Barcelona group review

Sorry no sewing happening. I have finished all my uni work until May though!!! (well presentations anyway but woo)
Barcelona is awaiting me!
I thought Id do a little review on how badly I did at my little Barcelona Wardrobe I had Planned.
Here is what I planned

"OK so to clarify I want to make for Barcelona:
My Pearl Dress (M6011)
Flowery Tweed pencil skirt with visible back zipper (no visable zipper but this is Mona)
Navy Dress with white accents (Vogue 1020 or Style 1937)
Camel coloured jacket (McCalls 5815 View A but with long sleeves.) The sleeves were short and I used blue not camel. This is the Barcelona Jacket
Before Mid March...
I hope that's do able."
Out of those 4 garments I have finished two and have the McCalls Jacket in Progress. But to be fair I did the Elie Dress in between.

So here is Pearl

Elie

Mona

Ironically Named Barcelona in Progress

But the Navy and white dress never materialised (hah) So i'm taking my Macaron as a replacement.

That was written on the 21st of Jan. So I intended to acheive that in 2 -3 months. I'm pretty happy with the two things I managed but I am dissapointed I havent had the time to do the Navy dress or finish the Jacket. Still I knew I was being Ambitious and I am quite a lot through my Yearly goal of 10 Garments. I have done 4 since the start of the year which mean I have 6 to go until my goal!

This is better... Progress!

My Barcelona Jacket is a little further on! I finished uni stuff a bit early so I thought I'd put in a little bit of sewing time. The first bits went together pretty easily. But I'm finding as usual I am going dime to the dozen and not reading the instructions. I started putting sleeves together without even starting on the lining Doh!

The sleeves are pretty but the super strong interfacing I had is not really such a good idea. If I make this again i'll remember to buy thinner weight. Still at least I'm sewing again for a bit!

I'm also stuck on what would be the best lining for this. I have 3 contenders.

I have the original plan a flimsy poly in a kind of minty green,

Pale pink slightly stretchy cream poly

Or this cute striped Grey and pink? What do you think?

Burda March Issue

I have to say I wasn't very impressed this month Burda!
It was focused on Weddings, Which is fine as Spring is a nice time to think about that kind of thing.
Normally I would be flicking through going "Oh I love that, and that and that and that." This month I was a bit like "was that it?" There was some nice basics like a long sleeved top a jacket and a pair of trousers. But I felt all the statement dresses left something to be desired.

Looks ok so far... Nice colour palette but obviously being a wedding issue lots of white.

Caftan. Thats quite useful and nice in a basic cotton colourway, pretty sleeves and nice for spring.

I'm not sure why but I loved this little jacket the detailing on the bottom made me all warm and fuzzy inside. But double breasted things tend to make me look strange...

This short Jacket reminded me of last years Jersey Blazer which I didn't like at the time but I actually quite like now. That could be useful for chucking in your bag when spring evenings get chilly.

Plus size I hated this time around! It was so frumpy, not like Burda at all. The only thing I could find was this twisted neck top which would be a useful basic.

Now for the Best and Worst.

There was a lot in this issue that made me go Wtf?!

Lets start with the worst.

I do not understand this bodice at all. It has a random appendage that looks like its started to grow by itself. Why?!

The second is one of the statement pieces. Pretty Colour, Pretty fabric but Just not flattering. There is way too much going on here for me. For a start The neck is miles too high and too loose fitting. You have a lot of drama in the sleeves which takes away from the yummy detailing on the bottom.

This is only going to flatter 0.2% of the population. Super Tall Super thin, Super Straight. I'm not even saying that people who are "Thin" will look good in it. You have to have very little figure about you which of course most people large and small all have. If I was intending to make this i would change the bodice completely prehaps consider keeping the sleeve but cut a very swooping open neckline and separate the bodice and the skirt and fit both. perhaps add some basic pleating into the skirt to fit in with the volume of the bottom.

So after that Rant. Lets end on a positive note! I ADORE this jacket with the little peplum. Everything about it is fab! The fabric is great, Colour great,shape flattering, It also covers my favorite V word. Versatile! I want this Jacket!

Pattern V Plain: Building a Wardrobe is Difficult, Difficult, Lemon Difficult.

I am one of those people drawn to pattern all the time especially in fabric (Ahem... See prev post for proof.)
But I really love elegant, simply styled people who wear colour co-ordinated outfits in plain fabrics with the occasional dip into print.

People like Emma Pillsbury from Glee, Michelle Obama, Isla Fisher, Christina Hendricks...

All of them do this style fantastically. For that ladylike chic, They all stick to plain (but bright) fabrics with the occasional flash of pattern in a shirt or cardigan.

This is one of the problems I find in my own wardrobe I have all Print and no basics to go with them! I'd like to fix this so I can start building a handmade workable wardrobe.

My Wardrobe Woes to date are:
Too Much Print
Not enough base colours to layer on
Not enough Skirts

Too many Dresses (Sob! Mostly printed too)
Not enough Cardigans

Not enough Trousers (Patty at SnugBug is doing a fab series on sewing trousers at the moment.)

Too much black

Thats quite a scary looking list isn't it? Like i've walked in on Trinny and Susannah rifling through my drawers. (horrific thought!)

As I mentioned in a prev post I have narrowed down the colours I'd like to wear in a dream summery wardrobe. Were everything can be worn in a million different combinations. So I am going to attempt some basics in various colourways like JCrew have with these skirts. I like to think of it like Gok Wan's "Capsule Wardrobe" or 14 pieces or whatever it is. Where everything harmonises.

Side Note: Is it just me or is it really hard to focus when you have a million zillion things running around in your head shouting "PICK ME! I WILL LOOK AMAZING?"

I find it really difficult to focus on one project and I am awful at sticking to plans I am the first to admit it! I over think and change my mind lots.

I suppose thats why I started my blog in a way. I'm using it as a kind of Diary to keep track of the craziness that runs around my brain.

Your allowed to make grand plans in a diary and you never have to carry them out, on here I'm held accountable by all you lovely people!

My McCalls M5815 Jacket is next on the list.The Blue Linen I was using for a wearable muslin is cut ready, but the camel fabric I ordered was more of a tobacco brown. So If it is finished I will take my Blue linen one to Barcelona and find a different use for the tobacco wool.

I am going to use The Jacket and The Joan Dress as My starting point as they are both made from the same fabric, Prehaps if I added a Lemon yellow or a Mustard belt and necklace this...

might look something similar to this?

What are your Wardrobe Woes, and how does print fit into your style?

February Burda!

Its so hard to pick my favourites as always but I've tried to pick things i'd actually use or wear. It was focussing on the kind of latin kind of theme and this was one issue where I was dying to find out where the fabrics came from! All the florals were so fab!

I can see myself wearing this kind of dress all spring! especially white based florals!

It would also make a lovely top in a stretchy thickish jersey.

Another thing I really crave is this "Sophia Loren" style bustier top, but you would have to be careful it didn't turn out a bit too slutty especially if your on the bigger side of the bustline!

I know, I know I'm already making a Jacket but I hadn't seen this one! I love it on the cover too in floral but this check really appealed to me! The nautical theme always looks fresh and clean!

The line drawings for these dresses didn't appeal to me in the slightest, but in fabric they look really nice! I don't think it would be worth me attempting them but I was pleasantly surprised at how they looked on the body. On the plus size front, I wasn't convinced. Normally I really like this part, even though I don't count. I often find I like the plus size style more than the main magazine but they all seemed shapeless and baggy. Except for these. I prefer the stiffer fabric to add structure but i'm not sure the shoulders would flatter me.

What did you think of this Month's Burda? Any favourites or fabric suggestions?

How's your patience?

Mine is awful especially when it comes to garments that take time and concentration.

I've started on the McCalls 5815 Jacket and good golly miss molly it has taken me the best part of two days to cut the shell fabric let alone the lining!

I have been carefully trying to use up the Teal linen look from my Joan dress and I've managed Version A by the skin of my teeth. This is hopefully a wearable muslin. But it is ironically similar to the fabric used on the Pattern front. I had a quick look on pattern review and most people are saying they had a linen look polyester which is exactly what Joan's fabric was. In an identical colour so go figure.

I also have 3 meters of minty green lining in my stash that will look fab even if it is a bit staticky. So if this works it will be a hypothetically "Free" garment if its wearable. The only thing that could interfere is that people suggested adding 3inches or so to the hem so it wasn't so short. But I couldn't spare the extra fabric on this version.

Here's the fabric and lining together:

I've got myself stressed over trying to fit the pattern to very little fabric in the shell so

I think i'm done with cutting for one (two) days. I've pinned the countless pieces into "Need Interfacing" "Bodice" and "other" piles. So I won't get overloaded.

The last time I made a tailored jacket was when I was 16. First thing I'd made was an A line skirt no fastening, shortly followed by a disastrous corset. Thats A level Textiles with a Poncy teacher for you. I subsequently got a big fat U for my efforts and ended up in college doing a fashion course which resulted in a merit for making. No thanks to said teacher.

However "The Fear" has stopped me from going back to making jackets. So i'm trying not to freak out. I think the trick with sewing is taking your time and the bit that needed to click with me then was:

"It is OK to go wrong. If it's a disaster who cares? You have to laugh and try again."

If I could give any new budding seamstresses any advice it would be exactly that.

"Don't beat yourself up if it goes wrong. You will learn, maybe not the first time, maybe not the second, but you will get it!" Sewing is for fun and individuality. It's not a test if your doing it for ENJOYMENT. So why stress?

I also want a say a quick Thankyou to Elle for my beautiful little bird purse that I received yesterday in the post. It was wrapped so nicely and as soon as I saw it I immediately swapped from my old boring purse!

In my defence...

I have been looking for a dress pattern with an inverted pleat to do a version of Tilly's Birthday dress for quite a while. I have Navy fabric poised and ready in my stash...

The other 6?... Oh huh their ... backups.

The OOP McCalls Jacket took me ages to find at a decent price! But its sooo pretty and little jackets are what are missing in my wardrobe.

I did also buy an 80's new look pattern for a long sleeved dress but Ebay won't let me have the picture and I can't find it anywhere else.

Any fabric suggestions for any of these? The jacket I think in a plum or in the teal of the photo? Maybe even Tan!

I leave you with a video that always makes me giggle and just proves how obsessions can get out of hand... In a pattern buying scenario I am Carl.

CAAARRRRLLL...