Mirroring Suzy Bee Sews - Life So Strange It Should Be Fiction

Source: ssense.com via Trena on Pinterest I don't wear too many blouses, and I'm not sure why.  I think part of it is that a very traditional collar-with-stand blouse just isn't interesting enough for me!  It makes me feel too cookie-cutter lawyer-y (even though none of my co-workers dress like that either). However, Burda publishes some interesting variations on the theme, including this Burda 09-2011-128 .  I don't know that it struck me at the time, but when I was doing some snoop shopping last year I ran across the Theory "Deronisa" blouse, $200 and available in various colors.  I remembered this pattern and could see the possibilities in it more. This was sort of a wearable muslin--made with fabric from Robin's swap party! --intended to see if the pattern would be nice for a silk with long sleeves (redrafting the shoulder to remove the extension.  I think it will work, though it is (mostly) past long sleeve weather so it will probably be a project f...

    I love trench coats! I like how you can make them fit loose but then cinch them in with the belt, the perfect blend of flattering comfort. The fabric is sateen from Spotlight, I've had it in the stash for awhile not really sure what to make out of it. It alwasy screamed a full skirted 50's style dsress but since I never seem to wear them a nice floral trench seemed the go.   Pattern adjustments; Same as last time ; I used a sz 18 with a 1.5" FBA and (from memory) about 1" to the back width and arm width.  I added the peplum onto the back, its about half a circle skirt.  I lined the peplum before sewing it on, I've tried bagging out the lining on a a jacket with a peplum before and found the lining hangs down and the peplum doesn't sit right. I did bound buttonholes. Single welt pockets     The lining is just plain black with flat piping around the facings. I've got a lot of excess at the back of the sleeves/upper back again. I've had this hap...

So remember the fabric orgy that was November for me?  With the glorious trip to Fabric Mart ?  (Not to mention the trip to NYC.)  This lovely paisley print rayon challis ($5.99/yd) is one of the fabrics I bought on that trip, and I promised to make it into Burda 09-2007-101  at my earliest convenience. Well, I did.  I can't remember exactly when--sometime late December or early January.  I don't have anything to add to my blog post of the two earlier versions of this blouse, so this is just to show that I really do sew (some) of that fabric I buy. I only thing did a couple things slightly differently.  I put a simple hem into the sleeve, rather than gather it with elastic as prescribed by the pattern.  I wondered if it would annoy me or be weird, but other than looking like I have no hands from the back, I actually like it quite a bit.  It's not a top for doing too many dishes in, though. I raised the neckline up another inch, and instead o...

    This top has to be the most perfect mix between a cardigan and a jacket! I passed over this pattern until I saw it on Sew Brunswick and thought it looked great. I did a 1" FBA on a sz20. The pattern doesn't have side seams, it has side panels instead so I ended up cutting them in half, doing a standard princess seam FBA on the front half and then taped it back together. The fabric is a ponte knit that I got on the Melbourne sewing trip. I really wish I got more because it is a great fabric and hasn't pilled like the cheap pontes I get from Lincraft (even though it was actually cheaper!)   The pattern has you use a self fabric for binding around the edges but the ponte I used was way too thick for that so I used a cotton bias binding instead I added a button to the front instead of having the tie belt that came with the pattern. Its ended up a little off centre because the fronts are wide to allow for the tie belt so I had to put the...

I am way behind in blogging.  I actually made this top in the nick of time for Jungle January! The variation on this tee is that I used the sleeve from Burda 01-2013-119 .  A while back on Pinterest I saw these  Handmade by Carolyn spiral leggings .  I was fascinated, and loved the way they draped.  I vowed to use the idea for a sleeve eventually.  Well, lo and behold January's Burda arrived with the pattern already drafted for me.  I would still like to do a full spiral eventually, but I am in love with this sleeve. The Burda pattern is a raglan sleeve tee, but it was very easy to transfer this feature to my set-in sleeve block.  I traced the sleeve head onto tissue, and then set the tissue on the Burda tracing sheet.  I lined up the underarm corners of the sleeve patterns, ignored the raglan sleeve head, and traced down the body of the sleeve.  The raglan sleeve was a bit wider than my set-in sleeve, so I just sort of centered my sleev...

I will apologize in advance for having no sewing nexus here!  The weather turned unexpectedly hot and I didn't have anything new to wear to the cherry blossoms this year.  I didn't have a photographer with me, either, and the photo I asked a stranger to take barely shows the dress I was wearing (my Burda 06-2008-108 shirtdress with a cherry blossom-evocative print). Even without a new dress, I wouldn't miss the cherry blossoms! I visited after work on Monday, and got there just about sunset.  I loved this venerable old tree. We had an unusually cold Spring, so the blossoms--which were originally forecast for peak bloom on March 25, because of our mild winter--were still not quite there when I visited on Monday. I shared my blossom experience from people all over the world, everyone drinking them in and trying to get the best shots.  This one was a first for me:  a pet photo shoot.  This impeccably-groomed dog  was having none of sitting on the black-c...

... creation up my sleeve in Faye's 2013 Essential Top Sew-A-Long ! This is Butterick 5678 a great little semi-fitted shirt with shoulder princess seams ... This post is short and sweet - that was the front, this is the back ... This is the collar and princess seam ... And this is the cuff ... Now those of you with eager eyes will have noticed the lack of buttons and hem finished! Well my friends, it is fairly late at night and Faye 's deadline is just a few ticks of the clock away. If I was to rush buttonholes at this time of night this shirt would end up in the rag bag, so tomorrow will have to do. But I did want to include it in Faye's line up ... Now I would like to thank Faye for hosting this tremendous  Sew-A-Long and allowing me to participate. I had a great time challenging myself to fill in a few gaps in my wardrobe with some much needed tops. Thanks to Faye I have added these 4 tops over the past week or so ... Tomorrow, after sewing up the buttonholes my little ...