Love Notions Rhapsody Blouse

I've been in love with Love Notions' Rhapsody blouse for ever, I even self drafted a blouse, based on a Burdastyle pattern, which imitates that style (to be photographed soon, I hope). And when last Friday Love Notions released their revised version of the blouse, I was quick to grab it and start cutting and sewing the very same day :)

I made the xs size, with very little adjustments for my petite height - I reduced the body 2 cm above and 2 cm below the waist and out of the 8 versions of sleeve styles I chose the 3/4 bishop sleeves.

My fabric is woven viscose (100% natural according to my burn test). I made my bias tape myself out of the same fabric and to polish the look I added metal aiglets at the ends of my ties.

The bishop sleeves - I wish they were just an inch longer, to fall a bit down my elbows.

All of my seams are french seams, including the armscyes and I burritoed the yoke, as one does these days. The pattern is easy to wear, flattering and well drafted and written and I highly recommend it. I already bought two georgettes and one more woven viscose and I plan at least two more Rhapsodies out of them.

Simple T-shirt from Shkatulka

Sofia is still blocked, the weather is divine and the only thing that is saving me from going crazy is sewing. Yesterday I took out the large piece of viscose knit I had bought in February and decided to make a simple short sleeve T-shirt. The long sleeve blouse I made in March is my most favourite lately and I wanted another one for the warmer weather.

Although I was quite happy with the fit of the Burda blouse, I wanted to try a new pattern, so I cut the simple T-shirt pattern from Shkatulka. It is a bit more fitted than the Burda pattern and comes in two versions - a sleeveless top and a short-sleeve T-shirt.

To make it a bit more interesting, I added blue cuffs and neckpiece. I finished the hem with the double needle and this time I used tissue paper to make the machine sew without skipping - it worked like a charm!
I also made a pair of panties from the same pattern site and they turned out quite well fitting, though a bit crude without a serger or a cover machine. I'm not sure it was worth it.
I still have about a meter of this viscose knit left, so I'm thinking a Laundry Day Tee in the sleeveless dress version would be lovely!

Burda 6685 Tunic

This past week I became obsessed with tops - I made three viscose camisoles, which are still to be photographed, and one cotton muslin for Burdastyle 6685 top.
I bought this Burda pattern last December, thinking that it would make a perfect summer top or tunic. However, now that I've tested it with the cheap cotton fabric, I am a bit hesitant on giving the pattern a go with proper viscose fabric.
I made view C in size 34 without any alterations. As I am petite, the top looks more like a tunic than like a top on me. If I were to make it properly, I should shorten the skirt part and probably grade it from 34 at the bust area to 36 at the hips, as the 34 size is quite tight on me.

The pattern features a long hidden zipper. The facing of the openings is done with bias tape. As this is only a muslin, I did not bother with french seams, just regular straight seams and zigzags.

Overall - not that bad, but I'm not sure I like it enough to make it again.

Chequered Skirt 112 Burda 5 2019

Just a few modeled photos of the chequered skirt #112 Burda 5 / 2019, which I blogged here, the denim backpack - notice that I added a small leather "Handmade" label and changed the string with denim string, blogged here, the gradient necklace, blogged here and the earrings, blogged here:

Isn't it the perfect spring outfit! If only we weren't under quarantine :(

Denim Backpack

My latest make and I am very, very happy with it - a denim backpack. For this make I used parts out of five different pairs of old jeans and a very clear and easy to follow youtube tutorial.

The backpack is about 30 cm high and 25 cm wide, with three pockets on the outside (each having a smaller pocket on top) and an internal zippered pocket on the inside.

Two denim straps with D-rings and 3-glides and a denim handle:

My daughter asked for some color and I added a flower from the facing cotton fabric. I secured the ends of the flower with transparent nail polish and glued it to the pocket. No idea how it will fare in the laundry.

One thing I intend to change is the red string. I intended to buy another string, but I've reached the conclusion that these plastic strings cheapen the look of the backpack, so I intend to make a denim string these days.

I am especially proud of my rivets - don't they look professional!

My first zippered pocket! It turned out not so difficult to make it and I am glad I made it the difficult way - my previous backpacks and bags had simple pockets. To make the backpack more sturdy, the bottom of the lining is also out of denim with fusible.

I'm looking forward to the end of the quarantine, so that we'll be able to go out again and use our new makes :)

Blouse 101 Burda 3 2020

A few modeled pictures of my linen gauze blouse. This is the second version of this pattern I did this spring. The first was a not very much loved cotton one for my daughter, which was sort of a toile for my own linen version. I love very much the two distinguishing details of the pattern - the bishop sleeves and the butterfly at the back.

The blouse is designed for thin knits, but I believe a thin woven like my linen gauze works just fine. I would still like to try it in a knit fabric one day.

As my fabric is very thin and loosely woven, I made all of my seams French seams, even the seams, attaching the sleeves to the body, and for the double layer butterfly element of the back I applied the methods used for yoked shirts, enclosing all fabric ends inside the double layers.

And a sneak peak to my latest make - a new denim backpack for Gaby. It needs a yellow string, but the red one I had available at home will do for now.

Pleather Skirt

After a few days of true spring winter is again back (crazy times, crazy weather!). Which is good, given that we are under more and more cruel lockdown and people have been severely fined for walking along Vitoshka - our main city street, a pedestrian zone. Not being able to go out hiking, this weekend I sewed a new skirt, my first pleather clothing item.

The pattern is skirt #112 of Burdastyle 05 / 2019, a pattern which I have been practicing  to sew a couple of times already. The pleather was a piece, gifted to me by my sewing friend, one of those many pieces of fabric I received from her last year. Unfortunately the pleather turned out to be very old and of very low quality. I had much trouble finding enough fabric without defects to cut out my pieces from, and soon after I started sewing it the supposedly defect-free pleather began ungluing and bubbling.

This pleather is also very, very sticky and as I don't have a teflon foot for my machine, I had to sew the skirt sandwiched between packaging paper to make the fabric flow through the machine. Given how complicated the pattern is, with all the decorative seams and pockets, and how fragile the pleather turned out, that was a challenge!

Last night's view from the balcony

The skirt is fully lined. I used a piece of acetate lining fabric, also included in the gift package.

To finish the hem of the skirt, I applied Hongkong finish to the edge, using a ready-made bias band, and then sewed the edge to the skirt. I tried first stitching it by hand with invisible stitches, but the pleather wasn't behaving like normal fabric, so I abandoned the hand stitching and did a normal hem seam on the machine.

I sewed the lining, using french seams all along, but I left the edges of the pleather raw, as it does not fray at all. All in all, I'm pretty satisfied with myself and the final product I was able to achieve, although the low quality of the skirt renders it unwearable. Gaby might put it on once or twice, until the upper bubbled layer brakes (or it might happen sooner, I don't know), but I definitely learned quite a lot about sewing with pleather and I am going to buy a teflon foot (and a couple of other specialty foots) for my machine soon.

Is this nature's idea of a joke for the 1st of April?