Burda - 03-2008-110 Sleeveless Gathered Top

Review on PatternReview.com coming very soon . . . I guess you could say I love Burda again. You can see from this that the back is a bit tight . . . in a knit. This was a 34. If I make this in a woven, I'll make it in the 36. I really like Burda because I would never have bought these patterns. But since I have them already in the magazine, well, why not? I think I get stuck in sewing/wardrobe ruts. I find a style that works and make it over and over again. Burda is helping me make some new tracks and it's fun!

I raised the neckline seam an inch. Because, like I've said in the past, I have a bony/ribby chest. My pleats are too close to the center. If you look at the magazine, their darts are much further out to the sides. I folded, refolded, and folded those suckers again and again.

I think the weird line in the back is due to the serger seam. It really doesn't feel tight at all. The under-bust belt snugs up the front and must make the back tighter.

I didn't use my coverstitch this time. I used a (one of three!) decorative stitches from my Viking.

I interfaced the little pleated tab. I won't do that next time; it makes it stick out funny. I thought this knit would need the extra bulk. The side view gives me just a touch of the empire waist pregnancy look but not bad.

You can see the bust point is too high. Though on their model it looks very high too. I think I need to make a 36 and do an SBA.

Questions and Answers

These are regarding my Simplicity jacket I made last week.

Dana asks...
Does the adhesive from the tape build up on the needle when you're sewing?
---No, the adhesive does not gunk up the needle. And, another bonus, it makes the foot slide nicely over the tape.

Kat said...
That is a great tip! And cheaper than buying a Simplex or whatever that gadget is called.
---Kat, I had to look up what you were talking about. The Simflex looks like a great tool sto have. The tape is mainly there to make it easy to write on ans to help the foot slide over the tape. Here is a link to the Simflex on Nancy's Notions. Thank for pointing out another tool I need. :) For now I just use my quilter's cutting ruler to square everything and put it in the right spot.

This question was asked about the Green Pepper mittens I made last week.

Kat said...
Did the pattern give recommendations or you just knew what fabrics to put together?
---Kat, Green Pepper is really good about giving you advice on what kind of fabric to use. One of the hardest things about making nice, durable outerwear is finding the right fabric. Green Pepper sells some of the fabric and notions they recommend.

Burda - 03-2008-113 Flouncy Wrap Top Part II

Okay, I'm officially a fan of Burda again. (Honey, I know you were in town when they "were dead to me" but I'm a fan again, hint, hint) I graded this pattern down to my size and Laura was right, it only took a few extra minutes. Thank you Laura!!

Here is the new top.

I found that last time I really didn't like the neck treatment. You stitch the neck flounce and body together with the wrong side of the flounce on top of the right side of the body fabric. You sew them together and then turn that inside and stitch from the outside. I didn't like that way because, on a top like this, you are going to see that inside sometimes. So, I added a third strip to the neck section. You can make the above picture bigger. But basically, I stitched the three together and then folded the extra piece over and caught that in the stitching effectively covering up the stitching on the inside. Here is the inside with that extra strip sewed down.

New Hot Patterns

Here are some of my favorites from the new Hot Patterns Riviera collection. I don't know that I'll actually buy any. I think I'll wait for the reviews. I have read more than one review saying that there is something wrong with the drafting or there was a piece missing or wrong pattern sent. These patterns are pretty expensive, $20 or so.

Kiss Me Coat: I just love the shape of this coat. Super cute. I like the 'x' embellishments on the pockets and front.

I live in Alaska. Alaskans are notorius for being slobby dressers. I, too, can fall into this trap on occasion (I have three kids!) but I try really hard not to. By default, I wear a lot of t-shirts. It's my culture.

This would be super cute over dressed or at work. My room can go from hot to cold in 20 minutes.

These are cure although I don't know I'll ever make them. My husband would like the lace-up back. Grrrrrrrr. I like the style.

Awwww, Thanks Charity . . .

Thanks Charity! I'm not going to nominate anyone else because everyone I "know" has already been nominated already. I'm glad other read and like my blog. :)

Simplicity 4081 - Some Details

This is what I used to make really straight buttonholes. I read this at a blog or at patternreview somewhere. I can't remember where I saw it. It is not my idea. If you know where I saw it, let me know and I'll link to it.

I use tape and stick it to the approximate location on my jacket. I use my quilting ruler to make sure that it is perpendicular and straight compared to the edge of the jacket. Then I draw on the tape with a pen. This way I can easily see the ends of the buttonhole when I am sewing.

Here I have sewn two out of the three you can see.

Here is the finished product with the brass buttons. I love it.

Green Pepper 206

ETA: Here is the patternreview.com review. And here is a link to the Green Pepper information on these mittens.

Had to make The Boy some new mittens because the old ones were put too close to the exhaust stack of our furnace. It is a handy place to put mittens and boots beacuse it is warm. In this case, the mittens were too close and the nylon melted a bit. I have one pair cut out and one of them sewn. I don't have another set of buckles for the other ones so they may be a while in the making. This is a Green Pepper pattern. They have good, rugged outerwear patterns for adults and kids. This is the kid pattern. I'll put a real review on tomorrow.

I added a toggle with elastic at the edge of the cuff so snow and water will stay out. I also added a reflector strip to the right-hand mitten.

The palms are Cordura. The main fabric is XALT Waterproof/Breathable fabric.

The inner mitt is Malden Mills Polartec 200. I made them separate so that we can pull them apart and dry they quickly. Also, we can stick a hand warmer in between the two layers so he can stay warm but the warmer won't be too hot against his skin. Those babies get cookin'.