BurdaStyle.com

BurdaStyle.com is a website for open source sewing. Its like "Freeware" in the computer software world. Here people can post the patterns, instructions--if any, and technical drawings of sewing projects they've designed. Moreover, sewers and seamstresses can post pictures of their creations using the patterns and place comments. Several BurdaStyle.com patterns have been reviewed on PR recently that have caught my eye, including:


Franzi 9302 --a vest that RusyBobn recently reviewed. She joined a sew-along to make this, and there was a podcast about it.

Leg-of-Mutton Knit Top --a knit top with an interesting bodice and strange-looking "leg-of-mutton" sleeves. NiceGirl on PR reviewed this. The jury is still out here. Not sure what I think of it from the pictures.

Danielle 9306 --this is a dress which a PR reviewer recently did. She left off the sleeves and turned it into a jumper that can double as a cocktail dress. Very classy with low scoop neckline I really like.

Retro Top --this is my favorite pattern I've seen. This top looks like it popped right out of the fifties or sixties and is very stylish and vintage-looking. I want a top like this!

The trick for these patterns is that you have to print everything out, including the pattern pieces--which you tape together. You may need to resize some of them to 100%.

If I can figure it out, I will be doing the retro top and may even enter it for my stash contest.

2008 Accomplishments -- A Sewing Success!

In getting ready to make my 2009 sewing New Year's resolutions I wanted to tally up what I'd done this year, in order to see where I need/want to go for next year; and, just because it makes me feel I've accomplished something after spending time tearing my hair out over some technique or step I am currently working on for a project.

I was pleasantly surprised at what I came up with:

1) I started sewing again! (after a 14 year hiatus)
2) I joined PR (on 20 Dec. '07, so I think I can count it)
3) I took 8 classes from PR and now feel so much more confident in my sewing.
4) I reviewed 3 sewing machines and 12 patterns (2 WIP reviews will be posted this weekend after I do the pictures) for PR.
5) I regularly read PR review postings (learned so much) for inspiration and always rated the reviews I read. I started using the message boards and learned how to post pix to PR/web using PR help.
6) I completed 18 sewing projects (counting the tablecloth and napkins and 3 witches costumes I made)!
7) I joined the UFO contest in January and won the oldest UFO category. Maybe not something to be s-o-o-o proud of, but what a wonderful introduction back into sewing!
8) I bravely ventured into sewing kids clothes for my son and some costumes for his school.
9) I inventoried my entire stash and found things I never new I had!
10) I attended the Sewing & Quilting Expo this year in Chantilly.
11) I read several books and took some workshops at the above Expo on fitting and am now venturing into pattern alteration, albeit not too bravely yet. But I am learning not to panic when my pattern is a size off from me, though.
12) I bought 2 new machines: a serger and an embroidery machine and am teaching myself to use them for even more sewing fun.
13) Started my own blog and picture site with Flickr which I learned how to use.
14) I learned SO VERY MUCH!!!!

OK, now I feel great and can start to think of some resolutions that will challenge me to new sewing heights this coming year.

------
Old Stash -- 131.56 yards
2008 Stash In -- 173.341 yards
Stash Given to me -- so far 33.97 yards (still counting)
Stash Sewn -- 7.75 yards
Current Stash -- 331.121 yards
Items Sewn - 18

"When the hurly-burly's done ...

When the battle's ... won!"



On May 7, 2008 I finished the 3rd and most challenging of 3 witches costumes I made on my serger for dear son's MacBeth play. I was both thrilled and exhausted. I giant weight also dropped from around my neck. I loved making the costumes, but wanted to do a good job and felt stressed out as a result.

Here are some of the thing's I'm happy about for this project:

1) Frugality: I listened carefully to what the teacher explained was her vision of how the dresses should look. Then I searched my pattern stash. I realized that a simple nightgown pattern included in my Kwik Sew Sewing for children's Master Pattern collection would fit what she wanted. Soooo.... save myself about $10.00 in buying a pattern.

2) Simplicity of project: As usual, Kwik Sew patterns are easy to make; and this one was no exception. I was also able to easily adapt the patterns to cut a slit in the back for the opening and add little spiky points to the ends of the sleeves and hem.

3) Speed of project: Using my serger, I was able to sew each gown in an afternoon. I adapted the pattern instructions for my serger, using a 3 thread overlock for seams and narrow hem for all hems/neckline. By the third one, I was so familiar with the project construction, I was doing it in just a few hours.

4) Nice thread: I went out and bought some metallic gold/black variegated Wooly Nylon thread to go with the fabric. The school provided me with a Gold Lame fabric with a black backing. They wanted me to use the black side for the right side of the fabric because the Gold Lame stuff made it look shimmery for the witches gowns. Using the Wooly Nylon thread turned out to be a real winner. I did narrow rolled edges for the neckline and opening, and hems. I put the Wooly Nylon in the upper looper of my serger and and black thread in the right needle and lower looper. Then from the right side of the fabric (black side), I serger the narrow hem. The black/gold Wooly Nylon was lovely on the outside of the gown!

Well, I don't know if the audience will be scared of our little witches in the play, but they will certainly adore them in their costumes. Kwik Sew has come through with another winner pattern for me!

Here's a link to DS wearing one of the witch's costumes.

Beginner Sewing Lab 102

In continuing my pledge to learn new things in sewing this year, I started a new online class through PatternReview on tax day. Its Shannon Gifford's Beginner Sewing Lab 102; and today was Lesson Three.

I took Lab 101 in February and loved it. Because I'd had experience sewing, I hemmed and hawed about taking it. In the end, the price ($36.00 for 10 lessons to PR members) won me over; and I figured that at $36 it wouldn't hurt to see if the classes were worth it.

Online classes are very convenient. You sign in on your schedule, not the teacher's or organization's. You may print the material or save the files to disk. Of course I'm doing both! There's also a message board where students can post questions about stuff they don't understand in the written material or ask about projects they're working on. Its very educational to read the problem and the teacher's answer. PLUS, you get the bonus of being permanently subscribed to the message board and can go back again and again. There's also a homework gallery where you can take photos of your projects and upload them to the gallery.

I actually DID learn quite a few things in Lab 101 and picked up a lot of information on how to organize one's sewing space, fabrics, and projects.

Soooo, I'm now in Lab 102 which is called Cut, Mark and Fuse; and loving it. I never knew you should preshrink your notions, such as zippers, bias tape and interfacing. Picking up lots of good stuff in 102 already! Will be taking 103 and 104 later in the year.

Workout Wear (including swimwear)

Not too long ago, I posted a query on the PatternReview.com message boards about workout wear and sources for Spandex. I want to make sure I remember some of the answers, so I'm posting to the blog:

Some sources for workout wear (including swimwear):
EmmaOneSock
Spandex House
Spandex World
Lucy's Fabrics

I also found this thread on the message boards. Some recommended fabrics for workout wear from the experts on PR include:

ottoman knit (examples: http://www.lucysfabrics.com/Bottom-Weight-Fabrics/Ottoman-Rib-4-way-stretch-BROWN/
http://www.fashionfabricsclub.com/catalog_itemdetail.aspx?ItmID=A796)

doubleknit rayon (example: http://www.emmaonesock.com/fabrics/rayonblenddk.asp )

rayon blends (60% rayon, 30% nylon and 6% spandex)

Knits with cotton were discouraged as these tend to stretch out within an hour or two of wear.

I bought several fabrics from Spandex World last month. I'm in the process of making some workout pants from one of the fabrics. They're a blue cotton lycra that I got from Spandex World (90% cotton, 10% lycra) for $6.00/yd. (bought 1 yard) and have 4-way stretch. Loved sewing them, but the fabric is not as heavy as I would have liked and clings in areas where I'd like a little more padding. Next time, I may need to underline, if I use the same type of fabric. Will see if these stretch way out of shape after I begin using them.

Fabric Fast 2008

There is a very amusing thread on the PatternReview.com message boards that I stumbled across about a month ago. It is called "Fabric Fast: 2008, Can I last the whole year?". On April 2, 2008, I added it to my Topic Tracker and have been a lurker every since, reading all postings and thinking about the concept really hard. Joining this thread requires a commitment to buy no more fabric until such time as certain goals have been achieved!

Today, I made the big move. I posted to the site that I'd be joining. Its important to me to reduce my fabric stash because I have so many nice fabrics that I really had forgotten I had until I started inventorying my stash. I also won a lot of fabric from the 2008 Finish Your UFO Contest that I am committed to making for Elliott this year. So with joining, I've come up with some rules:

--inventory entire stash and keep strict inventory on what comes in and goes out thereafter
--sew all the garments from Sewzanne's that are intended for Elliott's summer wardrobe
--reduce stash by one-third in 2008
--continue to see each project as a learning new sewing techniques project, so I'll be faster at finishing projects

So far, I've inventoried about two-thirds of my stash. I think I have about 50 yards still needing inventorying.

I haven't bought fabric since March!

I've managed to reduce my stash by 2 yards since March. I know this is pathetic, but children's clothes don't require much fabric.

Here's all my statistics so far:

Old Stash: 48.875 yds
2008 Stash In: 33.25 yds
Total Fabric Out: 2.0 yds

Total Items Made: 2 (again since March)
Total Items in Progress: 3 (pullover, apron, boxers all for Elliott)

Total Items Planned: ?? Too many to know, but here's some initial plans:

shorts for Elliott: DONE (only 1 yard)
workout shorts (me): DONE (only 1 yard)
shirts for Elliott: 4
robe for Elliott: 1
sweatsuit for me: 1 (2 pieces accounting for 3 yds.)
swimsuits for me: 2
swimsuit coverup: 1
skirts for me: 2
sew. machine cover: 1
tops for me: 2

This ought to keep me busy at least through the summer!

New Class

Tomorrow my new class starts: Beginner's Sewing Lab 102. This is the second in a 4 class series taught by Shannon Gifford on PatternReview.com. I took 101 and liked it so, or should I say sew, I have decided to take the whole series.

In 101, I got ideas about how to organize one's stash and keep up with fiber content, pricing, whether it had been prewashed, what I wanted to do with it, and what notions I had for it or would need for it. Some of my fabrics are impulse buys, but surprisingly enough, I do buy some with a pattern and garment idea in mind. By the time I get to making it, I've often forgotten all this.

Other ideas I got were:
--doing an inventory of presser feet (as I accumulate more, this is more attractive),
--how to figure out how many inches to add to pattern pieces when altering was necessary,
to name a few.

AND, I not only printed all lessons, but saved all files to my flashdrive in case I need to reprint something some day. I am "sew" looking forward to 102 and with all I learned in 101, I can't afford not to take the other 2 classes afterwards!