Take a look at this evening gown from Claire Schaeffer’s Custom Couture Collection:
Now that is one sexy evening gown. But at the same time it is very
elegant and classical. I think this is going on my list for the next
time Vogue patterns are on sale at Joann’s.
A fellow PR member
posted a comment on my review for my Burda 1/07 #105 blouse asking how
I removed the excess sleeve ease. I posted a link to an excerpt of Sandra Betzina’s book Fast Fit on Google Books that describes how to do this. (Of course if you find the excerpt helpful I suggest you actually buy Fast Fit - it isn’t very expensive and has a lot of good ideas inside.
Why is this Craig Taylor Punch Line Shirt
from Neiman Marcus dry-clean only? The fabric contents are 70% cotton,
23% nylon, and 7% lycra. No silk. No wool. No lining. Just cotton and
nylon shirting, with a little lycra. Is this shirt really that delicate?
Another shirt says “dry clean or hand wash”. It is 97% cotton, 3% lycra.
I throw stuff like this into the laundry all the time. With no ill
effects. Maybe the people that can afford to buy these shirts just
don’t do laundry?
Finally finished my Burda blouse! I’ve been admiring the pattern for some time, and got around to tracing and sewing it.
Very little trouble with this one (other than the collar stand, which I always
have issues with). I admit the fabric is a very boring color, but it
should go well with a brown skirt or blazer. It looks a bit lumpy in
the photo because I have it tucked in…which is why next time I make
it, I will shorten it. I never liked tucking in my shirts.
For this shirt I decided to not be so picky, and just work to finish
it within a reasonable amount of time. So while there are mistakes here
and there (especially on the collar stand) I did manage to finish it
fairly quickly. The nice part is that no one will ever notice the
mistakes…only I will know they are there.
I did a sloped shoulder adjustment with this blouse. I’m now a
strong believer in the importance of the right shoulder slope. I
think I went a bit too far in my adjustment, but it just hangs so much
nicer than before. Before I would keep taking in my shirts at the bust,
thinking that’s why I had wrinkles and why my shirts looked like they
were just hanging off of me. This was a much simpler adjustment, and
the end result is more comfortable. I guess this is why fitting is so
hard. One problem could have three different causes, all requiring
three different solutions.
Burda now has a preview of their next issue online. I think the theme of this issue is parties. Lots of semi-formal cocktail dresses and evening jackets. Everything is taking on the elegant, classic, “lady-like” look mentioned in a few fashion columns about a month ago. It looks like they’re finally starting to get away from those very strange silhouettes common in the last two issues,
though they still pop up occasionally in this one.
Here’s some of my favorites:
I really like the pocket placement in this jacket, the
untraditional seams, and the non-fussy details. I have a length of
heathered black wool crepe I haven’t done anything with yet; I wonder
how well it would make up in this style.
Nice classic style coat that can be worn for years and years. If
you look at the technical drawing, it looks like the pockets and
sleeves have zippers. Very cool!
A really nice yoga outfit. I think this one is going to be very popular on Pattern Review.
I think that if I make this, I’m going to cut off an inch from the
waistband. I like stuff like that to be a little lower rise.
The basic hoodie. I think if I made this one I’d eliminate the ribbing on the cuffs and sew the sleeve straight.
Scoop neckline racerback exercise top. I think the key to this
one is finding a wicking fabric with some lycra in it. (A good source
for that type of fabric is The Rainshed.) This looks very similar to the tops Nike sells for $50 a pop.
Candlelight Valley Fabrics has 60″ 100% double faced cashmere in several colors. (My link shows it in burgundy.) The cost per yard? $175.
I guess they really aren’t kidding when they say “easy to work with,
but mistakes can be very costly”. I feel guilty enough when I spend
$175 and get 15 or 20 yards of fabric. I can’t even imagine how bad it
would feel to make a mistake when cutting out this one. Or to
accidentally spill something on the finished garment. I’m a pretty
careful person, but simply don’t trust myself enough with something
like this.
I came across a few sewing blogs today that mentioned the Patrones
pattern magazine. I’m always interested in new pattern sources, so I
searched for it on Amazon.com.
$440 for twelve issues. And it is only available in Spanish.
Other people don’t seem to balk at the price, but I certainly am…that
would buy quite a bit of fabric. Nice fabric, at that. Must be a pretty
good magazine…
Ever lusted after that sexy bowlegged look? If so, Vogue V8397 is the pattern for you.
I’ve noticed a trend of very weird, very oddly shaped coats, pants,
skirts, etc this fall. Lots of very big, boxy coats that seem to
swallow the models, skirts with heavy draping in the front, and very
high waisted pants that seem designed to make the wearer look as frumpy
as possible.
And now tapered bowleg pants are added to the mix.
This issue seems to have improved from the last one. It definitely
isn’t as wacky, though skinny jeans seem to unfortunately still be
sticking around…
I like this coat, with the exception of the back
patch pockets. I am thinking of making it out of a hunter green wool
melton I’ve had in my stash, well, forever. If you click on the image
below, you can view the technical drawing. It is hard to tell from the
photo, but this coat has some very nice classic, military-like lines:
This skirt has an interesting mock-wrap front. It looks like it would
be nice if done out of a darker denim, or maybe wool gabardine. 
Nice fitted little jacket. There’s actually not that many pieces to it,
and it looks like it isn’t even lined. Burda recommends using “fulled
loden”. I had no
idea what loden was, A quick Google search revealed that “fulled loden”
is otherwise known as melton or wool melton in the USA. I think if I
made this jacket out of wool melton I would at least line the sleeves,
if not the whole jacket. Wool melton is like berber fleece in that it
is tough and easy to work with, but doesn’t slide over clothes very
well.
This is a very RTW style, but looks like a lot of work! I admire it,
but won’t be doing it anytime soon, especially since it is rated a 3.5.
I just received my copy of Easy Guide to Sewing Pants in the mail today. I must say that after looking at it for a few minutes, I am impressed. It has everything
you have ever wanted to know about pants, which includes fitting as
well as construction. This book is simple and no-nonsense in its
approach. It does a very good job explaining the theory behind pants
construction, and goes through every step in careful detail. Someone
that has been sewing for 10 or 20 years might be bored, but I think it
is just what I needed. The entire Easy Guide to Sewing collection seems to be this way. It gives beginning and intermediate sewers like me a much-needed hand to hold.
Another thing I like about this book? The ideas are great for people
that are on a budget as well as those that have a no-expense-spared
approach to sewing. That’s one thing I never liked about some sewing
books - they ignore the fact that many sewers (like me) are on a
budget. Sometimes buying all of these fancy notions and supplies is not
an option…we just need to make the most of what we have. I am well
aware of the cost-benefit analysis of making a garment out of
cheaper fabric, the time invovled, and buying the same thing at a
department store on sale. But my first priority when I sew is fit, then
style, then quality. I just screw up too much to use really good
quality fabric yet! And having an excellent fit really tends to mask
the effects of a cheaper fabric or doubious quality sewing job. Few
people notice quality of the fabric, and even fewer notice the
difference between a good as opposed to perfect sewing job. I find that
even the cheap fabric I buy on clearance is still somehow better
quality and lasts longer than what is on the store racks. This is why I
consider myself to take the engineer rather than artist approach to
sewing. I sew to fix problems (fit) rather than make a masterpiece
(art).
I actually like this book better than Sandra Betzina’s Fast Fit. I
don’t know why, but Betzina’s books don’t quite hit it for me.
For sure she is an enormously talented woman and makes beautiful
garments, and has excellent ideas. Sometimes when I read her books I go
“wow, that is a really good thing to know” but other times I am left
shaking my head. Betzina’s system of fit is wonderful for women middle
age and over, but I noticed that many of her fitting solutions just
don’t translate well to the younger figure. For some of of her
adjustments by comparing the wrinkles in my clothes to her fitting
chart, and the end result is no better or even worse than what I
started off with. Then I read other books, and their methods work great
for me. I’m not knocking her at all, I just think her fitting
advice isn’t always the best for the younger chicks. On the other hand,
she caters to her target market (middle age and older women) very, very
well.
I’m definitely going to use this book for my next pants project.
- it isn’t very expensive and has a lot of good ideas inside.