Thursday 29 November 2012

Burda Style 08-2012-111 and stash control

Thank you for the very kind comments about my daughter's formal dress. We are very proud of her, and making the dress was a very fulfilling project.

 We are back to normal sewing now, and the school leaver has a job - the same job she has had for the last few years,just more of it! Naturally, the wardrobe of a school uniform wearing girl is not adequate for the average office worker.

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 Here is her new skirt, a pencil skirt from Burda 08-2012-111, which was the most recent iteration of a pencil skirt with waist darts (rather than panels). I used to think there was a pencil skirt in every issue, but clearly I am wrong.

This particular skirt was a little odd in shape IMO, having strangely puffy hips in proportion to the knee clenching taper, but fortunately, this was easy to adjust to a less exaggerated angle at the side seams, and here it looks like your average skirt, after work, next to a gosling.
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The skirt is lined (cotton batiste), has a back kick pleat and there is really nothing else to say about it.

 You may recognize this embroidered cotton/linen fabric, which I used for my younger daughter's dress just recently. I bought the fabric specifically for "a dress" but 3m was way too much for the pattern we ended up choosing and this is not a colour nor print I would wear myself. Most of my burdensome fabric stash is actually remnants, which always seem too small for any pattern that takes my fancy, so this time I was determined that the remnants would stay out of the stash. Unfortunately, the pencil skirt did not use it all up! I was left with a few odd pieces, which just would not creep under my "I could use this" fabric detection meter and make it into the bin.

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 Here is the scrappy apron that solved my problem. No pattern needed, I draped it on my dress form which is why it is rather oversized on my daughter. The top is pieced and darted, with a machine embroidery stitch over the seam to break up the big blank black patch, and the pleated pocket, waist tie and neck band are cotton canvas remnants - machine embroidery stitch used here too to make them look like sections of the same garment.

There is none of the black fabric left, but the 0.25m oddly shaped scrap of canvas is still lurking about......

11 comments:

Carol said...

I like this fabric and I could have used it in my SWAP! I am on a bit of a mission to sew all of those little bits I keep into something wearable - if not for me for someone else. I downloaded the free Sorbetto to (have yet to make it) and I think that will be a good use of all those small bits. I'm even thinking I can colour block it to use some really small bits, but that may only happen in my imagination!

velosews said...

I love this fabric and made a dress from it years ago.
I like how you've used this fabric for the skirt and apron.
The gosling is so cute.

kbenco said...

I do like this fabric, but black is not my colour. My daughter picked it out and I bought it only a few weeks ago, at Spotlight. Maybe Spotlight recycles their designs? Or other peoples designs ?

Steph A said...

Great little skirt for the office, and the fabric is lovely. And an apron from scraps! Great idea! I've got shed loads of scraps in bags that I could never throw out!

Mary Nanna said...

But wait- I didn't get a chance to congratulate you on your masterpiece with your daughter's formal dress and already we are on to work wear!

Gosh got to be quick around here.

Good idea to reduce the pegging on the skirt - I have found Burda pegged skirts to be attractively shaped but not the easiest to take a full stride in. It's like walking in a rubber band -there's always a slight "bounce back" when you hit full stride and very unpleasant.

So more successful garments a foot!

Carolyn said...

Lovely!
Once they leave school and stop wearing the school uniform the need for regular clothing skyrockets :)

liza jane said...

Hey kbenco-- I just used you in a blog post. Hope you don't mind :)

http://lizajanesews.blogspot.com/2012/12/sugar-and-spice.html

fabric epiphanies said...

Great use of leftovers. Gotta love the apron. Unfortunately I don't own a lovely one myself but tend to make them for other people. I must remedy that!

Cherie said...

Hi, Karen, I don't comment much, but have to tell you how fabulously couture the gown for your daughter is. No "professional" could have done any better. It was stunning. The smocking, I can't even breathe when seeing it in the dress. And your dress for the graduation was a lovely dress using silk. Shout out to you, you are a master!

And you are the same sewist who makes athletic gear. Amazing!

gwensews said...

Terrific skirt. And apron. You've done a marvy job of both.

fabric epiphanies said...

I have passed on to you One Lovely Blog Award