Black sewing. Burda 4-2010-117 and 1976

Hello. Remember me? Would you like to hear about the burglary, the daughter knocked off her bike by a car, the trip to Wellington and the computer illness? No? I will reassure you that all is well that ends well, and get back to writing about sewing.
Here are a project or two that accurately represent the state of my sewing efforts lately.


You would not be able to detect from the NZ rugby player pose (only New Zealandish in particular because of the colour, dear friends across the ocean) that this shirt is a response to a plaintive and heart felt plea something along the lines of "You never make anything for me". Unfortunately, this is a fairly accurate statement. It is that Y chromosome and the restricted colour and style palate favoured by the conservative Australian rural male.

It may also be the curious reluctance of my sewing recipients to having their photograph taken. I am thinking of responding to requests for clothing with a written contract including a photography enthusiasm clause.

The pattern is from Burda 4-2010 (117? - the children's polo shirt which I cannot look up because I am writing this whilst not-at-home), from which issue I made 2 items this month, despite this being previously completely issue. There is a curiously satisfying feeling about using an older magazine for the first time. This may be due to incurable tightwadedness.
The fabric is cotton lycra knit. The size is the largest, 122cm, lengthened to size 128cm for my 128 cm high son. You might think the slim fit is due to this sizing change, but I assure you that my son actually has the girth of a 110cm Burda boy, and that the sizing for this pattern runs very, very slim. I am pleased that I was far too lazy to scale down the girth to his actual size-by-measurements (although to be fair, the fabric is thicker than your average t shirt). I drafted new, long sleeves, and I did add a little surreptitious purple.

I quite like this, and it passed the boy challenge. (Joy, do you see the non-birthday number, that is inspired by you, but not nearly so tidy. I was going for the slapdash look, and succeeded very nicely)
Here is more black sewing for the other bloke in the family.
This one is from a 1976 Knit Wit pattern that I have used several times before.

The exciting thing about this garment is the delicious rib knit merino fabric. Ice breaker, you make me look very clever. If only all man sewing was this easy. My husband, in an all time first, was a keen and enthusiastic shopper at Global Fabrics in Wellington, and selected several stash items for himself. I think it was because Global Fabrics looks rather more like a warehouse than the other fabric shops to which the poor fellow has been dragged. I must shop there more often.