Checking in with the Burda Style shirtdress progress

 I wanted to show you that while my progress has been slow, I did finish the collar (Burda Style June #120)

Quería ensenarles el poquito de progreso que he hecho en el vestido (Burda Junio #120), terminé el cuello!

Love the shaping that the collar stand gives!

Me encanta la forma que tienen los cuellos de dos piezas.


Soon I will be working with my son's high school fall production team. This time it is a small production I think there will be more styling and alterations than actual sewing, which it's okay with me since that will allow me to make Halloween costume pieces for my husband and sons who already have put in their requests ;-)

Pronto vuelvo a trabajar con la maestra de teatro en la produccion del otono. La obra es sencilla, solo 10 en escena, asi que me dara tiempo para trabajar en los disfraces que mi esposo e hijos me han pedido para Halloween.
Nota: Blogger me esta dando problemas cuando trato de incluir acentos, tengo que ver cual es la mejor forma de escribir en espanol e ingles. Si tienen consejos son bienvenidos!

I've been knitting

 I wanted an easy knit for summer and hopefully a pattern where I could use several skeins that I had leftover from previous summer knits.

Quería un proyecto de tejido fácil para el verano y la oportunidad de usar bolas que me habían sobrado de otros proyectos veraniegos.

When I saw this pattern in Sandra Knit Trends, No 8 (not in the Ravelry database yet) I thought it might work. It is just a square piece, front and back, and an easy to memorize pattern (4 row repeat). I used all the colors I had that I thought would look good together and the proportions are done according to how much yarn of each I had as well as to achieve a pleasing balance =).

Cuando vi este patrón en Sandra Knit Trends, No 8 (aún no está en Ravelry) pensé que podría usarlo. Es solo dos rectángulos, en un punto fácil de aprenderse de memoria (se repiten 4 hileras). Usé todas las bolas que pensé se vieran bonitas juntas y agregué más rayas al diseno, en una combinación que me gustó.

I'm done with one piece and just started with the other. I think I will get it done to wear as a layering piece in the cooler months ahead.

Ya terminé una pieza y empezé la otra. Espero terminar el proyecto en tiempo para usarlo en los meses más frescos.

My family, enjoying some summer fun.

Mi familia disfrutando el verano.

Making hems extra pretty

 Since the denim shirtdress I'm working on called to make bias binding to finish the top edge of the pockets, I went ahead and made extra to use on the hems (skirt and sleeves). I know it takes extra time but I love the way it looks.

Como el patrón pedía tiras al bies para terminar el borde del bolsillo, decidí también terminar los dobladillos de la falda y las mangas. Ya sé, más trabajo, pero que lindo se vé!

To handle the curve on the pockets I ran a basting stitch on the seamline around the curve and pulled on the bobbin thread until I had the desired curve, perfect!

Para que la curva del bolsillo me quedara bonita, cosí una linea de puntos largos con la máquina y halé el hilo de la bobina (¿así se dice "bobbin"?) hasta que el borde se curvó como yo quería y perfecto!

A denim shirtdress

Hello everyone!

Continuing with Burda Style June, this one is 120, I just cut a lightweight denim that I bought during PR weekend in NYC a couple of years ago.

I was on vacation last week and it seems my days in the summer are full and I have less time for sewing. I'm hoping to be productive the rest of the summer but this is a hobby and sometimes other things take priority.

That said I am really looking forward to sewing this one and wearing it soon!

Burda Style June 2013 Blouse 118

 I got to wear the finished blouse today when my sons and I took my mom to lunch to celebrate her 82nd birthday. I am so blessed to have her, besides the arthritis, in good health.

 I did not do buttonholes on the very narrow sleeve band. I added a snap and sew the button on =)

I'm pretty happy with how the buttonholes turned out.

here you can see my modified facings

The fabric is a cotton batiste from Metro Textiles which I bought on my trip to NYC during PR weekend a couple of years ago and it was a very easy fabric to work with. I made french seams because of the sheerness of the material, it is such a nice finish.

The skirt is Vogue 1247 which I made last summer and gets a lot of love from me.

The pictures are showing a bit of wrinkling in the sleeve head but there are truly none, I don't know why it showed that way.

This a great basic, I can also see wearing it layered over a tank top. I am now working in the shirt dress which uses this same pattern but adds vertical darts to the front and back, with short sleeves.

Burda 6-2013 Top 118, Modifying facings

I was surprised to find shaped facings in this pattern since the blouse I made not that long ago had the self facing used by RTW. Since my fabric is lightweight/sheer I did not want a big old facing on the front  so I referred to Claire Shaeffer's High Fashion Sewing Secrets from the World's Best Designers,

which explains how to add a self facing. In my case I already had a huge floppy facing =) so I cut it down according to her guidelines. Basically you need to figure out the width of your button band and add enough fabric twice to be able to fold it twice on itself. This is a wonderful book one that I refer to often.

Here is the pattern and how my blouse facing now looks after chopping off the facing.

Hope this is useful!

June Burda Fashion

I finally got to look at the newest issue and I have been trying to trace 3 patterns. One is for two patterns a blouse and a dress and the other is for a jacket.

 I'm tracing Blouse 118, Dress 120 and jacket 123

What I want to know how if I'm done teaching (still doing some interpreting) it seems I have less time than before? I have been trying to finish tracing, which with the new format is pretty horrendous, for about a week. I have fabrics picked out for every design so I'm very excited to start sewing!

Hope you are all enjoying your weekend and celebrating with the dads in your life!

Burda 7866

 Here is the top I showed you a preview of in my last post after I took it in in the lower band. This pattern has more ease than I'm used to in Burda patterns; of course better to have too much than the opposite =O . I like how it looks with the lower bodice piece hugging the body. In the pictures below I don't know if you can see the looser initial fit, but I can feel a difference when I wear it.

In this last picture I wanted to show you the pretty bell sleeves.

This pattern was a gift from Andrea two years ago, I finally made it Andrea! I love the boat neck because it does not show underwear straps. I will not be able to wear it in the hot summer, the knit I used is a poly. I can only wear sleeveless garments made out of polyester in the summer. I do love this print which I purchased at Kashi's during PR weekend in NYC. I have enough left to make a simple summer dress.

Vogue 2011 skirt

Here is the skirt from Vogue 2011. I used a poly crepe from my stash. I would not use this color near my face, while I look good with more intense yellows this one just washes me out as most pastels do.

This was a very simple to sew skirt. the most difficult part if you can call it that was the narrow hem but really you just need to take your time to not stretch the edges on the bias.

I added a lining since my fabric was sheer. The pattern for the lining was included, how nice.

My version is not as drapey as the envelope picture so my skirt has a definite A-line shape. I will like to try it with a drapier fabric and I will also like to make the wrap maxi included in the pattern.

 

If you want to try this uneven hemline trend I recommend this pattern. It had excellent instructions and great fit.

Here is a peek of the next pattern (Burda) I will review. I made it to wear with this skirt but then I wasn't sure if I like them together. I think what I need to fix is the ease of the lower piece on the top, for some reason it came out with too much ease and made the top look wonky. The top I did wear in these pictures is from Target =)

There's sewing going on!

 I have had this pattern for a very long time. I couldn't find a date on it but it is so old that pictures on PR do not show and I think most of them were for the top. I am making the skirt view D in a very springy color; a poly crepe that came from my mom's stash from a store in NJ we loved but has disappeared. So old pattern, even older fabric =)

I love all pieces in this pattern and since the high low trend is going on now I decided to go for it and make view D.

I hope to finish it today and photograph it tomorrow. Of course I also have a cellar full of laundry...but hey I'll make it work!

A dress for me!

Today I got to wear a new dress! A super simple to make, can you say the serger is a wonderful quick and efficient friend =)

I have always loved the simplicity (no pun intended!) of this Simplicity 2054 a Cinthia Rowley pattern. It is a t-shirt lengthened to an A line dress. I could have lots of these in my closet...easy to wear, easy to accesorize specially during those mornings when there isn't a lot of time to think about what to wear.

I wore it with a cardigan today and no belt,  I think I like it even more with the belt. I also like the sleeve length since we don't all have Mrs Obamas's shapely arms.

I'm so excited to sew! What next! I'll let you know when I decide. If you have suggestions for any must have garment/pattern let me know! I have been out of the loop of the greatest and most popular.

I'll be back soon!

A quick hello

Have I told you how much I miss blogging? Well, I do! Life has become busier for me lately, I won't bore you with details but soon, meaning end of spring term, I will have more time.

I have a knit dress cut waiting to be sewn

I used a knit from my PR New York trip, which I saw Karen getting at Kashi's and I had to have it also =). I would like to get it done to wear to work on Tues, we will see if I can manage it.

Happy spring to all! Keep on sewing and I will too!

What has kept me busy up to now!

Hello everyone! I am so excited to be back to blogging and soon back to sewing for me!

The show was a tremendous success! We had 6 shows, one only open to elementary schools in the area and 5 to the public, out of the public shows 3 were sold out. At the last show people bought tickets knowing they would have to stand to see the the show!

I will show you pictures taken during one of the dress rehearsals taken by the photographer who did a fantastic job capturing it all.

I hope you enjoy!

Dorothy's costume was made using Simplicity 4136. Of course all the bias binding I did was my addition and I loved how it turned out. The dress fitted perfectly with no fittings issues the first time I tried it on!

All fabrics came from Joann and the trim was in my stash.

I was originally going to make the Cowardly lion's costume but the basic costume from the company we rent from was okay so we kept it and enhanced it. The wig was purchased by the school, I made new mittens and then added strips of the mitten fur to the shoulder fur piece and the shoe covering, as well as enhancing the tail to incorporate the new fur pattern all over the costume.

Here is what we got from the rental company for the Tin Man, poor guy looked like a spaceman...

 

 This is how I transformed him.

I took pieces from different patterns that featured gladiators and knights and I added the vest, boots a new funnel (which my husband sprayed painted for me!), we gave him silver gloves and I made him a bow tie to keep with the traditional look of the movie. The mom who was helping me added the silver electrical tape for additional texture.

 

Scarecrow looked fine we added raffia cuffs  and a burlap sash.

I made the burlap cape for when Cowardly lion gets crowned

I used Burda 7686 to make the jacket. The beautiful actress sparkled on stage!

Here you can see the rosettes I added to Glinda's dress to cover the buckles that strapped her for security purpose when she was flying in her  bubble. One of the talented actors made them for me! Her dress was too tight on her so I spent a good chunk of time adding in a v shaped pieced at center back because there were no seam allowances to speak of at the sides. The dress a friend of the director's had donated it to the production.

Using Butterick 6411 view A I made 18 capelets out of white ponte roma knit from Joann's for the poppies when Glinda covers them with snow. They moved beautifully on stage and the dancers loved them.

Along with the other mom we came up with the design for the crows and trees. We made feather accessories for the neck, wrists and ankles and the hats were decorated with feathers and sunflowers for the crows.

 The trees got hats with branches and apples and gloves with detachable apples that they could throw at the Scarecrow and Dorothy in one of the scenes. We wanted chic costumes and I think we got them!

I modified all costumes used for those actors that would be flying Glinda, the bad witch, the monkeys. I replaced zippers, hemmed and accessorized. Last minute I made a quick cover/quilt for Dorothy's bed, for the twister scene, that tied the yellow brick road to her bedroom (it had a yellow wide stripe in the center)

Here are a few more pictures of the show

Cool special effects

Scary flying monkeys

Huge production team

We had it all and I am so glad I got to be part of it!