Finished Object - Burda Style 02-2011-101 in Blue

I am really pleased with how this dress from the February Burda Style came out. It was made with the same fabric as the Blue Sorbetto, which I think is lovely and I wish I had bought more.

The bodice is from Burda Style 02-2011-101 and the skirt is a simple circle skirt from 'The Party Dress Book' so I had less bulk at the waist and more fullness at the hem. It went together really quickly and it was all done in a few hours. 

I reviewed the February Burda Style here and said that I hoped that it would fit better than the similar vintage patterns that I had tried making, and I really like how this fits. I was really worried as I was making it that it was going to be too small, and I nearly put it aside, so I am so glad I didn't.

Looking at the Burdastyle Finished Projects I can see that this is a really popular dress and it is universally flattering, and I think this is down to the grown on cap sleeves which gives a lovely hourglass shape. You can see even more versions of this dress on 'The Sew Weekly' and the 'One Dress, Seven Bloggers' sewalong.

I am on holiday in Montreal right now and it is boiling hot, so if I could change one thing about this dress I would have self lined it as the fabric is cotton and could have been a lot cooler than the rather cheap lining that I used. I went to a bookshop today and found something rather exciting, so I'll post on that soon.

I think everyone should make this dress and thanks to Burdastyle everyone can get hold of the pattern here.

Finished Object - Blue Sorbetto Top

I too have jumped on the Sorbetto top bandwagon from Colette Patterns, which is available here. It is perhaps a little too short to wear with trousers, but the length works well with skirts, and I was working with very little fabric.

This is actually the second time that I have sewn a top from this pattern, and while I'm still undecided about whether I like the first version or not, I like this version very much. I think that the top is an excellent basic and many pattern companies have patterns for similar tops, the advantage that the Sorbetto has is that it has very generously been offered for free since Grosgrain's free pattern month. It is also very easy and very fast to make so it's great for beginners.

This top used barely over half a metre of fabric, and I used scraps to make the bias binding. The piece of fabric I used was itself a scrap from a dress that I have recently made. I bought the fabric on a recent trip to Walthamstow Market for £1 or £2 per metre, so this was a very cheap top to make. 

Overall, I can strongly recommend making this top to sewers of all abilities.

Burda Style 08/2011 - Full Preview

When I first saw the August Burda Style preview I felt a little underwhelmed, but now that I have been through it with a fine-toothed comb I see that actually there are quite a few good patterns with only one or two 'What were they thinking?' garments.

So here are a few of my favourite patterns from next month's Burda Style:

116 Dress

My favourite thing about this dress has to be the cowl neck, closely followed by the cap sleeves. I have seen a few bloggers favouring this neckline recently, as well as a few shops.

It would clearly look best in a fabric with good drape to get the full effect.

And who doesn't love pockets.

119 Dress

I think this is a lovely ladylike dress, the temptation to try to recreate it with a similar fabric is very high.

It has an interesting high back neck, which I wouldn't usually go for, but I think it works here

128 Jacket

I think this is a great autumnal jacket - it certainly wouldn't be warm enough for winter with its cropped length and shorter sleeves.

It would be ideal for Self-Stitched-September.

130 Trousers

 I quite like the look of these trousers, even though they appear to have been made in sweatsuiting.

 I think that the side button detail is really nice and you could probably make them in any type of stretch trouser fabric.

But it wouldn't be an issue of Burda Style unless there was one garment that just makes you ask 'why?', and this month it is a very interesting pair of trousers.

115 Trousers

I'm struggling to think what event these trousers would be appropriate for.

It's just a silly pair of trousers.

The full preview can be found on the Russian Burda site here.

Getting back to blogging

It has been a while, hasn't it? I think my last post was in April, and since then I have revised for and sat my A Levels and turned 19. I have, since finishing my exams, completed quite a few garments, some of which I have been brave enough to wear outside.

I think many sewers/stitchers/seamstresses share my terror that my garment will fall apart in public. This is I hope common only in beginners, hopefully as my experience grows so will my confidence.

I have some exciting (for me at least) plans for a sewing challenge, but on that I shall say more later!

I also plan on bringing back the monthly burda previews as I love burda style, even though some of the patterns are a bit out there. Many of the garments I have made recently have come from burda style magazines.

Burda Style 06/2011 in particular has been great.

So hopefully I can back into the swing of things and start posting again, because as I have said many times before on this blog, the sewing community is a hugely supportive and inspiring group of people.

Finished Object - White Floral Dress

This is a frankenpattern of New Look 6805 and the Burdastyle Linda circle skirt.

I seem to make the same mistakes with fabric choice every time: I chose a see-through fabric. I thought that lining it would fix this problem, but apparently not! It is necessary to wear a white vest underneath

I really like the square back, although attaching the straps gave me a bit of trouble.

This was the first time I understitched the neckline and it really did give it a much cleaner line.

My sister took the photos for me, and we decided to have some fun with it. Also, if you look closely George makes an appearance again in the photo below.

I hope everyone is having a happy Easter!

Burda Style 05/2011 - Full Preview

These posts seem pretty popular, so I'll continue reviewing them, but I don't think they will ever be as good as the Burda Previews by The Selfish Seamstress.

So here are some of my favourites:

Dress 108A
Now I know that this dress doesnt seem great at first, but I believe that the technical drawing really allows you to see its potential.

I would also love to do this in the longer length, but in a solid colour.

Another selling point for this dress is a similarity to a dress that I saw on Kendi Everyday.

Trousers 118

I think these trousers are going to be great in the summer when it gets cool in the evening.

And they are probably really comfy, just like PJ bottoms.

An in the technical drawing we can see some great pockets, which is always a plus.

Trousers 124

I love these 50s style trousers!

I love the pleats, I love the thick waistband at the waist, I love the length...

And seeing the technical drawing I love the fact that it has a side zipper so I don't have to learn how to insert a fly front zipper, and I love that there are pockets.

Bra Top 127

I have been trawling through eBay to find a vintage beach wear pattern and this bra top will be perfect because its a multi-size pattern, so I can get the fit just right!

I love the fabric they chose to make this up in.

Seriously, it's exactly what I need.

Dress 125

I can't decide whether this dress is gorgeous or frumpy.

Because I think that in a different fabric and with shorter sleeves and hem that this dress could be great.

 And just look at those exaggerated pockets!

Overall Conclusions

I think that there is a really good selection of garments in May's Burda Style. I particularly like the 1950's inspired section. I will definitely be buying the May Issue.

Finished Object - Navy polka-dot skirt

Here is one of the projects which as been finished for a while but I have only just got around to taking photos of.

I have also decided to be brave and put my face on the blog! So here are some photos of me and my little  dog George.

The skirt is made from a very slightly sheer navy polka dot cotton, so I do have to wear an underskirt.

This skirt was really easy to make, so I didn't have to use a pattern. I just pleated the fabric and added a waistband and a zip. If I made it again I would add interfacing to the waistband - it's such a beginner mistake!