZPEQMkS1OgKnUcrMozSJeFaWZr2Jwc_o_2PScMvlGLzzy4oCvJxaZB5fiLB2h4GzhIaysz4o7xfo5AKtI/s320/Screenshot+2020-09-09+at+14.56.14.png" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: normal;">The Russian cover for the same Burda Style April edition featured Grace Kelly's outfit by the wonderful Edith Head from </span><i style="font-style: italic;">Rear Window. </i>But notice that Grace's version, in an expensive silk faille? or taffeta? has been carefully lined, while the Burda version isn't. I'd add a lining for more elegance.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw7GePGouxU7DqVN-nC0UYpWpSEAxH_Bo1OUJeIj0NwrUER_X7Wvz4A3dt47gvihNDZ5FQPTrYOC9Vq8Q49aVbv0nLXmklpcbqIpNH95lNr27M_yCZKCKEVZ5_6YttSckLP9wZDUh5JVI/s400/Burda+Russian.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw7GePGouxU7DqVN-nC0UYpWpSEAxH_Bo1OUJeIj0NwrUER_X7Wvz4A3dt47gvihNDZ5FQPTrYOC9Vq8Q49aVbv0nLXmklpcbqIpNH95lNr27M_yCZKCKEVZ5_6YttSckLP9wZDUh5JVI/s320/Burda+Russian.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd1sa52G4Ga0HTzUayLP61dgOnDG0IyE1pYH3QUKdfodw0GMJnHM4bNx_554N0yH4MgvKBfCE-vigZCxACujwMxrk2vqkIAy2qH-yplwu34UNneQo5vWU8JNIgobgNbX-aqE5OPeGcUQ8/s550/Grace+and+Jimme.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="367" data-original-width="550" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd1sa52G4Ga0HTzUayLP61dgOnDG0IyE1pYH3QUKdfodw0GMJnHM4bNx_554N0yH4MgvKBfCE-vigZCxACujwMxrk2vqkIAy2qH-yplwu34UNneQo5vWU8JNIgobgNbX-aqE5OPeGcUQ8/s320/Grace+and+Jimme.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg84OU4IuiYDAHnEvHB7_BdDdft-tplIVwTaPwL3lm4_iz_kRadOuXpqEs5Jnk5PXZuxQ0WV1jrLKJ5L2ps1DHaN_mi0d2EbX28ANQYgprD39oN43B5QKHyBYb6bfnzHraBNzAhMDO6UpE/s640/IMG_3573.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p>Inkstainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14961194929547402778noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4375252611624193232.post-23578124402535826162020-09-09T03:12:00.000-07:002020-09-09T03:12:02.720-07:00CONFINEMENT SEWING, PART I Rescuing the 'Epic Fail' blue linen jumpsuit and a new white Burda Easy Japanese workshirt in broderie Anglaise cotton.<p>As the late, great Alan Rickman says in the comic film, <i>Galaxy Quest</i>, 'Never Give Up, Never Surrender!'</p><p>Remember the 'Epic Fail' blue linen jumpsuit on which I spent so much money for high-quality imported linen, only to end up with a baggy, crumply mess I wore only once, to the Verbier Music Festival when our Fiddlerkid was performing? (below) The Burda Style pattern featured a very long torso and the design was suitable only to Burda's choice of a satiny, drapey fabric that settled discreetly over the elasticated waist. My quality linen puffed out too much.</p><p>The waste of such good fabric hurt my heart. I finally bit the bullet and ripped out the waist seam and made a very serviceable work shirt and pair of pull-on pants that I've been actually getting wear out of all summer. Here's my new rescue version, cut in half.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqFhkv6SY7O09z-SvEuQ7etcli4XHZXIH42ICBWUMFDNEjAvOMQUxj_H92NoVR1Z-zwtCZUhLYVA9s0cxc1jgbxwvxtiy8OiPmL_pUU0xgvp9q0KnfN6vbv23FnUEW-qjEiKJ7DuuhyjE/s640/IMG_3542.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqFhkv6SY7O09z-SvEuQ7etcli4XHZXIH42ICBWUMFDNEjAvOMQUxj_H92NoVR1Z-zwtCZUhLYVA9s0cxc1jgbxwvxtiy8OiPmL_pUU0xgvp9q0KnfN6vbv23FnUEW-qjEiKJ7DuuhyjE/s320/IMG_3542.JPG" /></a></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZklDD5z6CP42LTuaQnFP04_ovWo7uEMHXR9RVJtGJFUXUtHlwIX-F9HiE0QehFa8w4nAjnerBi_gZ7L8GbXq9jcJkaIEAqUG8JgskhsDvi0jxAA_Mu0Llff8r0f8fmqiMu6dReycEA5Q/s640/Jumpsuit.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="478" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZklDD5z6CP42LTuaQnFP04_ovWo7uEMHXR9RVJtGJFUXUtHlwIX-F9HiE0QehFa8w4nAjnerBi_gZ7L8GbXq9jcJkaIEAqUG8JgskhsDvi0jxAA_Mu0Llff8r0f8fmqiMu6dReycEA5Q/s320/Jumpsuit.JPG" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>The new white wrap shirt above is a second version of the Burda Easy Japanese workshirt I already blogged, below, (this time without the sleeves.) The white version is a direct copy of the model featured on the cover of that edition of Burda Easy, </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLZl2qLi9sZ_9AhNA64ES9rKU-NXUGhCsJ-s5KtvrOfp4hU3u67ehX5Tv-ftn1ojlUOWm7J_PGDN1qwUE42PSsgbHJtM72f-ovCk9oE2KVoOJ3N5vB6wMUs1hEaD-NhWbra_VSxNjt_H4/s1016/Screenshot+2020-09-09+at+12.06.48.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1016" data-original-width="820" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLZl2qLi9sZ_9AhNA64ES9rKU-NXUGhCsJ-s5KtvrOfp4hU3u67ehX5Tv-ftn1ojlUOWm7J_PGDN1qwUE42PSsgbHJtM72f-ovCk9oE2KVoOJ3N5vB6wMUs1hEaD-NhWbra_VSxNjt_H4/s320/Screenshot+2020-09-09+at+12.06.48.png" /></a></div><br />which is why I fell in love with the pattern in the first place. Because of its tight wrap effect at the waist, I can get away with a pretty unexciting elasticated waist from the jumpsuit as it was.<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNSjxeG9FK55K1K241uQY1NqxbIUq-FbfhBXBkv6KGrAYQjf3seXdJaTL-JiwdjFstRzwEY13xC263JMTeVsI0kEMIiIIvE3O7UMkV4aLLTLtVfKStda7ONhTiuIh94G2gMKJSLlAbPoA/s640/IMG_2001.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNSjxeG9FK55K1K241uQY1NqxbIUq-FbfhBXBkv6KGrAYQjf3seXdJaTL-JiwdjFstRzwEY13xC263JMTeVsI0kEMIiIIvE3O7UMkV4aLLTLtVfKStda7ONhTiuIh94G2gMKJSLlAbPoA/s320/IMG_2001.JPG" /></a></div><br /></div>The blue ruffled shirt below also covers the 'sin' of the elasticated waistband and is Burda Style 3-2019-111, also blogged before.<div><br /></div><div>My revised, rescued linen shirt goes well with my hardworking jean skirt constructed as learned in Berkeley in 1970. (Vaccuum not included.) Here the excess fabric that ruined the drape of the jumpsuit bodice turned out to give me enough shirttail to tuck it into a belted bottom. </div><div><br /></div><div>SUCCESS!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-2v7IS90DKXHCqIdz5tEi7HpSdUHW45iYDARNB6vUHP4IKRG4aHjexQEqcuKKvkyX_kvpRrxtfwZW0L0WQDiu-LbOCW9cf2espfUttgOrMSrGTJ0mOpG6uRPXXttm7he-LmIQqyhXWdU/s640/IMG_3484.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-2v7IS90DKXHCqIdz5tEi7HpSdUHW45iYDARNB6vUHP4IKRG4aHjexQEqcuKKvkyX_kvpRrxtfwZW0L0WQDiu-LbOCW9cf2espfUttgOrMSrGTJ0mOpG6uRPXXttm7he-LmIQqyhXWdU/s320/IMG_3484.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjTxhSokW1CEBt3IlZZlc5xPhfc6joajmLt7_0lZ-a5jVbXtywfl-3KxwF92vcSl02wog3MMa8xayvJW1jbf3OJ9U3gA0ApVFsd0cCaEEcbak6vpcmM4ThG9WbHuRepV8kKAjrasC6EWk/s640/IMG_3524.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjTxhSokW1CEBt3IlZZlc5xPhfc6joajmLt7_0lZ-a5jVbXtywfl-3KxwF92vcSl02wog3MMa8xayvJW1jbf3OJ9U3gA0ApVFsd0cCaEEcbak6vpcmM4ThG9WbHuRepV8kKAjrasC6EWk/s320/IMG_3524.JPG" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p></div>Inkstainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03849218858979776045noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4375252611624193232.post-63125373200665776212020-04-28T02:17:00.000-07:002020-04-28T05:13:27.719-07:00Burda peasant blouse 03/2020 #116<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1WBvh4ODWGObW584_br5CKeMGFyOHVEWzK2XWF1X4CiveAj_EQH9-sE2K8jtcBX8EMDjB-nGdt0jfQ2Yeb0gHaXzKD9w-4UEeWM5514xWoJ4q0pjP8nRIGXVP1zyA8ufeVehvf7Y6yRU/s1600/IMG_3396.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1WBvh4ODWGObW584_br5CKeMGFyOHVEWzK2XWF1X4CiveAj_EQH9-sE2K8jtcBX8EMDjB-nGdt0jfQ2Yeb0gHaXzKD9w-4UEeWM5514xWoJ4q0pjP8nRIGXVP1zyA8ufeVehvf7Y6yRU/s320/IMG_3396.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Of course there seems little point in sewing when you're stuck at home for months on end, (not only because of Swiss limits to groupings of five but out of concern for an elderly spouse with chronic respiratory problems.) But before the virus doldrums really hit, I sewed this item, which came out pretty well. I made the mistake of lengthening it by some inches, confusing it with the similar #117 which is shorter with 3/4 length open sleeve hems, so my version could even serve as a bathing suit coverup.</div>
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I mail-ordered the fabric, a polyester navy chiffon with a kind of ditzy praire print, with a reasonable hand, from tissus.net. This blouse requires a lot of tedious gathering and I think the interest of the time-consuming double yoke and double tie design feature is lost in the pattern of the fabric I chose. Now that I know it works out, with the double ties and all, I might make another and simpler one that shows off the design.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpXlYcOVQz_3MtEwthBv3_7P076oyf5oNffcNlaffc7WjP7Rv9FGwro4mQfTfZnWCO5OIFMoSvtMEB5Kgystb0IeVmWFqW2sj3ygI_ZY6NrsLjknzfEMef1W9iDDER2bCfBf3wRfEoP9Q/s1600/Unknown-1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="252" data-original-width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpXlYcOVQz_3MtEwthBv3_7P076oyf5oNffcNlaffc7WjP7Rv9FGwro4mQfTfZnWCO5OIFMoSvtMEB5Kgystb0IeVmWFqW2sj3ygI_ZY6NrsLjknzfEMef1W9iDDER2bCfBf3wRfEoP9Q/s1600/Unknown-1.jpeg" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1kcQPDsbteLr4iRUDRiJVLN0zuUC2V9Kgcsy8kqLz9TH0u-YqFA4hBI1jAcjXMyFtfBhb9aSRfKP8L-uKTs4eGB5fAqMUHBjXPm5Qv-TrMEgTOTxNqPGwI6WIRIC8GXa3LnFNXtQhWWs/s1600/Unknown.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="252" data-original-width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1kcQPDsbteLr4iRUDRiJVLN0zuUC2V9Kgcsy8kqLz9TH0u-YqFA4hBI1jAcjXMyFtfBhb9aSRfKP8L-uKTs4eGB5fAqMUHBjXPm5Qv-TrMEgTOTxNqPGwI6WIRIC8GXa3LnFNXtQhWWs/s1600/Unknown.jpeg" /></a></div>
<br />Inkstainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03849218858979776045noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4375252611624193232.post-91717940216447267872019-11-15T00:54:00.000-08:002019-11-15T00:54:16.528-08:00 From trash to class in one pattern...To survive the first rainy days, the Vogue OOP 2614 gray wool wrap jacket and its 'evil twin' the blue snake leather biker jacket.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxn0uGJV0hS6bjCrzXOTbyErInxw-ttGqXsPN03XOgHwtnOImlLau15ygarVWwoJ8FQdAlrX_4FyPwOmiqT3rDiFsy8VKhE8DO5xiuDhTFHwB4kOCsp-gLybeB8AG397au8y_U8LTLz0w/s1600/IMG_2839.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4n1aolIMVAENxw5YwfPu3oe4VQjICFRoqnDGl2M0QZolun6lB7wxPDFePBj5WyMajdhSsRqnu_SI4qd2BQWtVG7jdKb6MrEunYPPU0XTXuy_YCQP3owIQb0VuID0c-fidC-R-6mhOdt8/s1600/pattern+2614.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4n1aolIMVAENxw5YwfPu3oe4VQjICFRoqnDGl2M0QZolun6lB7wxPDFePBj5WyMajdhSsRqnu_SI4qd2BQWtVG7jdKb6MrEunYPPU0XTXuy_YCQP3owIQb0VuID0c-fidC-R-6mhOdt8/s320/pattern+2614.jpg" width="320" /></a><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxn0uGJV0hS6bjCrzXOTbyErInxw-ttGqXsPN03XOgHwtnOImlLau15ygarVWwoJ8FQdAlrX_4FyPwOmiqT3rDiFsy8VKhE8DO5xiuDhTFHwB4kOCsp-gLybeB8AG397au8y_U8LTLz0w/s640/IMG_2839.jpg" width="480" /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlr8-_1N3ShNrIUoC5i4bSMB7R7Jl5_l7x_Z66ZxXwsDcuXtA4Jn2lVM6XHOT9uI57xgavNFgUiDZGQBnS3W8h70cOA-IyFTQ0w5Kwl67UvLuBNKoGinUL6TeaTI5__kZ2vGR1jvZcq6s/s1600/image.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlr8-_1N3ShNrIUoC5i4bSMB7R7Jl5_l7x_Z66ZxXwsDcuXtA4Jn2lVM6XHOT9uI57xgavNFgUiDZGQBnS3W8h70cOA-IyFTQ0w5Kwl67UvLuBNKoGinUL6TeaTI5__kZ2vGR1jvZcq6s/s400/image.png" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1HJ7ZwZukkEQ1-Buc6p3fYBaWn2nVGc60SciB2uIYRWVX_nWp30mgf2JYvjyJ0LKmjcas3Hpie1wgKyhpf1-2kfUCdWzgTZgLYDg-sTfJk0io_7DGSGC1NCFwgiZK4kdgXSaEOLb42L0/s1600/IMG_2846.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1HJ7ZwZukkEQ1-Buc6p3fYBaWn2nVGc60SciB2uIYRWVX_nWp30mgf2JYvjyJ0LKmjcas3Hpie1wgKyhpf1-2kfUCdWzgTZgLYDg-sTfJk0io_7DGSGC1NCFwgiZK4kdgXSaEOLb42L0/s640/IMG_2846.jpg" width="480" /></a>Have you ever seen a snake this blue? So kill me. I know, the collar! This blue jacket comes from a wonderful Vogue OOP 2614 pattern offering some great options. When I saw this snake-embossed 'pleather' I splurged without thinking and even found a perfect little gray buckle, but I immediately regretted the per metre cost. It is eye-catching but cheering for the first days of full-on rain here in Switzerland. It pairs well with this great Central Asian scarf gifted by a well-travelled neighbor. It makes the bad weather actually fun.<br />
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Wait! The same pattern?? The gray jacket was also made from this SAME pattern, which is some kind of object lesson in the difference changing 'options' and fabric can make. It's made of a very good quality gray-black chevron-weave wool coating and I did some pretty good top-stitching down the princess seams which gives it something extra. From trash to class in one pattern...Inkstainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03849218858979776045noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4375252611624193232.post-39910729939253200152019-11-10T23:15:00.000-08:002019-11-10T23:15:25.455-08:00Two autumn dresses.... first one, BurdaEasy, Spring-Summer 2019 (three versions combined for maximum ruffle oomph!)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdiAomKdevt62KsjV53pEYNhA3J_M-_Z0x31VwRH-X9egik8AaSHMIFUh95X1xJpZy0H-GUOEiXof5Lpsk0xxwmrZoZPYCqBZ9aTo-7YDzoJ3holUi5tenwlyHhncMcv4-9XF7W8nR4HU/s1600/IMG_2855.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdiAomKdevt62KsjV53pEYNhA3J_M-_Z0x31VwRH-X9egik8AaSHMIFUh95X1xJpZy0H-GUOEiXof5Lpsk0xxwmrZoZPYCqBZ9aTo-7YDzoJ3holUi5tenwlyHhncMcv4-9XF7W8nR4HU/s640/IMG_2855.jpg" width="480" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwkaTzrQyr8V7C8WT_qTXPPXDT5fW5R41qkjucZ46n4mRKpugPcdRLYhAg4mNN_mBA81h0hGhsMwDFOa6ZSF8CGfdGvuo5SoPu-I-iQ6-oRJa9zEMv8x3sklcH3skTMCu3BKbNS5t4EX8/s1600/IMG_2857.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwkaTzrQyr8V7C8WT_qTXPPXDT5fW5R41qkjucZ46n4mRKpugPcdRLYhAg4mNN_mBA81h0hGhsMwDFOa6ZSF8CGfdGvuo5SoPu-I-iQ6-oRJa9zEMv8x3sklcH3skTMCu3BKbNS5t4EX8/s320/IMG_2857.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdiAomKdevt62KsjV53pEYNhA3J_M-_Z0x31VwRH-X9egik8AaSHMIFUh95X1xJpZy0H-GUOEiXof5Lpsk0xxwmrZoZPYCqBZ9aTo-7YDzoJ3holUi5tenwlyHhncMcv4-9XF7W8nR4HU/s1600/IMG_2855.jpg" imageanchor="1"></a><br />
Skirt hems have been dropping for some seasons but many came with a buttoned-up, ruffled-bodice 'prairie girl' look which is too costumey for someone my age. So I planned two dresses in viscose in my favorite color-way of navy blue to satisfy the urge to try these longer dresses, without going for the bulk of accordion pleats (that would sit on my very wide hips pretty badly,) or spending too much on so much fabric for a look I'm not sure of.<br />
This is concocted from Burda Easy Models 2, A+B+C from the Spring Summer 2019. This design had three variations and I chose the longest and then maxed out the ruffle options, (see tech illustrations below) combining the offerings from three versions into one:<br />
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The fabric is a viscose twill, a very good weight for chilly autumn weather which gives some body to the ruffles. I found the perfect boots to wear with this length—some graceful height, a delicate heel, but not too high.<br />
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I did go wrong with this Frankenstein, however. Normally I have to adjust a 51 cm dress hem to 58 to hit at the bottom of my knee. So I automatically added 7 cm to the hem of the main dress body, then added my two ruffles to its bottom. But the dress dropped practically to my ankles which didn't match the photo in the magazine at all. I think I was working with the wrong option's hem? I took in a tuck totaling 8 cm just above the ruffles to form an extra pleat and the dress is still long, but closer to the model shown. I'm generally happy with this dress, though the size 42 neckline is wider than the illustration and slips off one shoulder or another in the wearing.<br />
I've worn this dress twice already to friends' Sunday lunch/tea and it seems just the right style for casual dining without being either overdressed or too casual, especially under a leather jacket and a beige scarf. But it's not a look I'd wear for anything dressier or the office.<br />
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I'll deal with the second dress in a separate post...<br />
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<br />Inkstainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03849218858979776045noreply@blogger.com0