Tag Archives: Burdastyle 02/2015-107

an exciting need for maternity gear!

15/08/2020 7:43 pm \ 15 Comments \ Carolyn

so, I have some very exciting news! I’m going to be a granny again! Well of course I’m already a granny to darling little Arthur, but I am going to be granny to TWO. That’s cause for celebration, I think! Especially if by celebration, I mean celebratory sewing … which is specifically the kind of celebration this blog recognises, hehe.

Cassie is quite early on in her pregnancy but is already uncomfortable and in need of maternity clothes. Kelly passed on to her one or two of the things I made for her last year, but they are different sizes and so Cassie needed some things of her own, too.

Exhibit A!

I printed out another Closet Core patterns Ebony pattern to cut out Cassie’s size… now I know it’s not technically maternity, but in my opinion this makes a really good maternity option! And there are so few! Honestly, you go and check out the maternity range around at the moment and it’s quite shocking how few there are on offer. Quite disgraceful, to be honest! There used to be lots of options back when I was sewing for my own pregnancies, but those options seem to have sadly dwindled… today’s pregnant ladies who sew for themselves have to be resourceful because there is practically nothing at all being designed specifically for the expectant figure. And even less that’s very interesting.

Anyway.

The first thing I made is the above cotton jersey floral dress for Cassie… she absolutely loves it, which is great because I was initially not a fan of the fabric she chose! However, once I’d made it and she put it on I could see she looks lovely in these fresh, bright, pretty springy colours. She wanted something that could work for just about everything, casual and comfortable for both at home and out, she can wear it to work, and even to a formal event if she wants with the appropriate shoes. Specifically, she has a friend’s wedding coming up, to which she is planning to wear this; and with her high heeled black booties I think it’s going to be lovely. Plus, it’s stretchy fabric, so it’s very comfortable too, she can curl up on the couch in it just fine. Pretty? and comfortable too?!! win win!

I used the aforementioned Ebony pattern, of course, with the set-in sleeve. The swing of the skirt is a little less than the pattern, because the fabric I had wasn’t as wide as needed.

Exhibits B! and C!

This top is another Ebony, naturally, in the tunic length and with the raglan sleeves. This spotty cotton jersey is absolutely lovely! such a pretty print. Oh, both of these fabrics, the spots, and the green, plus the previous blue/pink floral, were all from Spotlight.

please excuse the lumpy look, there’s a cushion doing baby stand-in duties in there and it’s not doing a very good job…

The skirt is Burda 7023, one I made several times previously for Kelly, so we know it’s a fantastic little pattern. Thanks again to my lovely reader Graca, who very kindly sent this to me! xx

I did the same thing I did before for Kelly’s skirts, with a self-drawstring in the front band coming out through little eyelets on the inside, so she can tie the front up tighter during these earlier days before she’s very big.

Exhibit D! and sorta E? though I’ve shown this little top here before so it shouldn’t really count actually. Cassie made the skirt herself, using the Megan Nielsen Axel skirt pattern, and a pretty embroidered and pleated organza that she bought from Megan Nielsen store too actually. It has a stretch jersey waistband, and is lined with lightweight cotton jersey too. The little top is one I made for Kelly, and is a streamlined Closet Core patterns Ebony, first blogged here. I made it using the same oatmeal-coloured, lightweight cotton jersey Cassie used for the waistband and lining of her skirt… I originally bought this gorgeous stuff at Homecraft Textiles.

I just wanted to add pictures here of two other me-made clothes that Cassie is finding very useful in her pregnancy, a sort of pregnancy-appropriate, pattern round-up, if you like. Both these dresses are getting worn a LOT.

Exhibit F: this Megan Nielsen patterns Sudley dress that I made for her in 2017, in a gorgeous spotty rayon from Spotlight, originally blogged here.

and also Exhibit G: this Burda dress also from a few years ago, made using a really beautiful, Amalfi coast printed crepe from Fabulous Fabrics, and Burda 02/2015/107, and originally blogged here. This was my Christmas present to her from 2015, so I’m thrilled she’s got so many years of great wear out of it!

Posted in: sewing \ Tagged: Axel, burda 7023, Burdastyle 02/2015-107, Cassie, Closet Case files, Closet Core patterns, dress, Ebony, maternity, Megan Nielsen, skirt, Sudley, top

village dress, for Cassie

03/01/2016 9:46 pm \ 47 Comments \ Carolyn

It’s taken a while but I’ve finally taken pictures of Cassie wearing the dress I made for her for Christmas!

The fabric is a crepe printed with Cinqueterre-like, or Amalfi-coast-like villages, and we both loved it upon first sight. I knew at once it would be perfect for her, and make a fun little dress for her to wear to work. See, she works in an office, but it is a creative field, and apparently most of her female colleagues dress quite fun and funky, more arty than corporate. And previously she had mentioned in a slightly wistful tone that she was the most conservative dresser in her office.
My Christmas pressie radar immediately perked up.

O reaaaaaally!!!

Fortunately for her, she has a mother who will pick up on even the vaguest of vague-hints, well, when they’re sewing related that is, not so much other stuff that is.. um, less sewing-related ahem. Anyway, I’m launching the fun-and-funky-wardrobe goal right here and now. I sneakily snuck back to Fabulous Fabrics on my own and deviously bought some of the village print… mwahahaha.

btw, it’s faaaaaaar harder to hide Christmas sewing from Cassie than it is the boys! who pay precisely zero attention to whatever I’m mucking about with in the laundry… Cassie is a high probability to go snooping around the stash to periodically pet the fabrics and select stuff for herself. I had to be SUPER devious to get this made without her twigging as to what was going on… and she was completely surprised! Yay!!!

For a pattern, I chose Burdastyle magazine 02/2015, number 107, a little loose, raglan-sleeved, gathered into the neckline, tunic style of dress. It has inseam side pockets and an elasticised waist that sits up on the hips, allowing extra length above to loosely blouse out over it. The dress looks adorable when worn by a person, but unfortunately I think it comes across as kind of dumpy on a dummy and, dare I say it, positively heinous on the hanger… prime reason why I decided to wait until she could model it for me herself! In the meantime it has been a great success; having been washed and worn enthusiastically to work several times already. There is no greater compliment…!

The print was aligned crosswise and I laid down the pieces that way too, to have the houses “upright” in the dress. I found 2m of 150cm wide fabric to be sufficient. My fabric is quite see-through, so I lined it with ivory poly-crepe, the same fabric I used for my ivory Ruby slip… and I made the necktie in ivory as well. Actually I first made the necktie in the village-y print but it looked way too busy and a little overpowering so I made another one in ivory and it looks about a thousand times better. I suggested getting black fabric and making it in black instead but she likes the ivory.

I have some thoughts on the pattern construction too… skip this bit if you’re not making the pattern since it’s not going to make any sense otherwise…

Although it looks short on the model in the magazine, it didn’t look that short when made up so I removed about 9cm off the bottom to get the same look. Sleeves are about 2cm shorter.

The way they’re written; the instructions are a touch confusing since for much of it you’re bouncing back and forth between different construction notes, for style 105 and 106, and to complicate things the neckband of style 105 is very different from that of 107, since it has a collar whereas 107 is collar-less! and there’s zero mention of the collar-less version in the instructions… so you sort of have to work it out alone. I attached the folded neckband to the neckline in one pass, gathered it up inside the seam allowance a little, then overlocked the raw edges along the gathering inside. This helps pull the neckline in a little tighter, and the necktie does the rest of the work in gathering up that wide neckline.

With the pockets, the instructions have you stitch up the side seams, THEN insert the pockets… well I always do it the other way around, so it was kind of a whaaat? moment for me. Anyway, gave it a whirl. It works fine, of course… just thought I’d mention it because it was different… 🙂

I made a size 36, Cassie’s usual size, but in the course of making it I tried it on a few times, just to check various bits and pieces, and found it worked perfectly well on me too, a size 38. Something to keep in mind if you’re a larger size but only have enough fabric for a smaller size!

Anyway whatever; she loves it, I love it on her I think she looks adorable in it, so the final verdict; a great success!