Jersey Shirt with Gathered Raglan Sleeves

November 30, 2014.Reading time 3 minutes.

Burda Raglan Shirt 02/2013 #127 by thisblogisnotforyou.com Hello gang! Life has been so busy lately that I don’t even have the time to share my makes on time anymore! I made this jersey shirt in October.

The Fabric:

I got this cotton jersey with a super cute mythical creatures print from stoffe.de (myfabrics.co.uk here in the UK) which even was delivered in person by lovely Tine who spent a couple of days in London a little while ago. Apparantly, they don’t have this fabric in stock anymore, but they still sell three very similar prints. (Yes, I am aware that it’s a children’s fabric, but I will wear it anyway.) The fabric is of a really lovely quality and still looks great after a couple of washes.

Burda Raglan Shirt 02/2013 #127 by thisblogisnotforyou.com

The Pattern:

I found this simple gathered raglan sleeve shirt pattern in my Burdastyle magazine stash, hoping that I could squeeze it out of the 1m of fabric I had. The fabric requirements were 1.50 m (1 3/4 yds) for all sizes, but I know from experience that I often need much less when using Burda patterns. Since I cut out 3/4 length sleeves, 1m was more than enough and I even have a bit left for making a shirt for my little niece.

The pattern is from magazine 02/2013 #127. If you ignore the questionable Chanel-like styling, the pattern is brilliant and looks very elegant in black silk jersey. It could make a perfect shirt for work (in a less obvious print than mine).

The sleeves are gathered in the front and back. The neckline is bound off and the sleeve turned in by 7cm and hemmed with a twin needle. My shirt came together in an hour or so.

Burda Raglan Shirt 02/2013 #127 by thisblogisnotforyou.com The Fit:

The shirt fits perfectly without making any alterations (except for shortening the sleeves to 3/4 length). It is super comfy and I particularly like the length. It’s a bit longer than the average shirt and perfect for the colder season or to tuck into a skirt or high-waisted trousers. The pattern could be easily transformed into a fitted dress.

Burda Raglan Shirt 02/2013 #127 by thisblogisnotforyou.com

Will I make it again? I have not definite plans to make another shirt at the moment as I am working on way too many projects already, but I really like this pattern and can see myself using it again to make some basics for work or even lengthen it into a comfy little dress.

Happy sewing!
♥

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Cropped Blouse – Burda Easy Pattern

November 15, 2014.Reading time 6 minutes.

cropped blouse Burda Easy by thisblogisnotforyou.com Hello gang! Today I want to share one of my latest makes, a cropped blouse with a studded collar. I hope you guys like it as much as I do! Let’s talk about the pattern first!

cropped blouse Burda Easy by thisblogisnotforyou.com

The Pattern:

The blouse pattern is from the Spring/Summer 2014 edition of the Burdastyle Easy magazine, a special edition of the normal Burdastyle mag which comes out only a couple of times a year. Since it’s quite hard to get hold of the patterns later on (they’re not published digitally as the normal Burdastyle pattern are, as far as I know), I always make sure to get my hands on these mags. The patterns are always pretty simple, but pretty and combined they make a beautiful capsule wardrobe collection.

I really love the cropped blouse (pattern 1K in the summer 2014 issue) and since I have never properly tackled shirt collars before, this was the perfect project.

cropped blouse Burda Easy by thisblogisnotforyou.com — Source: www.burdastyle.de

The blouse has got raglan sleeves which end at the elbow and the hem ends just below the waist.

The Fabric:

Luckily, I had pretty similar fabric in my stash. I got it from the Mr’s granny who recently moved houses and found a massive stash of vintage fabrics and patterns she gave me (yay!). I am not quite sure where it is from and when she bought it, but I will ask her next time I see her.

The fabric has very fine dark blue and white stripes and at first I thought it was linen. It was not. I didn’t notice until the blouse was all sewn together and I was working on the collar. When giving the collar a final press, it actually melted. Yeah. It waited to do that until it was completely finished and then BOO! That mean bastard. It even left an imprint on my ironing board which smiles at me now every time I use it. After that fiasko the collar was also shrunk and absolutely unusable. I cut out a new one (luckily, I had enough fabric) and started again. This time I was super careful and did everything perfectly. Well, it just wasn’t my day. When I finally wanted to attach the collar to the blouse it was about 4cm too short for the neckline. I almost had a nervous breakdown. It was past midnight and I just wanted to get this over with. But there was no way of attaching a collar that wouldn’t match up with the neckline. I went to bed knowing I would have to cut out a third collar without knowing what had gone wrong.

Guess what? Next morning I had the brilliant idea to just try it again, before cutting out a new one. I gave it another good press and started pinning. The seams matched up perfectly. I still don’t know what happened, but I was super happy, that much I can tell you! I still stick to the theory that there is a Tim Gunn living somewhere in my closet, who comes out when I sleep and secretly fixes my sewing mistakes. I so hope that this is true.

cropped blouse Burda Easy by thisblogisnotforyou.com I was so happy that before sewing the collar closed, I had the idea of adding some embellishment. I remembered that I had some studs lying around somewhere and then just gave it a go.

I interfaced the corners of the collar before adding the studs. Not my best work, as the fabrics wobbles a bit where the studs are, but I am quite happy with the result. cropped blouse Burda Easy by thisblogisnotforyou.com I am still ot sure whether I like the studs and white buttons together, but darker buttons looked even worse and I had none that would match the studs. Should I ever find some that are the perfect match, I can simply change them.The Fit:

I absolutely love the fit of the blouse. I did not make any alterations this time and the pattern came together easily. The blouse is super comfy and quite flattering when you wear it with a tight skirt. I might have to make some pencil skirts now in some plan colours, so I can wear this baby to work.

cropped blouse Burda Easy by thisblogisnotforyou.com

Will I make it again? Yes, I think so. I already have fabric and plans for another one. But first I want to make some more fitted, high-waisted skirts to wear with the blouse. I am really really happy with the result. It’s a fantastic pattern and the collar is perfect for embellishing. I’m thinking about contrast-colour, sequing or beads next time!

Happy sewing!
♥

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Burda Wrap Blouse

November 3, 2014.Reading time 5 minutes.

Burda Wrap Blouse 04/2014 #115 by thisblogisnotforyou.com

Hey folks! I’m back after a short blogging break during which, of course, some sewing was done. The weather is quite dreadful in London at the moment, so I couldn’t photograph everything I made yet.

I made this blouse two weeks ago before I went back home. It was a quick afternoon sew and the fabric didn’t even cost me a penny.

The Fabric:

I scored it at the last fabric swap at SewBrum. At fabric swaps I am one of the ‘polite’ ones – (Is it possible to be impolite at fabric swaps? I mean, there’s fabric involved, so I guess everything’s allowed) – which basically means when I spot something that I like I don’t immediately grab it, but wait and see if someone else might be interested as well. If no one wants it after a while, I take it home. This actually works quite well, and some of the ‘leftovers’ are some really gorgeous fabrics, you wouldn’t believe it. For some reason no one wanted this beautiful baby. This colour seems to be my new favourite and two other fabrics I got in the swap are of the same colour, but knits (yay!) It is polyester Crêpe (I think) and very soft and drapey. It was very easy to sew with and only needs a bit of ironing after the wash. Thanks to whoever brought it to SewBrum!
Burda Wrap Blouse 04/2014 #115 by thisblogisnotforyou.com

The Pattern:

Yes! I’m back to sewing with Burdastyle patterns. For some reason I neglected all my Burdastyle magazines for months and only used indie patterns. I recently went through all my magazines and found some awesome stuff. Since then I’ve made quite a few Burdastyle makes and am planning more!

For this blouse I used the Wrap Blouse 04/2014 #115 pattern. There are only three pattern pieces, so it was super quick to trace, cut out and sew.

I did not make any major changes to the pattern except for omitting the center back seam. I have no idea why it’s there and what it’s for, so I simply cut the back pattern piece on fold. Maybe it was intended as a funky design feature, but unless you want to insert a zip, I don’t think center back seams are the greatest design detail.

Burda Wrap Blouse 04/2014 #115 by thisblogisnotforyou.com

The pattern suggests using a 110 cm (44 ins) wide Crêpe, length 1.85m (2 1/8 yds) for a size 10/36. My fabric was 150cm wide and I had barely a metre of it, but I managed to fit all pattern pieces on there. I often find that Burda’s fabric requirements are quite generous, so if you think you don’t have enough fabric, it’s still worth a try!

Burda Wrap Blouse 04/2014 #115 by thisblogisnotforyou.com

Burda Wrap Blouse 04/2014 #115 by thisblogisnotforyou.com The Fit:

I really love the fit of the blouse. I did not make a muslin (for some reason I never do with Burdastyle patterns. They usually fit me pretty well and tracing the patterns is such a nuisance already, so I can’t be bothered.)

I love the length of the 3/4 length sleeves. They align perfectly with the top’s hem. The top is intended to be quite boxy, but the soft fabric makes it look very elegant. I am a big fan of a wide boatneck, so this pattern was really perfect for me. For some reason I have to think of a kimono, though. Maybe it’s the wide sleeves or the wrapped bit. But kimonos are cool anyway, aren’t they?

The front panels’ overlap is pretty safe. The front panels are basically stitched together at the neckline and the bound off by bias binding. If it’s really windy (as in the picture below), the worst case scenario would be showing a bit of tummy. So for work I wear a little black vest underneath (makes it also a bit warmer).

Burda Wrap Blouse 04/2014 #115 by thisblogisnotforyou.com

Will I be making it again? Definitely. Especially since it’s such a quick project which doesn’t use up much fabric. I was pretty happy with the fit, so no reason why I shouldn’t make another one!

Happy sewing!
♥

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Let’s try something funky!

October 13, 2014.Reading time 8 minutes.

Burda 04/2014 #112 Funnel Neck Dress by thisblogisnotforyou.com Hey folks, hope you all had a great week! Mine was super busy and I have quite a bit of the behind-the-scenes stuff to share with you. I’ll probably squeeze into an extra post though, because I want to share my newest make first.

A little while ago, the lovely guys over at Funkifabrics (@funkifabrics) asked whether I’d like to try some of their fabrics. What a question! Hell Yes! You should really check out their website, they have the most amazing prints you will ever see! Seriously! It took me two days to narrow my samples down to 12, which I shortly afterwards got in the post.

The Fabric:

FunkiFabrics specialise in flexcite stretch (swim and dancewear) fabrics, so you will only be able to order lycra, but they have thousands (no kidding) of prints to choose from. Everything is designed and printed in the UK. Pretty awesome, if you ask me. Some might see the narrow fabric options as a disadvantage, but I think it’s pretty cool. First of all, lycra is super versatile. You can use it for swimwear, lingerie, leggings, dresses, skirts, sportswear and what not. Secondly, since the fabric is the same for all prints, it’s perfect if you want to mix prints and colours. You won’t have to worry about two fabrics not going well together. I picked a print called Prism. My challenge this year is to use more bold prints and colours. I think with this project I definitely achieved that.

Burda 04/2014 #112 Funnel Neck Dress by thisblogisnotforyou.com

At first I wasn’t sure what to make with it, but then I realised that I could simply use a jersey/stretch dress pattern. It’s just not the right season for sewing bikinis, you know (but I will with some of the leftover fabric). So let’s talk about the pattern:

The Pattern:

The pattern is…tada!…Burdastyle 04/2014 #112. Yes, I know! I haven’t used Burda patterns in ages. Lately I was all over indie patterns, but if you’ve followed this blog for a while now, you will know that I am a big Burda pattern fan. Since the print was so funky I thought I needed a slightly more funky dress pattern as well. Luckily, I recently went through all this year’s Burda magazines and this came to mind:

It’s a funnel neck dress with a twist. It has all sorts of design details going on. The whole dress piece is cut as one on fold. So there’s only one side seam, which is gathered at the hip and makes the hem slightly asymmetrical. One sleeve sits off-shoulder – since there is no side seam on that side there’s no shoulder seam. The sleeve is inserted by clipping the fabric horizontally and then using a very tiny seam allowance to attach the sleeve (which has no sleeve cap). The dress pattern itself is basically a large rectangle, darts in the front and back cinch it in at the waist and make it more fitted.

Adjustments: I shortened the dress by 20cm and lengthened the sleeve by 5cm. I cut out facing for the funnel neck instead of simply hemming it. I cut out a size 36 (UK 10) which I graded to a size 40 from hip downwards.

Burda 04/2014 #112 Funnel Neck Dress by thisblogisnotforyou.com

The Fit:

It’s quite hard to say something about the fit. Since the pattern is quite funky, I have no idea how this dress is supposed to look. It fits comfortably, but I am not so sure about the off-shoulder sleeve. Design details like this always have you end up with a batwing -like bunch of fabric under your armpit. Despite all the darts, it’s not extremely fitted and the funnel neck does not behave and keeps moving around, that naughty bastard.

Issues:

There were loads of issues with this make. Luckily, I could fix most of them. I had some issues with the gathers at the hip, as they came undone when I overlocked the side seam. I should’ve used some twill tape for reinforcing that part (or learn how to gather with an overlocker). But in the end I could salvage it and it doesn’t look too bad. The print is way too busy anyway for people to notice.

I lengthened the sleeves by 5cm in the front, because I like that slouchy look. One thing that I really need to practise is sewing the hem on stretch fabrics with my twin needle. I used a smaller twin needle (3mm) for the sleeves and a larger one for the hem (4.5mm). Normally I don’t have issues with my twin needle, but this time the bottom thread tension was to high and my stitching looks like piping now. It sort of looks ok, so I am not too unhappy about it. A friend of mine told me that it’s actually possible to fiddle with the tension somewhere at the bobbin case, I have to find out how! After all these years, my sewing machine still keeps secrets from me.

Burda 04/2014 #112 Funnel Neck Dress by thisblogisnotforyou.com

Another issue I encountered was this. Since the back of the fabric is white, the funnel neck ended up looking very awkward and I didn’t like that the left side of the fabric was showing through. I thought I could simply fix this issue by facing the funnel neck. Which I did. Now it sort of looks ok when it is all nicely pulled into place.

Burda 04/2014 #112 Funnel Neck Dress by thisblogisnotforyou.com

But when I bend over and all the fabric moves to the front, this happens: Burda 04/2014 #112 Funnel Neck Dress by thisblogisnotforyou.com Well, I have accepted this fact now and it didn’t bother me too much when I wore the dress. It’s super comfortable! And look, even my shoes’ lining matches the dress!

I have almost 1m of the prism print left and am now thinking of what to do with it. Not an easy decision since the print is so recognisable. Maybe a bikini or some really funky knickers. I will let you know anyway! Over all, this project was super fun and also quite challenging as I struggled a bit with some of the design details. Nothing is more satisfying than salvaging a sewing fail. I quite like the way the fabric and pattern work together, I never would’ve believed that lycra is such a great dress fabric.

What would you have made from this fabric?

Happy sewing!
♥

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Vintage-Chanel inspired Shirt Dress & Bias-cut Slip

May 28, 2014.Reading time 7 minutes.

Shirt Dress by thisblogisnotforyou.com

Hi ladies (and gents)! Hope you had a great week so far! Mine was super busy and fun and I am greatly looking forward to the weekend which will be full of sewing events and crafts!

What you see here is #26 of my 27 Dresses Challenge which means there’s only one more to go … in theory! Inofficially I’ve already finished garment #28, which I won’t call #28 because I don’t have to keep track anymore, ha! And I will do more refashion projects again (not counting them towards the challenge wasn’t very motivating!). The piles of thrifted garments to be refashioned are taking over the flat.

#26 actually consists of two dresses. As the dress is made from polyester, I had to sew a slip dress to wear underneath and keep the fabric from clinging to my legs like a toddler. This is why it took me so long to blog this. The slip-dress-less dress was hanging in our living room for weeks until I was sick of looking at it, so I hung it in the closet, where I almost forgot about it. (Luckily, summer in London does require some long-sleeved garments)

The inspiration for this dress came from my recent obsession with Gabrielle Chanel and the fashion she created in the 1920’s and 1930’s. I loved the wide, comfy loosely fitting dresses which seem so effortless. I also really liked the femininity of the dresses despite the fact that their details were inspired by gents’ clothing.

Shirt Dress by thisblogisnotforyou.com — Source: www.mydaily.co.uk

Shirt Dress by thisblogisnotforyou.com

Those weird spots in my face are actually sunlight. I know, you don’t take pictures in direct sunlight, but believe me, when you’re living in London, you start appreciating any sort of sunlight. As I mentioned already, I used an off-white polyester fabric with blue stripes for the dress, combined with a navy polyester lining fabric (with a vintage map of the world print!)

The fabric was easier to sew than I thought at first. I managed to sew the layers without shifting or puckering – yay! The polyester was fraying like crazy, though. That’s why I used the french seam technique to get rid of all the fraying raw edges. The neckline is bound with binding (made from the same fabric) and the hem I slip-stitched by hand.

I used a Burdastyle pattern. I saw this cute ruffle blouse in the 03/2014 issue and was about redraft it to a shirt dress, when I noticed that Burda had already done this for me!

Burdastyle Long Sleeved Ruffle Dress 03/2014 #107

I wasn’t too fond of the seam down the front of the skirt at first, but I managed to match up the stripes quite well, so that was fine. The fit of the pattern was very loose, but that’s a good thing when it’s warm outside, I guess.

I used the contrasting navy polyester for the yoke and cuffs to avoid looking like I walked straight out of prison (if I had to go to prison I would totally add some ruffles to my uniform!).

Shirt Dress by thisblogisnotforyou.com The dress has a casing for an elastic which cinches in the waist. (The belt is from Primark and it’s my absolute favourite belt on earth!..which is why it’s in almost every outfit picture.)

The 12mm off-white buttons are vintage and I had exactly four which was pretty convenient because this way I did not have to worry whether I should keep them for a later project. Shirt Dress by thisblogisnotforyou.com Oh! And the shoes are DIY, too! They used to be a dirty white bargain from Primark, so I painted them black. Remember the other pair I refashioned? I have two more pairs sitting in a corner, waiting to get a makeover.

To be able to actually wear this dress I had to make a slip dress. I did this without a pattern. I made the bodice pattern by draping it on my dressform first and then used the muslin to make a paper pattern. The skirt is just a simple A-line.

The dress is cut on the bias and therefore is stretchy enough to go without any fastenings. It’s very fitted and super comfy. I was scared of bias-cut garments, but I had no problems sewing this one together. You just have to be veeeeery careful not to stretch the edges out of shape.

The bodice is lined with the off-white stripe fabric I used for the ruffle dress.

The straps were easy-peasy. I just made a massively long strip of bias binding and started to bind off the edge at the centre back, going all the way up to the front, where the bias binding magically turned to straps which I sewed on in the back after cutting them to the right length.

While it was living on a hanger for weeks I didn’t like this dress too much. But having worn it outside when it was super warm I started to love it!

After this week’s crafting and sewing frenzy our living room looks shit, so I’ll have to get back to tidying up a bit! Am I the only one? Sewing is such a messy business!

Happy sewing!
♥

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