Green T-shirt

One more short-sleeve T-shirt for my husband. I had a piece of green cotton fabric with almost no stretch, which was a remnant from another project, so in this year's spirit of clearing my stash, I decided to turn it into a blouse.

I used again my true-and-tried Burda pattern, size 50, but with some tweaks. The pattern is tailored, but I made it straight and I also played a little with the neckline, widening it 1.5 cm at the front. 

As I often make t-shirts for husband, based on this pattern, you might think, that I can make these now by heart - but nothing could be farther from the truth. Every time I decide to cut a new t-shirt, I start measuring and tweaking and guessing what had I changed the previous time to get a good fit.

So, I've decided to make a cardboard copy of the pattern and to introduce all of the tweaks and mods I find necessary, based on this latest t-shirt, so that next time I wouldn't need to guess what kind of elongations and other changes I need to make, to get the perfect fit. And as I am really curious how this would work, I am very much inclined to visit my favourite fabric shop and buy a piece of knit fabric, just to try the modified pattern with all the latest alterations. Expect a new men's t-shirt here in the nearest future :)

Pattern: Burda #132 from 12 / 2020

Size: 50 with with added length

Fabric: cotton knit

Time to make: 2 days

Beige Dress for Gaby

Last year I bought a large piece of viscose and made a Rhapsody for Gaby out of it. I had a fairly big remnant - probably half of the fabric, so this year I decided to use it to make a summer dress for Gaby.

I am modeling the dress, but it is supposed to fit Gaby, who is taller and a bit more broad-shouldered than me.

The pattern is a mesh-up of three dresses and it took me quite a while finally to cut it. The skirt is a slightly widened skirt from the Roliz dress by Vikisews. I love my Roliz and my only regret is that I didn't make the skirt a bit wider, as I had plenty of its gorgeous fabric.

The bodice is again Burda #104 02/2011 dress, but only up to the armholes. The back is cut straight and flat, and the front continues into Bailen dress by Pauline Alice, with wider straps, as I was aiming at strap width that could cover the bra straps underneath. The dress closes with a zipper on the side.

Pattern: Bailѐn Top by Pauline Alice, free pattern, Roliz by  VikiSews, Burda #104 02/2011 dress

Size: 34 

Fabric: 100% viscose for the outer dress, polyester for the lining

Time to make: 3 days

 

The dress is fully lined, as all of my woven fabric dresses lately, with simple beige lining fabric for the bodice and smooth poly-acetate lining for the skirt.

Yellow Willow Dress by Love Notions

I'm on a roll, making summer dresses for myself and Gaby. Willow Wrap dress by Love Notions has been in my plans for three consecutive years already, it was high time I made it.

This dress is also the seventh of my Make Nine fabric-and-pattern busting makes for this year - not bad. The bright yellow ITY knit fabric is perfect for a light summer dress and I was extremely comfortable today in the heat on our drive from Samokov to Sofia.

You might be wondering - where is the wrap, if it is a wrap dress? Well, when I bought the  pattern, I was into wrap dresses and I have one made out of similar polka-dot ITY fabric, but in delicious chocolate-brown. As much as I love it, it is a chore to make the wrap at the bust to stay modest, so I decided for my first Willow to skip the wrap and give it a simple front with a round neckline. My other modifications - I shortened the bodice by 2 cm and the skirt by 10 cm, to suit my figure and my preferences. 

Pattern: Willow Wrap dress by Love Notions

Size: xs, shortened

Fabric: ITY 1 m

Time to make: 3 days

The pattern comes with several sleeve options regarding length and style. I chose the flutter sleeve and I am very happy with my choice, I believe it gives the simple tricot dress a trifle of sophistication and femininity. I wasn't planning on buying more ITYs this year, but I was so impressed by the comfort and wear-ease of the dress, that if I come upon a really beautiful one, I might snatch it for a similar dress for Gaby. 

Sleeveless Butterfly Dress

Last year right at the end of summer I made myself a sleeveless Burda dress out of two chiffon fabrics. The dress was a mash-up out of two patterns - Burda 104 02/2011 with corrections and Deniz skirt by Vikisews.

The summer was then over and I never had the chance to wear the dress. However, we are in the midst of the hot summer days again and I found the little chiffon dress simply priceless, so I made myself another one.

Pattern: Burda #104 02/2011 dress and Deniz skirt by Vikisews

Size: 17 Height: 154 - 160 cm

Fabric: navy chiffon, navy georgette

Time to make: 3 days

The outer fabric is a beautiful georgette and the dress is fully lined with navy chiffon. Interesting, how I loved to wear simple knit-fabric dresses in the summer, but lately I prefer lined viscoses and georgettes.

Based on my notes from the previous dress, I raised the waist 1 cm and cut the semicircle in two parts, so that the straight line would be at the front and at the back, otherwise the pattern is the same. I'm so in love with this little dress, that I plan a few more similar dresses for the summer, both for myself and for Gaby.

Calf Jeans

I am one of those people, that loves to use up materials to the maximum possible and hates waste. So, when I have big remnants of fabric, I save them for later smaller projects, to be combined with other remnants, if possible.

Last year I made a pair of flared jeans out of a dark blue denim with lycra and I had about 60 cm  left. I had also some mere scraps from the jeans I made for Gaby, which are of the same fabric type and weight, only a different shade of color - asphalt grey.

I could have made a pair of jeans shorts, but I much prefer calf length jeans for the summer, so I decided to do my best and try to squeeze a pair out of my meager remnants.

For the pattern I used again the Flared Burda jeans, but in their shorter calf-length version. This pattern features flared hems, but I preferred to add simple rectangular hems, as I wanted my jeans to be straight calf length capri type pants.

 

For most of the details of the pair I used the bigger dark-blue piece of denim and I cut the back yoke, and the hems out of the grey denim.

 

I was so short of fabric, that I had to make the inside of the waistband out of a third piece of denim - a remnant from my black jeans and the back pockets are made of small scraps of fabric.

 

Pattern: Flared Jeans Burda 7050

Size: 34, short version, with corrections

Fabric: cotton denim with lycra

Time to make: 10 days

I can totally afford to buy a new piece of fabric and make myself any number of pairs of jeans, but that is not the point - my complete satisfaction lies in the fact, that I managed to use up my remnants and I have a perfectly functional pair of jeans, which I've been wearing regularly. Is that crazy or what :)))

Buttoned Side Flared Jeans in Blue

I've got a new pair of flared jeans - these are for myself! They are part of the Make Nine pledge for 2025, piece of fabric N 3 - blue denim. I bought the denim a couple of years ago with an idea to make a pair of jeans for Gaby, but she turned my suggestion down, as she did not like the color of the fabric.

To be frank, with the years I grew cold to that color too. Still, sky blue jeans can be quite wearable in the summer, with light colored T-shirts, so I hope I'll get some decent wear out of them.

The concrete inspiration for the jeans came from a Netflix Spanish mini tv series - A Perfect Story, where the two main characters walked through Athens. I loved experiencing again the Acropolis through their eyes, but being a seamstress, I could not help but analyze their clothing and I fell in love with the jeans the girl wore. I took a few snapshots, googled flared jeans with buttons on the side and soon designed the mods to my Burda 7050 pattern, to turn it into an imitation of the inspiration garment. Hashtag Make-That-Look :)

Pattern: Flared Jeans Burda 7050

Size: 34, shortened - 6 cm, no hem allowances

Fabric: cotton denim

Time to make: 10 days

Apart from the buttoned openings of the legs, the jeans are more or less the same as the ones for Gaby, but with a few shortenings here and there, taking into account my height and stature.

Next time I make this pattern, I intend to play further with the width at the knees, to try to eliminate the wrinkling at the back. On the other hand, the pair of black jeans I made at the beginning of the year is much wider at the legs and the knees and still crinkles at the back, so maybe the width is not the problem. I wish I knew more about pants construction, but most of the videos and the booklet I have were not of much help for this particular issue.

I have enough pairs of long flared jeans for now, but I want a couple of 7/8 length pairs for the summer, so there will be more pairs of jeans here. Probably 2025 will turn to be the year of the jeans :)

Flared Jeans for Gaby

A pair of jeans I made for Gaby. Yes, it's the same pattern I've already made for myself twice and every time it's a new try with various mods, in an attempt to achieve the perfect fit one day.

As Gaby is taller than me, I made these at least 5 cm longer than mine and I also raised the waist by 2 cm. Gaby chose a red thread for the decorative seams and I am very happy with her choice, the discreet red goes really well with the graphite grey.

For this pair I opted for the widest size of the leg hems, I really like the dramatic funneling of the legs from tight at the knees to flower-power wide at the bottom.

Pattern: Flared Jeans Burda 7050

Size: 34, shortened - 4 cm, no hem allowances

Fabric: cotton denim with lycra

Time to make: 6 days

Although Gaby and I wear the same size, we are far from identical in figure, so I can only hope they will fit her better. On me, I don't like the fit at the back and I hopefully guess the excessive gathering is due to the extra length and the tight knees. I've been trying various mods on the pattern, but the gathering of the legs at the back is still an issue, which I haven't been quite able to tackle.

I have more than enough pairs of jeans already, but if I come upon a similar piece of denim, I won't hesitate to make the same pair for myself.

Green Burda 6202 Blouse

As I mentioned in a previous posting, Burda 6202 is one of my favourite T-shirt patterns. I like its fitted design, open neckline and feminine puffed short sleeves. The purple blouse, which I made at the end of February, has been one of my go-to blouses for hikes. I wanted one more of these, but out of cotton-viscose fabric, for everyday walks. 

Teal is one of my most favourite colors, so when I saw the teal viscose fabric with lycra at the shop, I had to have it. I bought enough for two blouses and I made an identical one for Gaby, as I know that she loves teal too.

Pattern: Burda 6202 from Burda Catalogue 1 / 2020

Size: 34, shortened

Fabric: cotton-viscose with lycra

Time to make: 2 days

For the new teal blouses I reverted to the 34 size and I also lowered the neckline back to the original line at the front, but lifted the neckline at the back by 2 cm. For my blouse I also graded the front and the back from the waist to the hem to 36 size, as I don't like my blouses hugging me too tight at the hip.

The fabric is divinely soft and comfortable to wear, the fit is as I wanted it and I believe this little blouse is going to be one of my favourites this spring and summer.

Metra Blazer by Love Notions

My latest sewing project could be rightfully referred to my stash-busting Make Nine projects for 2025, as it makes use of a pattern by Love Notions, which I had not yet used and two pieces of fabric in my stash, remnants from other projects.

I bought the black jersey for a zippered sweater I made for Gaby at the end of 2023 and the complementary colored ponte is from my first Sabrina Slims.

When I printed the pages of the Metra Blazer and spread them on the black jersey, it became obvious, that I wouldn't be able to make a jacket out of this fabric. Still, I wanted to try the pattern, I am petite and I was quite willing to go for a shorter version of the blazer. 

In the end, with some strategic calculations and placements of the pattern pieces, I was able to cut two fronts, two back pieces and two 3/4 sleeves out of my meager piece of main fabric. At this point of the planning I was positive I wanted to use up only fabric from my stash, so there were just a couple of contenders for the lapels and sleeve hems. In the end it was the dark green/white ponte that won me over and I should say, I am happy with my choice.

I didn't have enough ponte for two whole fronts, so the inner part of the colorful fronts, not seen from the outside, is made out of polyester lining fabric, as is actually the custom with lined blazers. I debated with myself whether to line the whole jacket, but in the end decided to keep it simple and line only the fronts, as is per pattern. The idea was to make a light summer blazer and I know from experience that a full lining would have added weight and warmth, unnecessary for warm spring and summer.

Pattern: Metra Blazer by Love Notions

Size: xs

Fabric: ponte, 100% polyester

Time to make: two weeks

The only thing, that I would change, if I were to make this blazer again, is the pockets. As they are, these are faux welt pockets - they don't have pocket bags and in fact the entire front is the pocket. Thus the pockets could be used to put your hands in them, but they are not functional as places to keep your keys or other small things in. I know that plenty of women frown upon the idea of carrying items in your blazer pockets, but I prefer practical pockets and next time I would add actual pocket bags.

Although I did reduce the length of the blazer drastically - probably by 7 cm, I like it as it is and I wouldn't add much length to a future variation of the blazer, if I decide to make it again.

These pictures were take during our walk around Vrana on the second day of Easter and I combined the blazer with my black Burda jeans and Burda short sleeve blouse. 

PS I've been going out and about town in this blazer yesterday and today and I actually find it very practical for the transitional weather. It might turn out to be a useful addition to my wardrobe after all.