Perspective

Skirt for Aunty (Burda 07-2010-126)



Dress for niece: (Burda 11-2008-139)



I had always hoped to have a little girl to sew dresses for. Now that I have actually sewed a little girl's dress for my niece I am supremely grateful I had a boy. I made so many mistakes on this dress - in too much of a hurry - to have it finished on time, and frankly, to have it finished so I could go back to sewing for me me me.

First of all, I mistook centre front for the side front and cut the pleats the wrong way round. That was no big deal, what was a big deal is I sewed the bodice front to the back, and vice versa, so that the zipper did up on the front! There was just no ignoring that error. That's when I gave myself a good talking too, slowed down, recut and resewed the bodice pieces, and thanked god for my little boy.

For those of you who love to see a smug sewer get their come-uppance:



Once I finished that little piece of sewing I liked the idea of giving myself a "project runway" type challenge. Make something for a little girl; using little girl's pattern and fabric as inspiration, sew something for a big girl. I decided I liked the idea of the sewn down pleats, and would use the leftover pieces of fabric to sew myself a spring skirt.

Burda 07-2010-126

The wind is blowing out the back pleats here, but you get the idea:


From the front:


The welt pockets are cut on the bias and set into the side seam, inserted hard up against the invisible zip. A pain to sew and you don't really every get to see them, so let's call them, "the why bother welt?"

Yes, there is a pocket behind that welt:




Sometimes we moan about things only to have something worse happen and realise our former gripes were so small and petty. Whatever I have complained about Burda instructions in the past (and their welt pocket instructions on this skirt are as incomprehensible as ever), it pales in comparison to working with instructions in Italian. It's all about perspective.

And how's this for perspective. Yesterday I took my son to a park to play. I bumped into an old work colleague there who had had a drunken fling with my boyfriend at that time. She looked at me and said, "I know you from somewhere, what's your name again?"

See, it's all about perspective.

This is not Project Runway. I don't have to make it work.

Well who would have believed that I have found the time to make two things from the much mocked January issue of Burda Style?

The first was pure necessity. A winter toddler sized sleep sack for a "little boy who wakes for many reasons at night but let's not make cold one of them" . In fact this is just 01-2010-125 minus the hood and with a lining for comfort and a central zipper wacked in. The outer is merino from Global fabrics which I bought in their 40% sale end of last season. It was supposed to be for me, but then I remembered two things I hate about 100% merino - pilling and endless stretch. Who cares in this emsemble?



The next was a toddler sized emergency services play vest which I agreed to make for our play centre. Dumb, because then I got lots of orders for them, thus increasing my sewing-for-others time in what are already very endangered hours. However, this is also 01-2010-125 with just the front and back and a few closure details.




Then I decided that was certainly enough sewing for others and have embarked on the much loved Simplicity 2508 coat. Big mistake. I truly truly do not have the time and energy for such a big project. I have really learned that now. But still the coat must be finished.... and if you are wondering where the title of this post came from, it's what I told myself as I went back to Global fabrics to buy another metre of fabric for the coat because I had forgotten to cut out the facings and there was no fabric left.

Toddler safety vest: fabric $2, Nicks. Velcro 50 cents, visibility strip - grey fabric left over from another project, thread 50 cents = $3.
Sleepsack: wool, $25, lining $2, zipper $8 = $35.

Making lemonade out of a lemon.

We all know what the lemon was.



Here's the lemonade: Burda 9828. Cut one piece out of each leg. This fabric is so perfect for this use because we use cloth nappies with our son and commercially purchased trousers are often too small in the butt. With 30% crosswise stretch everything fits very nicely. The green is a little bit pastelly so I manned the pattern up by adding their optional cargo pockets and adding some navy blue buttons.

Righty ho that's enough sewing for someone else let's get back to more important matters: sewing for me.

It has been said several times, and in a manner not meant to be flattering, that I am a person who always has to have the last word. So this is not the last you have heard of Burda 07-2009-102. I have already sized it up with another straight-legged pattern that works well for me and added about an inch an half to the front leg so we are good to remake this number as soon as I get some appropriate fabric.

PC coat.

PC stands for Play Centre, but given the floral lining (no gender stereotyping) and decoration (an embroidered motif honouring our bilingual commitment to Te Tiriti) PC could easily stand for something else in this little jacket I made for my son to wear to Play Centre. When my husband saw it he laughed and said, "let's move to Grey Lynn." (Sorry, will have to kill the joke by explaining it to non-Aucklanders ...Grey Lynn is where the trendy liberal yuppies live.)



I have learned my lesson with micro-polyester and stay stitched and clipped the neckline before sewing it. Much better! Still, I was reminded afresh that it is really hard to sew something without any pins, anywhere. Next time I will just buy my son's wet weather gear, and consider it money well spent.



It's been a week of lessons actually. As I watched Gok's Fashion fix on Friday I was reminded afresh how important it is to have your own personal style. Gok's got a passion for fashion, and his kindness and bonhomie are endearing, but really, who wants to look like they've been dressed by a flamboyant stylist? Everything's so big - big hair, big belts, big bags, it made me grateful that no matter how badly I dress on any particular day, I always look like I dressed myself.

Like everyone struggling to create a workable wardrobe, I've read my fair share of planning books. I had an "ah ha" moment when reading "Women's wardrobe" by K Gross and J Stone . "Imagine you go on holiday and the airline loses your luggage, what do you need to replace? Those are your basics". I thought about my wardrobe and I realised that I buy basics, but I sew decoration. I sew things to go with the basics. The coats, the jackets, the skirts. That's because basics are really boring to sew.

Another "ah ha" moment - I like sewing details. I love: yolks, buttons, top stitching, piping, collars, pockets, placats, pintucks, bias trims, ribbons, fur, anything that makes something look interesting. Unless I can find a way to smarten up a basic, I'm just too bored to even bother starting it. Which is why I end up with a closet of clothes, but nothing to wear.

So next month's sewing theme is "not-very-basic basics."

Coat: outside, micro polyester, lining brushed cotton courtesy of Nana's Lady
Pattern: Burda 9828

Benjy's coat

Well it's done. For a quick and easy project it took me quite a long time, mainly because I've been too sick to do the job properly. Like a drugee with a habit I have to sew no matter what, in this case, with a weepy eye, sore throat, ear ache, sore gums and headache. Thank you all for your get well messages. It's been a long dreary week in quarantine.

The salient message of this sewing project (and isn't there always a lesson to be learned?) is that you should always read the reviews on Pattern Review. I read one this morning, after I tried the jacket on Benjy before taking up the sleeves and found it was miles too big. The comment on the previous review? The sizing on these jackets run to HUGE.



Actually, I was in the Bernina shop the other day and Annette, the manager, commented on how refreshing it was to see Benjy with his trousers rolled up. "Young people these days, they buy clothes for their kids in just the right size! What a waste, they'll grow out of them in a month"

I think that is what Burda are getting at with this design (Burda 9828). Both sleeves and bottoms are designed to be rolled up so that as the children grow you can lower them and get more use out of them. Can't argue with that... in no hurry to be sewing more children's clothing.

On the advice of my sister I removed the front pockets. "He'll only fill them up with water from the hose." I did, however, add a name badge, just for the fun of it.

The burda pic: