COMPLETED RESCUE OF DENIM JACKET

I've completed my jeans jacket yay!!!! Finally! Almost thought it wouldn't be ready in time! There's only so much time an evening. And I wanted to comment on at least some pictures of Me-Made-May every day. Some are really great! So many new things on my inner list that absolutely need to be done. Probably too many.

I'm drifting off topic... back to the jacket... Can you remember what it looked like before? There weren't even any seam allowances left I could sew the lining to. I probably wanted to finish it unlined? I can't remember. I've started it when I was about eighteen and I wasn't very practised in sewing then. So I sewed in the lining icompletely by hand. I also had to draft a pattern for the lining because I didn't have the original pattern anymore nor any clue where I had gotten the pattern. Some old Burda mag for sure :)
I used two different fabrics for the lining. One stretchy cotton print for the body and a slippery viscose lining fabric for the sleeves. If you look at the sleeves very closely you can see unusual pattern drafting lines. The sleeve originally had two pattern pieces, it now has three ;) When drafting the sleeve curves at first I accidentally made two inward curves instead of one outward and one inward. So I had to make a third piece which added an outward curve or throw away the already cut out sleeves. I added the third piece. :)

I've completed the seam band and buttons only this morning. The seam band is made of jeans fabric on the inside and of golden printed leather on the outside. Without the seamband it looked simply boring. I thought a touch of another fabric and or colour would be nice.
I hope the leather will be fine. I also added a leather band at the throat to give the jacket a bit more closure against the wind and to have a second leathery accent. Hm... I'm not so sure exactly if I like it though! Maybe it looks a bit like a circus director's jacket would? If I don't get used to it I'll maybe take it off again ...

Some more pictures of my new wardrobe joker for windy spring and cold summer days. Very useful here as I've just learned again this spring!

Thank you for stopping by! And an inspirational and great final day of Me-Made-May for all of us!

JACKET WITH SEQUINS / JACKE MIT PAILLETTEN

This is not exactly a new jacket but one I love very much! It doesn't see much wear though. Mind you, when do you exactly wear a woolen jacket (quite warm) with hardly any closure (not so warm) and sequins at neck line and sleeve seams (at least a little bit unpractical)?
But I love it all the more as I'm a tiny little bit pigheaded. :) It would go prettily with almost any evening robe if I had the chance to wear one once in a while! So to spite its uselessness I took it out today to a day with my kids and a friend and her kids. Quite the perfect mommy style ;) Maybe also a little because it's still Me-Made-May and I don't want to repeat my other me-mades time and again.

Now a few more details for any the other interested sewistas. The pattern is Mod.126 from Burda magazine 8/2012. I lengthened the sleeves 2 cm and the back and front pieces 3cm. That's the usual length I have to add to accomodate my arms and torso comfortably. Otherwise the pattern is unaltered. I chose a wool bouclé as my fashion fabric.
The trim is made of sequinned tulle and sewn on per hand. First I cut out the tulle pieces with old scissors. Then I cut away all sequins on the seam allowance. Afterwards I simply folded under the seam allowance and pinned the pieces along the neck line and sleeve hems. About two hours of hand sewing later the jacket had sequin trimming but still with quite a few missing sequins along the edges. So I took a thread and needle and sewed sequins back on where too many were missing.

As you can see the jacket has raglan sleeves which makes for a very good fit in my opinion. It may also be possible that I'm just a person made for raglan patterns. I have very straight shoulders. Therefore I often have to adjust the fit of jackets and tops to my personnel shape especially along the armscye and neck line.
For closure I sewed on two small hooks. The jacket is fully lined in violet viscose lining fabric. I sewed the lining to the jacket with my machine and only did the hem by hand. In the center back I sewed in a 2 cm deep fold for comfortable wearing. In the picture the lining frizzles a little along the line where I sewed it in probably due to the strechiness of the bouclé. Maybe a bit of steaming could tame it to evenness?!

Something I like very much about my jacket is the slight A-line. It isn't actually A-lined but the mostly missing closure lets it gape open a little which looks very nice.
You see I really have to recommend this pattern very much! ;)

Ahem... if you've noticed the tiny bump in my back pocket. I'm carrying my daughter's favourite bracelet she had to take off because it hampered her when riding her bike.

One final matter I'd like to adress (very formal here :)) is the former biligualism of this blog which will end as of today. No votes against!!
Meaning from today on I will write in English only. Some short paragraphs of German may pop up but not regularly. So see you soon and I hope I didn't just put off every German blogger or blog reader who's ever found my blog! I would really aprreciate you visiting again very much.
Have a nice evening everyone. :)

Kathrin

Recap Me-Made-May and Pincess Dress / Rückschau Teil 2 Me-Made-May und Fischgratkleid im Prinzessstil

The days of Me-Made-May are running past so quickly. Only nine days left not counting today! I've already dragged out the biggest part of my me-mades and have mostly dresses left for the time to come. I hope the weather is willing to oblige and give us some warm days. Here are a few pictures of my favourite outfits during the last days - here you can look at all the others if you are interested ;)
Der Mai vergeht wie im Flug und die Me-Made-May Aktion ist schon halb wieder vorbei, nur neun Tage noch! Ich habe schon den größten Teil meiner selbstgenähten und gestrickten Sachen hervorgeholt und für die kommenden Tage sind an noch ungetragenen Stücken fast nur noch Kleider übrig. Da muss jetzt das Wetter mitmachen, sonst wird's bald nur noch langweilige Wiederholungen geben! 
Hier ein paar Bilder meiner Lieblingsoutfits der letzten Tage - alle anderen sind auf hier zu sehen.

cardigan and top / Strickjacke und Top

flowered top / geblümte Bluse

flowery summer dress / geblümtes Sommerkleid

slipover and skirt / Pullunder und Rock

Most sewn garments I wore for Me-Made-May are made from various Burda patterns.

The cardigans' patterns have different origins. But today's outfit is a little different - the pattern is self-drafted and the dress is really only the first wearable muslin I made when I was working on making my own block two years ago. It's not yet a perfect fit, but not too bad either. 
Die Schnitte der allermeisten selbstgenähten Stücke die ich für den Me-Made-May getragen habe kommen aus der ein oder anderen Burda Ausgabe. Die Stricksachen haben ganz verschiedene Vorlagen. Aber was ich heute trage ist anders :) das Schnittmuster für das Fischgratkleid ist selbst entworfen. Natürlich ist es nicht besonders experimentell, es ist ja auch nur die erste wirklich tragbare Toile die ich genäht habe, aber ein bisschen stolz darauf bin ich trotzdem. Der Schnitt ist entstanden als ich vor ungefähr zwei Jahren angefangen habe an einem eigenen Block zu werkeln. 

 

The dress is made of a fine chevron cotton-poly-mix fabric. It's fully lined, so it's also a good choice for colder days. The lining is sewn to the hem by hand so it can't crawl up my legs even if I'm wearing warm winter tights and I don't have to fiddle around to get it back down. When I had the chevron dress finished I decided it was quite boring and office-like and added some lace trim around the neck line and sleeve seams. I believe it's better now, a bit romantic but not too undistinguished I like to think! ;)

Das Kleid ist aus einem feinen Fischgratstoff, irgendeiner Baumwoll-Poly Mischung, genauer weiß ich es leider nicht mehr. Es ist komplett gefüttert, also auch an kälteren Tagen gut zu tragen. Das Futter habe ich per Hand an der Saumzugabe locker angenäht, so dass es auch bei dickeren Strumpfhosen im Winter nicht die Beine hochwandern kann! Das ist sonst manchmal ein ewiges Rumgezupfe. Als ich das Kleid in seiner Anfangsversion fertig hatte, fehlte mir irgenwie noch ein Twist, so das gewisse Etwas, ... Es war einfach langweilig. Mit der Spitzenborte finde ich sieht es nun besser aus - ein bisschen romantisch und nicht ganz so gewöhnlich hoffe ich! ;) 

I think I said that the dress was a muslin? It was! I chose a pretty cheap fabric to try out my block after making two bed sheet muslins first which I cut up again for fitting. I kept changing the block pieces until the fit was about right and then decided to make a first test dress - this one :). I'm always very risk-conscious when cutting into a new fabric, I'd rather not cut into the more costly ones at all :) diagnosis advanced cutting anxiety.

A bit silly, I know... but then I found out that the fit still isn't perfect. What a relief not to have used anything more expensive! A bit too tight in the waist, the darts in the back end a few centimeters too high and the cleavage is a bit  ... roomy?
Hmm... maybe I should change the block again! No, at the moment I'm fine with a semi-perfect block until I'm in the mood to use it again! But perhaps if I should feel veeery bored when my kids stay at their Grandparents' ...? I'll see.

Ich habe gesagt das Kleid wäre eine Toile? Das stimmt, aber nicht die erste ;) Ich habe es aus einem recht günstigen Stoff genäht, nachdem ich meinen Block zuerst mit Hilfe von zwei Bettlakenmustern verbessert habe. Die Blockteile habe ich so lange verändert bis die Passform ungefähr gestimmt hat, bevor ich mich entschlossen habe ein erstes Testkleid zu nähen - das hier :). Irgendwie bin ich immer wahnsinnig vorsichtig mit teureren Stoffen. Am liebsten würde ich die immer gar nicht anschneiden, sondern im Schrank lagern bis sie anfangen zu muffeln. Diagnose ausgeprägte Zuschneideangst.
Naja, hmm ... also beim Probekleidnähen habe ich dann auch herausgefunden, dass die Passform immer noch nicht perfekt ist. An der Taille ist es ein bisschen zu eng, die rückwärtigen Abnäher im Rockteil enden zu weit oben und der Ausschnitt steht etwas ab, aber ich kann das Kleid gut anziehen und es ist trotzdem super bequem. Also gut, dass ich keinen teuren Stoff vernäht habe!! Ha!

Irgendwann wird es also noch ein paar Änderungen am Block geben müssen, ... oder? Aber ich glaube nicht jetzt, vielleicht wenn mir einmal seeehr langweilig sein sollte, wenn die Kinder mal bei Oma und Opa sind oder so.... Mal schauen!

Danke fürs Vorbeischauen! Falls ihr die Zeit für einen kurzen Comment habt, wüsste ich gerne, ob ihr die zweisprachige Version notwendig findet oder nicht! Falls nicht unbedingt würde ich mir überlegen in Zukunft vielleicht nur auf Englisch zu schreiben.
Thank you for stopping by! :)
If you find the time to write a comment, please tell me what you think about the bilingual posting style? Necessary or not so? If not, maybe I would write only an English version in future out of base motifs only ;)

Bis bald, see you soon,

Kathrin

Grey Sweater with back view

Today I went for a little hike with my family in a Nature Reserve near our home town. It was very enjoyable and the flowers for which it is famous were blooming and really beautiful!

Heute war ich mit meiner Familie auf einer kleinen Wanderung in einem Naturschutzgebiet in unserer Nähe. Es war wirklich wunderschön, denn nach dem vielen Regen in den letzten Tagen war alles grün und der Enzian für den die Heide bekannt ist blühte noch.

spring gentian / Frühlingsenzian

To come back to my topic here, besides from my family I also took my newly finished sweater for its first outing which it mastered successfully of course ;)
It is just a simple grey sweater after a Burda pattern (Burda 9/2012 Mod.106) but I'm quite fond of its style. 

Um zum eigentlichen Thema zu kommen durfte außer meiner Familie noch mein frisch fertig gestelltes Sweatshirt seinen ersten Ausflug machen - der natürlich auch recht erfolgreich verlief! :)  Es ist ein recht einfacher grauer Pulli nach einem Burdaschnittmuster (Burda9/2012 Mod.106). Trotzdem bin ich von seinem Schnitt und Stil recht angenehm überrascht.

There are long side darts which give a good fit to the sweater. And you can also adjust the fit by letting out/ taking in the central back seam, which I did. The neck line and bottom seam are finished with bias bands. That's very pretty in my opinion - doesn't look too ordinary. In the back there is a V-neck line and the sleeves have only 3/4-length and are a little flared. I'm feeling a bit like a 50es girl when I wear it. I guess a slim skirt would also be a nice combination which I still have to find out for real.

 

Wie man unten gut sehen kann hat der Pulli lange Seitenabnäher die einen guten Sitz machen. Außerdem finde ich den angesteppten Saum und Kragen hübsch. Obwohl es beim Kragen doch etwas ungewohnt ist, dass er vorne so hochgeschlossen ist - dafür gibt es dann hinten einen kleinen V-Ausschnitt. Auch ganz nett! Ach ja, etwas ausgestellte Dreiviertelärmel hat er auch, so dass - wie ich finde - ein bisschen 50er-Jahre Gefühle aufkommen. Würde sicher auch gut zum engen Rock passen, muss ich aber noch ausprobieren!

 

Maybe, just maybe this could pass as the one garment I wanted to make to fullfill my Me-Made-May pledge. (It would have to match another item I made but perhaps it does?!) I'll have to see how my very limited sewing time can suffice to complete one more garment and finish my jacket.

Ganz vielleicht wird dieser Pulli nun das eine Kleidungsstück das ich für den Me-Made-May neu machen wollte sein, allerdings muss ich erst noch rausfinden ob und wie gut er zum Rest meiner selbst gemachten Garderobe passt! ;) Mal sehen, ob meine doch recht begrenzte Nähzeit ausreicht neben der Jacke nochmal ein ganz neues Teil zu machen.

Me-Made-May first round and bolero cardigan

 

Me-Made-May recap Day 1- 10

Ten days of Me-Made-May have passed already. I didn't expect to be that busy with taking pictures and writing comments ;) Not that it's taking me hours but still! But huge BUT, it's also loads of FUN!!! I've also found various patterns I'd like to try myself and many fellow sewistas with amazing abilities and style. So the coming months are going to be full of sewing exercise ;)
I don't think I will get through the month without any serious me-made garment repetitions though. It's already dawned on me that I do need some jeans and maybe other trousers. The weather here doesn't always permit skirts or dresses (just my opinion). I hope that it's going to warm up a little soon, so that I can wear more of these.
Pledges: I still haven't begun to fullfill my pledges concerning the jacket and matching garment. I was too busy finishing a little blouse I made for my little missy which had highest priority of course! 

But now the sewing road is clear and I can start my own projects.
Now for anyone who is interested and as a kind of documentation for myself the last ten days of Me-Made-May.
This is today's outfit - which was until now completely unblogged.




The skirt (Burda 6/2009 Mod.103) was too rumpled for good pictures after today, but the cardigan is still alright, so you are going to see it first (meaning in this post). It is a very easy pattern (Filati magazine) consisting of a rectangle that is sewn together on two sides. This means that it doesn't have any great fit to speak of. But after you sewn the sides together you crochet around the neck-/bottomline. This is in my opinion the most remarkable feature of this little piece. I also like the cotton yarn because of the colour and its irregular structure. I think you could achieve a more regular look of the crochet trim if you chose a more evenly spun yarn.

And here is what held me from fullfilling my Me-Made-May duties so fa.
My Missy's little ruffled blouse. So she is ready for spring ;) And in the last two pictures the features that took me the longest, ruffles (Not difficult but a little time consuming. Of course each little ruffle's got to be seamed as well!) and hand sewn armscyes (I guess my seamstress pride couldn't accept another solution).

So let's see how Me-Made-May goes on and happy sewing! And Happy Mother's Day to those of you who celebrate with their kids! And just if you are wondering why on earth I stopped writing in German at all. I'm planning to catch up on that, but I think I will need a little while to do so ;)

Und jetzt nochmal kurz auf Deutsch. Für alle die sich wundern warum ich eigentlich nur noch auf Englisch schreibe und mit Deutsch komplett aufgehört habe: Ich habe vor das bald wieder zu ändern, aber brauche leider noch etwas die letzten Beiträge damit zu vervollständigen! Also für alle die lieber deutsch lesen, bitte ein ganz kleines bisschen Geduld ;)