Argyle Blouse: Burda WOF 2004-02-120

Inspiration:
This McQ by Alexander McQueen Top:
What I like about McQueen’s design is the casual sophistication and effortlessness that the top exudes.

Pattern:
Burda WOF 2004-02-120, s.38. The pattern is actually for a dress/tunic, I took only the top (blouse) part of the pattern and worked with it.

Pattern Alterations for fit:
Shortened the bodice above the armhole with 0.5”.
On raglan sleeves drafted by Burda WOF I usually have to adjust the shoulder curve to soften it. This, however, was not necessary here.

Pattern Modifications:
The sleeve was overhauled. First, I made it a 1-piece sleeve by putting the front and back parts of the sleeve together and, thus, creating a shoulder dart. Second, I tapered the sleeve towards the hem and adjusted the underarm length to what was needed for the design. Third, I added the pleats, the slit, the placket, and the cuff.
Shirt hem: I added a 0.5” waistband (bias-cut) in which I inserted elastic.
Front slit: lengthened to 7”.
Neckline and slit are bias bound.
3 buttons and button loops were added to the bottom edge of the slit.

Fabric:
Italian argyle print cotton shirting from EOS.
This fabric is one of those you have to see in person to truly appreciate. I love the color combination and the argyle/plaid pattern.

Construction details:
Although it was not in the initial plan, the blouse ended up being underlined with Ambience. The underlining was cut on bias. I think it improves the hang, and I like how it feels against the skin.
Again, D. Coffin’s “Shirtmaking” was invaluable.
Here are some close-up photos of the shirt:

Conclusion:
A pattern with a lovely cut, and isn’t it nice that you can find a current-looking pattern in a 5-yr old magazine!

Kreativ Blogger Award

Pamela from http://off-the-cuff-style.blogspot.com/ nominated me for a Kreativ Blogger Award.
Thank you, Pamela! I am so very appreciative!

Rules and Responsibilities of the Nominees:
1. Copy the award to your site.2. Link to the person from whom you received the award.3. Nominate 7 other bloggers.4. Link to those on your blog.5. Leave a message on the blogs you nominated.

So, now that I have to choose 7 bloggers, here they are (in no particular order):

The lady with impeccable taste from http://www.mycafecouture.com/
The always generous Marita from http://exploringpassions.blogspot.com/
The ever popular and talented Tany from http://tanysewsandknits.blogspot.com/
The delightful and full of information Lindsay from http://www.lindsaytsews.com/
The creative and inspiring Christina from http://assortednotions.blogspot.com/
Geri from http://sewable.blogspot.com/ who always inspires me to try prints and color
The delightlful land ever creative and thoughtful adies from http://sugarcityjournal.blogspot.com/

I am always inspired when I visit these blogs and this is my "thank you" to them!

McCall’s 3799: Button-Down Shirt

Plaid was big for fall, and I am late on this trend.

To be honest, I first looked into buying a plaid button-down. Why? Well, plaid is not something that I truly love to sew with. Unfortunately, the shirts I liked were way too expensive, IMO; and I did not *really love* any. So, I bit the bullet and made one. I don't regret! I wore it today and loved it!

Pattern:
McCall’s 3799
The front of the pattern is greatly altered.
s.10
I chose this pattern for its lady-like lines. I needed something stylish to counteract the, otherwise boyfriend-ish, fabric.

Pattern Modifications:
a/ For Fit
Petite alterations on the bodice, as marked on the pattern.
I used narrower cuff and had to lengthen the sleeves.
Shoulder extended with 0.25”
Sleeve cap narrowed with 0.5”
b/ For Style:
2.1 Front: a/ Reverse engineered the front and converted the front gathers into bust darts, and b/ Added front vertical darts
2.2 Sleeve: Kept only one pleat at the sleeve hem, removed the other 2. This reduced the sleeve circumference everywhere from the armhole to the hem
2.3 Cuff: the length of the cuff was reduced.
2.4 Lengthened the bodice at the hem and changed the shaping of the hem

Fabric:
I used a Ralph Lauren shirt (XL size) that used to belong to my husband, cut it up and sourced the fabric as needed. The fabric is 100% cotton, hence, has no stretch. I think that, ideally for this pattern, or for any other pattern for a fitted button-down, the fabric it should have some, albeit not excessive, crosswise stretch.
BTW, this plaid was not easy to work with: hard to see your marks on, a lot of tiny lines to match, etc. Also, having been sewn once into a shirt, there were parts of the fabric that were a bit distorted and needed special attention. I get shivers just thinking of the state of mind that brought me to!

Construction details:
Did not use the pattern instruction and cannot comment on their quality.
I have made men’s shirts for my husband and I made them with flat-felled seams and the whole shebang. I decided to not to do flat felled seams this time. Reason – matching the *darn* plaid was challenging enough!
I also had fabric constrains and had to reuse the original cuffs by resizing them, which is why they are narrower than I would have made them if I had enough fabric. That was the only reused piece though, everything else was made from scratch. Also due to fabric constraints, I used different plaid (from a different DH’s shirt) for the lining piece for the yoke.
When I make shirts I like to consult David Coffin’s “Shirtmaking.” It is the best study on shirt making that I’ve come across.
There are also a few things that I do differently. For example, I like to add a bit of shaping to the outside edge of the collar, see here:

With shirts, it is important to remember that the pieces you interface are:
- the cuff: the outward piece of it
- the collar stand: the piece closer to your neck; interfacing cut on bias
- the collar: the piece closer to you neck; interfacing cut on bias. I also like to add a second layer of interfacing on the collar: two triangles right at the pointy parts of the collar (you can see on the picture above).

Conclusion:
Well, obviously my shirt does not look anything like the pattern and that is how I wanted it to be. The pattern, however, is drafted superbly well and some of my fit changes were driven by the fact that I should have cut s.12 but my pattern envelope only covered through s.10. This pattern is OOP, but can be found on Ebay (where I got it from, actually), and I do very much recommend it!

My Sewing Story

When I posted about the last pair of pants I made, Dei from http://deisdelights.blogspot.com/, Lyndsay T from http://www.lindsaytsews.com/, and Melodymcfarland from http://melodymcfarland.wordpress.com/ asked how I learned to sew and draft. So, this is how…

I am almost completely self-taught. Started sewing as a kid for my dolls – by hand, or by machine. My grandmother could sew a little and my dad would help with the machine. My first machine was a toy one that actually stitched. My first real machine was an old hand-driven Singer. It did not have zig-zag and I overcasted by hand. In high school my parents bought me a zig-zag foot-operated machine (the brand I don’t remember but I got it through a sale of Home-Ec machines).

Back then in Bulgaria the apparel stores did not offer much and there were a lot of seamstresses who sewed for profit. Many of my clothes were made by a seamstress. I wanted to be able to sew my own clothes and when I was 13-14 y.o. I made myself a pair of shorts with a side zipper and a top with dolman sleeves that came down to above the navel and tied in the back (both woven). I wore them the whole summer!

In the early 90s, after the fall of the Berlin Wall, more foreign language literature became available and I began buying Burda WOF in German. I think it was back then when I developed the habit of not reading instructions due to my not speaking German. A few years later I started buying Burda WOF in Russian, a language I well understood, but still ignored instructions. I learned mostly in two ways: 1. By observing RTW, and 2. Through the illustrated sewing courses in Burda WOF.

In college I sew a little, rarely for myself. By that time there was no shortage of capparel for sale; my time, however, was limited. I did mostly alteration and some garment sewing for profit. Immediately after college I started a fairly demanding job and did not have the time, space, or desire to sew.

In 1992 my parents bought me a basic PFAFF and I used it till I moved to the USA in 2003. I did not bring it over here because of luggage restrictions, etc. When I moved-in with my now-husband, he lived across the street from the Harold Washington library in Chicago. They had a great sewing section and I borrowed a lot from there. Those were the first sewing books I ever read! Still did not sew though! By reading all those books I not only learned the sewing terminology in English, but also became aware of all kinds of notions and techniques I have never ever heard of before. Then, my husband purchased a new condo and we needed window treatments. We decided he would get me a machine and supplies and I would make the draperies. That is how I started sewing again. It was then when I tried my first non-Burda WOF pattern - a Vogue pattern for a blazer. A year later I bought a Juki serger.

As far as drafting pants… There is a place a Chicago where a tailor teaches drafting and sewing - EWS Academy (http://www.ewsacademy.org/) . You start with pants, then skirts, shirts, blazer, and a coat. I became pregnant after the skirt draft and had to stop for it was impossible to fit muslins on me and firtting on yourself was part of the instructor's process. I was too stresses to start taking classes again after DD was born, and soon thereafter we moved to Colorado. I feel grateful that I learned how to draft pants though since I wear bottoms so much!

I also like to copy RTW pieces that fit me well; I have unstitched (and then stitched back) a pair of trousers that I love to get the pattern from it.

Now, I read blogs and learn a lot from them. I also love to browse through brick-and mortar boutiques and observe the techniques used by established designers. For example, a few days ago I came across a Robert Rodrigues dress with very interesting seaming detail.
What it is:
1. The seams are stitches wrong sides together.
2. The seams are pressed flat apart.
3. A satin bias strip is cut. The strip is about 3/8” narrower than the width of both seam allowances.
4. The bias strip is stitched on the right side, in the ditch of the original seam.
You cannot see this well in the picture, but trust me, it was beautiful!

So, this is pretty much it as far as my sewing history goes.
In my sewing *now* is a button-down plaid shirt I am working on now and will post about it as soon as it is ready!

Slim Low-Rise Pants

Inspiration:
I like to browse retail websites and fashion mags and get ideas about what I’d like to sew. This pair of pants is no different, and here are the pieces I drew ideas from:

Design:
Slim leg, low-rise, short inseam. Here is the sketch:
Pattern:
I started off with a developed some time ago pant sloper, modified the leg according to the knee and ankle circumference I was going for, and added the pockets and the fly front. A muslin later I had my pattern.

Fabric:
Japanese Woven fabric – “Roam If You Want To” - from http://www.gorgeousfabrics.com/. It is non-stretch, spring weight. This is the 2nd time I use this fabric (I made a high-waisted skirt from it earlier) and it sews like a dream!

Construction details:

For interfacing I used fine weft and fusible tricot. Fusible tricot was used behind the pockets and on the waistband facing. Everywhere else I applied fine weft. The waistband is contoured and faced with pocketing fabric. For pockets I used double welt pockets with tabs on the back and slant double welt pockets on the front.

Front slant double welt pockets – I saw this particular design on a pair of GAP pants and thought it was a neat idea (particularly for low-rise pants) how the top edge of the pocket was “cut.” I mulled over what was the best technique to use and I came up with a pretty decent one. http://picasaweb.google.com/lenush2003/FrontWeltPocket this is a photo tutorial on how to make them.

Missed but Not Forgotten!

I am contemplating whether or not to re-subscrive for Burda WOF. So, I decided to go through the 2008 issues and look-out for missed gems. Here is what I came up with:

02-121 Pleated pants.

I want to make a pair of cropped pleated pants in silk and this pattern is a good starting point:

04-101 Safari Dress

Love the flounce at the bottom:

04-113 Cargo Pants

I'd make them longer, so I could roll them up:

05-126 Jacket

I'd make it longer (high-hip or so); otherwise the design of the sleeves is really unique:

05-113 Shirt dress

It is not exactly that I missed this pattern, I just could not find the right slot buttons last year:

05-108 Tulip Skirt

Interestingly draped design:

06-105 - Shirt

Not completely sold on this one but with the right fabric it could be a winner:

08-111 Shirt Dress

If I only find the right print, this would be a lovely 4-season dress:

09-115 Shirt

Basic and fitted. Icould try it:

07-118 Sleeveless Tunic

I'm thinking of making this in a stable knit, perhaps with a colorblocked effect, or if it has two distinctive right sides, use both:

Well, the jury is still out on the re-subscribing, but at leat now I know that if I don't subscribe, there are pleanty of projects in the 2008 issues!

What are your omitted but "must-make" designs from the 2008 issues of Burda WOF?

My 2008 Non-Sewing Product Discoveries

Ok, so, this is still a sewing blog! I would typically not rave about products, unless I am absolutely consumed with belief that they are mention-worthy. It is penny-pinching time right now for many, so I think it is important to share about products that we have found to actually work.

Here are (in no specific order) my 2008 discoveries:

PHYTO
http://www.phyto.com/

This is what their website says: “PHYTO drew inspiration from plants well before the emergence of environmental awareness. To this day, our family-owned Phytosolba Laboratories carefully select the plants with the most beneficial properties to use in each product. Our solutions boast extremely high concentrations of active botanical extracts with clinically proven results. PHYTO products are not tested on animals.”
I have never bought anything more expensive than Tresemme and Pantene for my hair. One reason – at this point my hair does not have any special needs. Recently though, I noticed that as my hair was getting longer, the ends were getting dry and brittle. My hairdresser suggested Phyto, in my case Phytonectar ultra nourishing oil treatment with egg yolk oil and Phytonectar ultra nourishing shampoo with orange blossom. I was pretty ambivalent at first because I tend to doubt more expensive hair products, however, since he has not given me a bad hair care advice yet, I gave it a shop. It has been amazing. I used to use a fair amount of styling products to infuse volume in my hair; now I don’t use anything but a shampoo and a conditioner. DD has very fine hair that gets incredibly static and tangles like crazy. I used the same products on her and the result is silky hair, no static, no tangles. I did the math… The Phyto line is by no means cheap, however, it goes a long way, provides amazing result and I don’t have to buy any other styling products! Additionally, due to me not using styling products, my hair now lasts 1-2 longer without me having to wash it!So, financially, it is a wash, but I love the effectiveness!

DEBBIE MAYERS GREEN BAGS
https://www.greenbags.com/?cid=402572
My MIL gave me a few to try and that was it! I buy veggies and fruit a lot and since I resent grocery shopping, I buy them in big packages. The Green Bags allow for my produce to stay fresh. I could not ask for more!

MARIO BADESCU
http://mariobadescu.com/productDetail.asp?ProductID=44
I have heard people talking about this line but have thought it was all hype and PR. Some time ago I took some samples from MB’s stand Nordstrom and was sold. My skin is combo/break-out prone and likes to create problems for me. I’ve tried many products – OTC, prescription-ointments, Murad. SkinMD, Proactive, you name it. Nothing had really worked, but my credit card company was happy. MB’s products are not cheap, however, they last really long time, you need very little product and are very effective. Here is what I use now:

I have also heard that people with rosacea sweat by his products.

ECO TOOLS
http://www.parispresents.com/SearchResults.asp?Cat=36

I know there are plenty high-quality cosmetic brushes out there but, but the prices can prohibitively high. A new line called Ecotools is different. Ecotools are designed to be as ecologically friendly as possible. The products are made primarily of bamboo and synthetic bristles. The company donates some of the profits to sales to environmental groups around the world. What I like: very soft bristles, smooth makeup distribution, very affordable (unlike MAC). I absolutely LOVE their angle eye brush, it is the best! You can purchase Ecotools at WalgreensTarget, Ulta, and Ecotools has a store locator tool.

SOAP AND GLORY
http://www.soapandglorycosmetics.com/

I am in love with the products I’ve tried, i.e. the Body Butter in Peach, Endless Glove Hand Cream, Flake Away Body Scrub, and Sugar Crush Body Scrub. They are effective, smell deliciously, and the packaging is witty. It doesn’t hurt that DH loves them too!

This is a line carried by Target.
http://www.target.com/b/sr=1-21/qid=1231386315/ref=sr_ilm_21/602-9168352-0278209?ie=UTF8&node=379644011

So, this is basically it! I am, of course, not affiliated with any of these retailers/brands. Just a consumer:)