Saturday, July 31, 2021

Borovetz - Chakur Voivoda Hut 2021

It's July again and it is time for Rila. Today was almost a complete repetition of a hike we did last year almost to the date, only then we had Gaby accompanying us and today it was Alex. And since he is much fitter and faster, this year we took the 15 km hike for only 3 and a half hours, including rest and picnic. I've no doubt that if it wasn't for me, lagging behind and taking pictures here and there, he would have made it in less than three hours :)

Just a few pictures from my phone camera - it's so much easier, when I'm not carrying and balancing the heavy DSLR with me.

:The weather today was very hot, even in Rila, with a few clouds, which gathered above us around noon, but no rain or chill. We've been hit by a very hot weather this summer, one of the hottest I remember in Sofia, where we usually enjoy colder and wetter mountainous Julies.

:At Chakur voivoda hut - the final destination of our hike. We had a quick snack here, filled our bottles with water and rapidly headed back.

:Along the trail through the pine forests

Hike info:

Destination: Chakur Voivoda hut
Mountain: Rila
Total length: 15 km
Elevation gain: 580 m
Total duration (plus picnic and rests): 3 and a half hours
Average difficulty: 4.5 / 10

Me-made items, worn on this hike:

Husband: boxers
I: lingerie, Burda 06/2021 shorts




:And back to Borovetz


Tuesday, July 27, 2021

Kamen Del 2021

This Saturday husband and I had a quick hike to one of the most popular peaks on Vitosha - Kamen Del. We climbed it from Zlatnite, which is an hour and a half - two hours hike along a climbing trail with some good elevation gain. However, the peak is also easily accessible from the plateau along a fairly level trail, which makes it well visited and loved by all types of mountain lovers - from experienced to newbies. And what's more - it is the most scenic peak on Vitosha with excellent views over the entire Sofia valley.


Hike info:
Destination: peak Kamen Del
Mountain: Vitosha
Total length: 11 km
Elevation gain: 500 m
Total duration (plus picnic and rests): 3 and a half hours
Average difficulty: 4.5 / 10



Me-made items, worn on this hike:
Husband: boxers
I: lingerie, Burda 6202 blouse
 





Sunday, July 25, 2021

July Makes for Gaby

A few of my latest summer makes for Gaby. Unfortunately, again no modeled pictures :(, just flat photos.

First a set of a bralette and shorts. The bralette is a free sewing pattern, the Hyacinth Bralette by Ohh Lulu. I cut size XS, although Gaby's bust, according to the sixe chart, would fall into the XXS size, and still the bralette turned too small. The pattern pieces include 1/2" seam allowances, which came useful to increase the coverage, and again to that effect I added a 1" hem to the bottom of the bralette. 

I finished the raw edges of the bralette with fold-over elastic and although I had bought lingerie strap elastic, in the end I decided to make the straps out of the same fabric, for a better match.

Size: XS
Fabric: scuba
Time to make: 2 days

The second make out of the sweet flowery scuba fabric is the hit of the summer - shorts with back pockets. The pattern is Burda #122 out of an old paper magazine I have in my collection - 02 / 2011. I made a muslin for the smallest size 36 and I liked a lot the fit on me, only a small sway back correction would be needed. For Gaby, I had to go down to size 34 and I took in the side seams a bit too additionally. I'm finding muslins, especially for pants, extremely useful, now I regret I got rid of a lot of old bedsheets not so long ago :)

Apart from fixing the fit, I made a few minor mods to the pattern - I skipped the front welt pockets and instead added patch back pockets. I also drafted a new waist band, incorporating the changes I had made to the fit of the pants. The band is lined with thinner polyesther lining (remnant from the lining for my hoodie), thus reducing the bulk at the waist.

The pants are closed with a fly front zip - I'm still finding my way around that feature, this is only my second time of installing such a zip. I found very useful Devon Thread Tales's Sasha trousers video and Tailor Girl's master class (in Russian). I ended using a combination of both techniques - there were some very useful tip in both videos.

Size: 36, modified
Fabric: scuba
Time to make: 3 days

Next is a simple off-white T-shirt. This was a very quick make, as I have the pattern pieces cut and the fit adjusted already. The pattern is my latest go-to fitted T-shirt pattern - Burda 6820. However, as the T-shirt came out a bit too plain, I'm not entirely opposed to the idea to try some tie-dyeing on it, while the print technique is still on trend.

Pattern: Burda 6820
Size: 36
Fabric: cotton jersey
Time to make: 1 day

And the final make for Gaby - another pair of shorts. These were made more as a test of the new pattern I bought recently - Burda 118 06/2021. I used fabric remnants from a pair of lounge pants I made for Alex. 

The pattern is fairly easy to make, with elasticated waist and in-seam side pockets. For the pockets I found this video tutorial very informative and with useful tips. You know, the devil in these operations is in the details and Burda never provides detailed instructions :(.


As I didn't have enough fabric, I had to make one of the front parts out of two pieces of fabric. I decided to make it a feature and added piping where the two parts were sewn together. This is my first piping and it could have been more even, but I'm not unhappy with it :)

Size: 36, reduced to 34
Fabric: polycotton jersey
Time to make:  two days

Gaby already wore these shorts at home (I made them at the end of last month) and found them comfortable, but not as good fitting as the ones I made her last July, using another Burda pattern, the tried-and-true Burda #117 05/2013.

 


Wednesday, July 21, 2021

Seven Rila Lakes 2021 - Full Family Hike

Lots of pictures from our last hike this Saturday to the Seven Rila Lakes. The nature preserve is one of our most favourite places in Bulgaria and we try to visit it every year since we started hiking more actively. We've been there only the two of us, with a hiking group and with Gaby. This time was a very rare occasion, when we managed to get organized and go there together as a family. And I am so glad we did, as tomorrow Gaby is leaving for Vienna and we'll probably have fewer and fewer occasions to go somewhere the four of us - the children are no longer children :) She graduated from Sofia University yesterday with a BSc in Molecular Biology and plans to spend the summer, working in a biolab in Vienna and then to pursue her master's degree in Vienna Uni, if she gets enrolled.

We had a gorgeous weather on Saturday, with clear blue skies with small photogenic white fluffs of clouds, green meadows with plenty of flowers, granite alpine peaks with patches of snow and of course, the cherries on top - lakes, plenty of them. Apart from the Seven, we also saw four of the Urdini lakes and passed by the upper of the Panitzite lake.

:The Lower and the Fish lakes


As this is a nature preserve, the only transportation allowed is by horses and donkeys

:The "Sunny Meadow", a sacred place for the White Brotherhood

:The "Kidney Lake", the biggest of the Seven


:The "Eye", one of my favourites and the deepest of the Seven

:On the Lake peak (2544 m), with a panoramic view to all the Seven lakes

:The Tear - the highest of the Seven lakes

:A view to four of the lakes - the Twin, the Trefoil, The Fish and the Lower lakes

 

:After the Lake peak we continued to Razdela and then along the Green Ridge

:The Haramiyata peak and the upper of the Panitzite lake

:We had our picnic here, with a view to Urdini lakes and the magnificent Malyovitza Ridge. The beauty of the place was breathtaking, even Alex was impressed :)

:Two big birds flew over us, while we were picnicking - a crane

:and a hawk

Hike info:
Destination: round trail to Seven Rila Lakes and Green Ridge
Mountain: Rila
Total length: 13.4 km
Elevation gain: 500 m
Total duration (plus picnic and rests): 5 hours
Average difficulty: 6 / 10


:Down the Green Ridge to the Paniztzite lake

:Along the very steep and narrow trail from Haramiyata to the Fish Lake

:The Fish lake

Me-made items, worn on this hike:

Husband: boxers
I: lingerie, Sabrina Slims, Houndstooth Hoodie
Gaby: lingerie
Alex: Burda 6719 Men's Sports Pants (I don't think I ever blogged these)