Green Cotton Sundress

This beautiful pattern came in the last Burda magazine, which is full of lovely sundresses. A very good number, July 2012. In it they recover this pattern from the 1950s, only a little bit longer. I am seeing these femenine, full skirt dresses everywhere, and it makes me happy that I can wear them and be "in fashion," because I really love them.

The pattern proved out perfect. I decided to interface the midriff piece and the strips. The only weak point is that since it is cotton, it wrinkles (one can't have it all). See the picture after being sit for one hour in a restaurant. But still, it is really nice and special. Here I am wearing it with a pearl necklace form the 1960s and with the fabulous and confortable UGG Kalia, my best buy of the summer

Retro Butterflies Sundress

I am happy and proud to present this dress. Why? Because finally I managed to make a cut-at-the-waist design which is both confortable and becoming to my body, after some failures. How?

Again, couture techniques learned from reading Shaffer's book have aid me. Following her advice for two piece dresses cut at the waist, I finished both the blouse and the skirt independently. I sew a waistband to the skirt, which made it adjusted and confortable to wear both standing and sitting. Then, I attached the blouse to this waistband, and tada!

The patterns I used come from different places. The blouse is from this 1950s Simplicity dress and the skirt come form my favourite Burda magazine:

The fabric is this light red cotton with white butterflies. I really love this dress, it has a retro flavour that calls for some tatoos!

Cotton Checked Summer Blouse (and its defects)

Remember I got some fabric left from this project ? Well, I've been saving it for the good weather, and now, this sunny/wind/rainy spring, it has become perfect to go to work. It is a reversible cotton tartan, so I used the other side here.

I also took the pattern of my favourite magazine of all times, and it has resulted good, all in all.

In the positive side I must say it goes so well with my jeans and marine blue sandals, it is confortable, and again I applied some learning from Shaeffer's book that proved unvaluable, like interfacing all the front yoke and the back neck facing, only I made it with fusible interfacing, I cannot see the practicality of sewing it with (invisible?) stitches, so far.

Now, we have to learn from mistakes, and here I did some learning!

First, I realised there was not check matching in the back. I could not do it better, because the fabric (being the left overs) was so scarce. I decided to go on, even if this was and early stage, because, the alternative was... fire.

Second, it is not very becoming to my silhouette. In other words, it makes me fat. I forgive that as well, because I really like the tone of this blouse, and the grace it has, with its yoke and little sleeves...

Finally, one sleeve is not well placed in the back, it goes too low. I realised that just when I did the final fitting ( just now when it was completely finished). Too late, I thought. I'll have to bear that defect as well. And learn. You have to pay really close attention in all fittings (it is and unforgivable mistake when I was trying it on myself at home with no hurries and no preasure of any kind!), don't look only for the overall efect, but also check all the parts, low hem, neck, sleeves, everything, carefully and individually, to avoid mistakes in a too late state. This one could have been solved really easily in early stages, but now, with the trimmed hems and seams, no way.

But it is cute, isn't it?

Jersey Dress in the Mountains

Today we traveled to Ainsa, in the Pirinees. The weather was cloudy, and I decided to wear this jersey dress I made a couple of years ago with my "Universal T-shirt" pattern. In this case I combined the printed cotton with some black for the sleeves and neck. It is a good solution for printed fabrics which could be too much on their own.

This particular dress combines very well with short leggins. I am quite proud of this neckline too. Ii is sewn separately, and then attached to the dress and machine stiched in place.
I decided to post it, even if it is an old design, because the pictures in Ainsa are so beautiful and because it is been a while since a posted something. The are two reasons for that. One, I was making these dresses to my twin nieces, and I haven't got any picture yet. This last week, I was also sewing for my students, but I will show you eventually.
Hope you like the dress!

Jersey Wrap Dress

I had persued this design for a long time, trying to get a similar pattern modifying similar ones, but last year I finally saw this VOGUE in the net and I bought it.
I bought the material because the print was as nice as the touch of the fabric, very good fall, lots of give, soft... but it did not occur to me what to do with it.
I took a while to do the match, having them -the pattern and the fabric- both at home in the same shelf, until one day inspiration arrived and I was so happy with the idea!

The result has been nice, very nice. The skirt, really wide at the bottom, in a bell shape, falls graciously around my legs. Also, and most important, I have learned a lot in the process! The most important of my new discoveries (you never stop learning!) is that American patterns, which are sold individually (I discovered this only last year!) include the seam allowances! Pitty that i discovered this after having finished my dress, which, now I see, is maybe too generous at the superior front. Of course I realised that in the first fitting, but I wanted to play safe, and be sure the two sides would not open easily when wearing it.

I really prefer our system here, in which the pattern is the pattern, and you add to it the seam allowances you consider safe. For example, in a new design, you better leave big allowances in certain parts until the first fitting, but in designs you know well and store (like a toile), allowances can be minimum. So I think it is more accurate if the pattern is without the seam allowances, which you add when cutting the material arround it. Anyway, good to know, and something to have into consideration. Before cutting a pattern, check if the seams allowances are included.
Apart form that, the pattern was accurate and really flattering, so I put VOGUE in my list of trustable patterns.

Pink Polar Fleeze Jacket: a Step By Step Process

Since I've been reading blogs by sewing enthusiasts from all over the world, I have realized the process I follow to make a piece is not the same everywhere. In this post, I will explain what is this process step by step.
 I collect pattern magazines, sold in kiosks. Nowadays in Catalonia, we can buy Burda, from Germany, and Patrones, Spanish. They publish a new number every other month, but I try to have a look first before deciding if it is worth it, since most of the times (specially in last years, or maybe because I already have a big collection of patterns) it is not worth it -it is not a matter of price, they are only around 4 euros, but the space in my shelves!

Once I've chosen a design from the magazine, I decide what size is going to fit me, having into account the magazine style. Burda, for example makes its patterns much bigger than Patrones. Both magazines have a chart with measures. One has also to consider the kind of piece you are working with, and the fabric used before deciding a size. And often, I have to make it smaller or bigger, as in the folloing example.

Once the item and the size are chosen, I proceed to calc the pattern from the big sheets of paper where all the patterns are drawn. Knowing the colour and number dessigning your piece, I follow with a pencill over the lines, reproducing it in pattern paper.

When I have copied all the pieces, I cut them off and proceed to place them on the material, respecting the grain direction, and all the directions the magazine gives us. Once all the pieces are placed and hold with headpins, I proceed to cut the fabric, leaving good seam allowances, for possible variations.

The following step is markig the pattern into the material. I usually do it with taylor tucks, a sittch done with basting cotton thread, similar to basting, but with big loops of thread. After marking every sign, mark, or line, I take the paper off and proceed to separate the two pieces of cloth, cutting the thread between them, which stays attached to both of them.

Now, all the pieces ara thus marked before assembling them. It's time to baste the basic pieces together to the first fitting. In this particular case, the first fitting proves the jacket needed major adjustments. I had to add a seam at the center back, because it was toooo wide. I also entered it at the sides seams, and gave some shape towards the waist. I also made the sleeves narrower that they were in the original pattern. In the second fitting I regained some hope. I regret now not having photographed the fustration-happy-ending process, but of course at the time I just thought in the high possibilities of total failure. Bunt, alas... no!

I decided to apply fusible backing to the neck and arount the pockets, which I also changed form the original. They were to be sawn on top, and I made some inside pockets instead.

The result is great, I think. So, happy ending. It is also very confy, nice to the touch, lightweight and very warm.

Good!

Chanel Summer Dress

Well, this is not me. A friend of mine asked if I could make her a dress for a big familly party. I was to choose the fabric (a Chanellike tweed fabric combining coral red and bone cotton) and the design.

The pattern was from Patrones magazine. In the first fitting I was happy to see that no changes were necessary. My friend has a perfectly balanced body that filled the dress to perfection.

I finished its hems with the lining, avoiding same-material facings that would have made it too thick. Thus, I stiched the lining right sides together at the neckline, trimmed the allowances and turned it inwards. I finished the armsythes by handsewing them to the fusible interfacing, and then completed sewing the lining to them also by hand, 3 mm form the rolled hem. I also saw the lining to the zipper in the back.

I followed all my new tricks learned from Shaeffer's couture techniques book, and I can easily see the good results they are giving. The final result was this masterpiece: