Burda 9829

I've just finished making a jacket for my grandaughter. Its made from white paisley pinwale corduory and red fleecy fabrics. The jacket is pretty and will be nice and warm. I have also made 2 pairs of red fleecy pants to go with the jacket.

I have also cut out the pinafore thats in the pattern in the red cordoury. Its a nice pattern with lots of garment options for little girls from 9mths to 3yrs.

Black Wool/polyester skirt

As I'm trying to use up my stash of fabrics I found myself brousing the internet for design ideas for an 80cm by 150cm piece of Wool/polyester that I had in my stash. I came across this skirt idea which is cut on the princess seams and it has a flared piece in the back but it still retains a straight slim look.

I started the draft by drafting a basic skirt draft with no ease at the waist and 4cm ease included in the hip measurement. I made the draft to a length of 60cm which is at the bottom of my knee (I'm only short, about 159cm) and made the side seams straight. On the centre back of the draft 22cm above the hem I made a mark and on the princess seam 19cm above the hem I made another mark which I joined to the 22cm mark with a slight curve. This piece I then cut away and I slashed and flared it as in the diagram.

As my thighs are a little on the heavy side (read this as I am pear shaped, my fat sacks are on my bottom and my thighs) I added 0.5cm from the hip line down to the hem line. I also did a sway back adjustment on the back waistline.

This skirt wasn't that hard to draft as can be seen from my drafting plan.

The sewing sequence:

• centre back seam of flare
• stay stitch and then attach flare to centre back piece
• attach side back pieces to centre back piece
• attach side front pieces to centre front piece
• left side seam from zipper mark down
• zipper application
• right side seam
• gather each side front waist and side back waist pieces and take out .5cm . and attach stay tape

For the lining I followed the same sequence untill I got to the waist which I attached to the waist of the skirt after I gathered the side pieces. Turned in the lining, sewed down the lining to the zipper tape and hemmed my new skirt.

I am pleased with my new skirt as it makes its debut in my wardrobe and leaves my stash forever.

New summer dress

Just before christmas I made a summer dress pattern for myself. I made the dress up in an apricot/khaki coloured Yorfu Italian cotton that I purchased on Ebay.











The fabric made up nice and I have since made the dress in a blue floral fabric.

I am trying to improve my sketches so I started a journal. I couldn't draw very well when I first started and have improved quite a lot and I am hoping to continue to improve with a lot more practice.

I would like to be able to draw the designs as I see them. I still can't always put down on paper what I see.

I would like to make this dress once more in a black fabric with appliqued flowers around the hem. The apricot/khaki dress had to be completely lined in cotton voile as it was a little sheer and when I made the blue floral dress I added 4cm flare to each quarter of the skirt and I moved the princess dart towards the armhole by 1.5cm so it would cover the bra strap.

Trouser Draft

I've been playing around with pant drafting. I've done pant drafts before for other people but it's a little different when making patterns and fitting myself, it's easier to fit other people.

The finished trouser pattern.

I have added seam allowances to this pattern 1cm on the crotch curve, 3cm on the side seams, 1.5cm to the waist and pocket pieces and 5cm hem. The white parts on the front and back pant patterns are the alterations I had to do after making the toile. On the crotch curve I had to make more space for my shape.

Michelle's Formal Dress

I thought I would catch up with my posts firstly with Michelle's formal outfit. This is the very pretty Michelle.

This is the sketch that Michelle drew for me to make her design from.

This is a rough sketch I did so I would know how to draft the pattern. I made her block with no ease at the bust and waist and with 4cm ease in the hip area. When making her pattern from her block I left in the waist darts in the front and transferred the back darts into centre back shaping and the side seams. I also darted out some from the dropped back. I should have taken out more from the dropped back for a better fit (lesson learned)

I worked on this dress and overskirt at the same time as Ethans formal outfit so I was really pushed for time. Michelle drew the design that she wanted, a short dress with a lace up back and a cowl on the front with a detachable sheer overskirt.
The dress was a satin fabric overlaid with the sheer organza. I used the satin fabric for the band on the overskirt. The draft wasn't too hard. The overskirt was a full circle with a cascade on either side of the opening, which was at side front. The dress was a basic shift style with a side zipper and the back cut out. The back was then laced up.
The dress front.

The dress back.
The bead embroidered disc which I added over the closure. The centre of this disc is a button with a butterfly on it. It was a metal button that my son grinded the shank off, I glued the button to the fabric and then sewed the beads around it. Considering how much time I had the design turned out pretty good and Michelle was very happy.

Ethan's Formal Outfit

After measuring Ethan and comparing his measurements to the pattern I decided to start with a size 40. I knew there would be a lot of altering to get a good fit as his back, shoulders, arms and chest are large in comparison to his waist meaurement (his waist measurement is smaller than the size 36) also most of the muscle is in his back. I started with the vest which needed less fitting than the jacket.
The vest front was ok.


On the back vest I took out a small 1cm dart on the back arcscye easing to nothing on the centre back.



I also took off 3.3cm down to 1.3cm on each of the back
and the front side seams.

The vest was a perfect fit after this.






I wish the jacket had been as easy.
back jacket alterations





On the jacket 1st toile I made the front dart half its size taking out the extra at the side seam and reshaping at the waistline. This alteration was thanks to a review I read on patternreview. There was still a bit too much fabric in the middle of the front so I darted it out. The back and under the arms needed a lot more taken out to fit. On the half back I took out 2cm from the underarm down to the waist, 1.5cm from the side back panel easing to nothing mid shoulder and 2cm from where the centre back panel meets the side panel reducing to nothing at the curve of the panel. Also from the centre back at shoulder blade level I darted out 1cm to nothing at the shoulder blade. I then altered my pattern and made another toile. On this toile the fit was much closer but the back was still too big at the waist and the back waistline needed to be lowered. I took out another 1cm at the waist from the side back panel reducing to nothing a little into the shoulder blade of the centre back panel and I lowered the back waist down 1.8cm to nothing at the side seam. I altered the pattern ready for the fashion fabric.






The finished vest. I fused the complete front of the vest with whisperweft.










The finished jacket.
The photos show creases but the jacket looked pretty good on Ethan when he stood straight. I've never done any tailoring before so a lot of mistakes were made such as fabric being too light, (pattern did suggest medium weight wool). The fitting of the jacket could have been better. I did add a back stay which wasn't in the pattern instructions and I think that helped a little. Also not starting the outfit a lot earlier. I had to rush and I hate working to deadlines that are near impossible to reach. So for the next formal we will start saving for the fabrics early so there will be no reasons to start so late. All in all a very good learning experience and Ethan looked pretty good.

Ethans Formal Outfit

I know I havn't posted for a while so its time to catch up.

I have just commenced making my son Ethans outfit for his formal. He wants to wear a kilt so I ordered Folkwear Pattern 152. I have just commenced measuring and making it fit. Ethan does weightlifting and he is larger in the neck, shoulders, chest and arms and very skinny in the waist and hips so I have some adjustments to do.

I have also commenced making a formal dress for Michelle and I will post a sketch of the garment soon.