Archive | 16:48

Pattern Review: Burda Magazine 10-2009-119

16 Jan 100_1090

Wow. I thought I would get this dress finished over the New Year’s break. Not so much ;)

Somedays, I think I have got to leave pleats alone. Remember this shirt? Or my last dress? Luckily, Burda’s 10-2009-119 was not an epic fail. I actually quite like it. But, these pleats and I have got to go to therapy to work on our relationship.

I was immediately drawn to this dress because it’s in just about my favorite neutral, gray. And, it had that awsome flared skirt that would skim over my legs. I like how the tucks in front  created interest. What I forgot, is that I am god-awful at sewing pleats! Not one single tuck is the same size as the next tuck. I find myself triple checking every single tuck because the whole concept is a little confusing to me. But, I love how they look!

First, let’s just stop pretending you don’t see it and address my little ‘style’ change to the skirt portion. I somehow managed to not mark the tucks (or extend them) to the hem. And, rather than go back and remark the skirt once I realized, I decided a 60s style full skirt would do me just fine. But, I am not totally lazy– the dress is fully lined!

And, while Nigel has heated seats, I cannot go sleeveless in winter. Today, it was a balmy 40 degrees (after two weeks of temps in the mid 20s, it almost felt like spring). This dress can easily be worn with a turtleneck underneath.

The fabric is a heather gray stretch wool from Fabric.com. A 2009 purchase! I’m still on my 2010 fabric fast. It’s very soft and warm and totally a steal at less than $5 a yard. But, it is not pant weight IMHO as they suggested.

I don’t know what I think about the sizing though. I sewed a 40 in this (I normally sew a 38 — but I’m experimenting). It is a very snug fit in the bust. So snug, that without the turtleneck you can see my bra straps in back (again — fully lined). Or, I have back fat now. Either way — not a good look. That could easily be my fault since I can’t sew tucks. But, I have found that Burda’s fitted / tucked dresses don’t work well for me sizewise. Remember this one?

I’m still on my soup / cooking kick.

Tortilla soup is soup #3. Yummy. I went to the Latino store and even bought real crema, fresh tortillas and cotija cheese. I know. I need to work on my food photography skills ;)

Soup #4, Garlic Potato soup. Which I think is your basic Baked Potato or Potato Leek Soup. So not really ‘healthy’ between the sour cream, cheddar, heavy cream and starchy potatoes. but, it was delicious.

Soup #5 was today’s lunch. Vietnamese-Style Beef Noodle Soup. There is a Thai-Fillipino store less than a mile from my house with everything I needed. Su-wheet. Never thought I would find my self putting cinnamon in chicken broth!

We Interrupt This Blog….

16 Jan

1. Thank you for all the subscribe requests. But, I goofed. To make it readable, you would need to have a WordPress ID / Login. I know most of you are on blogger so may not have one. I felt a little foolish so I didn’t want to repost asking you to do that. So, I am still not sure what to do with my blog. Some have opined to me that I might be overreacting a bit. But, I kind of feel like I want to present myself to a potential employer and not let them draw conclusions from here. But, I’ll think about it more and figure out what to do. The last thing I want is to go offline completely.

2. I do have a dress finished that I’m going to post later!

3. Arielle. Many of you know her as Larkibane on PatternReview.com. If you need a ‘real’ person to put on the face of this earthquake, here’s one. Arielle lives in Haiti. Her roof caved into her house after the quake. She and her mother are sleeping outside with friends and neighbors. I’ve known her online for about a year now and there isn’t a more cheerful and enthusiastic sewist I’ve come across. I heard from her today and she tells me:

Rene, the smell alone…I dont’ have any neighbors with house standing. The main street near my house, miles of rubble. Schools! The chapel where I had my 1st communion is gone, the church where my parents married gone. My mother got up, the wall of the bookstore came down. I lost my 88 yo great-cousin/neighbor. Both our houses look like hollywood film sets, pretty facades, nothing behind.

I am saying this because I truly consider her to be a friend and exchanged emails with many of you who were worried about her. I am still worried about her.

Please, please consider donating. Personally, I give to ADRA, the Adventist Development and Relief Agency. I went to Fla. with them in high school for a hurricane clean up and it was the most organized organization. That, and several of my classmates continue to work for them so I can speak first hand on thier expertise. And, in case you are thinking of telling me that the US is sending a gabillion dollars in aid already and those are your tax dollars anyway I would reconsider leaving that comment.

Yes, I did think of immediately packing up fabric and a sewing machine for her. But, I realize she doesn’t even have a wall with an outlet to plug into right now.

You can also check out what the Selfish Seamstress is doing. I have a new travel mug coming to ride to work with Nigel and I in the mornings.