Purim, Riviera, Embalishments...

A lot to write about..
Well, first - it is PURIM here, and it is raining so hard... too bad.. Still, we found a few not-raining minutes yesterday to take photos of the girls. Both were princesses, of course. My young one, 3 years old, decided she wanted to be also a cat...
So she was!



The big princess dress is from Burda 01-2010. A great pattern, that I already reviewed a month or so ago. The little princess is from an old Ottobrre issue, from 2003 I think.
Both were very happy with their costumes!

What else?
I have worked hard these past couple of weeks on patterns from SCKL. I made the Riviera Leggings - twice! what a great pattern.. I initially wasn't too thrilled about it, then, a couple of weeks ago, when helping my girls into their under garments, it hit me! Legging is indeed a great idea, and this pattern is so easy!
So I made it - twice... once the long version and once the short (which I didn't take photo of yet, since it's winter here...).
Anyhow - here it is..
The photos don't do justice by them...




The fit and instructions are just great! I'll be making so many more of these, they are so useful!
I also made IMKE, turned out just great... on that - in the next post.

One thing I have to comment, and this is entirely SCKL fault.... I have spent way too much money getting embellishments on etsy and eBay these past couple of weeks.. After seeing the book, and looking over at the flickr group... well, I could not resist it...



I bought a lot, The world turns out to be a very small place, if I can place an order and get it withing a week or so from Singapore!
I bought from several online shops that I know I'll return too!

This is one - earthfile
and this is second (especially recommended for the great service! I even got a bonus ribbon) myluckynumner9...

what would I do without the Internet?????

INSA Skirt

Hi All,

So I got this book last week

I already mentioned how pretty it i, and inspiring!

My first project from it was the INSA skirt. No, my girls do not any more skirts (or dresses, for that matter... :-)), but it seemed really easy, fast and cute.

And it is!

I made it as simple as possible, just to try the sizes, and see how it looks on my girls. My only embellishments were a rickrack at the top. I LOVE the outcome! My girls love their skirts (I had to make two identical ones...) and they fit real nice. I still may add some elastics on the sides of each panel to add some embellishments to the skirt...




The skirts are slightly longer then my girls are used to, it is nice, buy I may shorten the top part a bit next time I make them.

Another pretty pattern!
I hope to manage some more simple projects from the book, building my way for the more complicated Dortje and Manhetten soon. Still, on March I plan to take a little break from sewing for the girls - and attempt a pair of pants for me! I really hope to make something wearable!

Good day!

One more challenge!

A friend gave me her Burda Magazine of 01-2009 to trace a pattern... a 2009 winner!

I saw it in the best patterns of 2009 article... (what a great idea - these articles are so full of tips !)
I had to have it!
Once I had it... well, I did manage the construction of the sleeve, but I must say that seeing the tip by sew-4-fun (here is the link to the tip) made it so much easier!
Thank you, sew-4-fun!
so I did it, I don't have good pictures of the top just yet... but here's what I do have!

You have to trust me - It does look good!
Now for my review - I perfectly understood Burda's instructions... The construction was simple enough. However - I found that following sew-4-fun instruction makes no difference to the outcome but makes the construction ever easier.
As for the size - I have no issue. I made size 38, I usually make 40, but I've recently found that 40 is too big (No, I didn't lose weight... I don't know what happened...), and size 38 fit perfectly.
I don't usually wear 3/4 sleeves... but this one seems special enough - I'll wear it, I think I may even make another one when summer comes, and a good fabric!

On another note - some recommendations -


I think the whole sewing world already knows about Sewing Clothes Kids Love by Nancy Langon. But just in case you don't... I have ordered it last June, and got it a week ago! What a great book. I love the pictures, the patterns! There are 10 patterns there, and I love almost all of them! And I'll make most of them! I've already made INSA out of the book (will be posted soon!), I plan to make IMKA shirt next, then the leggings and the Manhetten. The book never arrives to the patterns drawer.. It's on my table all the time.


Well, till next time...

Burda 02-2010 - my knit challenge!

Hi,
After many many months that I found no interest in my Burdas... It finally arrived - a simple cute knit top that I liked!
(The image is from the Burda magazine)

I thought it would be the perfect challenge for the February challenge at My Favourite.
It's a good thing I decided on that pattern as my month's challenge... Or I would have never completed it. I started at size 40. I'm not as thin as I'd like, and last time I made a burda top, that was my size...
First - I couldn't get the directions. The part of putting the small band between the upper front parts.. I don;t know - maybe the band was supposed to come on top of the top parts, bot between... I sewed it between the parts.
Other then that - there was no need for instructions.
but it came out HUGE! I know I'm pretty small there, but so is the model in the magazine and the top fits her...
Anyhow - I started modifying the pattern - making it longer in length and smaller in all other parts... I have never before made such big changes in a top! I'm pretty proud in myself!



I already made it twice - both sleeves variations.
I'll make it again for sure - so here are the things for me to remember for next time -
1. leave very little seam allowance!
2. use steady knit... medium weight. the thin fabric also works, but less well for me..
I like it!