Autumn Sewing Plans

Sooo, the August issue of Burdastyle fell into my hands on Friday, and I instantly wanted to make stuff! There have been items in previous issues I’ve liked this year, but not as much as this month! So this is what I’m planning for an autumn wardrobe ( or three), even though we’ve just had the hottest day ever recorded in the UK, and summer is definitely (hopefully) not over!

Starting with Daughter No 1, who has helpfully provided me with a Pinterest board to work from. Basically her look is neutral colours, soft draping fabrics contrasted with those with more body. She likes the monochromatic look, so I need to find fabrics that are either suitable for bottom and top halves, or different fabrics in the same colour. She loves trousers that sit on the natural waist (high waisted to all those who’ve lived their lives in hip grazing jeans) and have masculine details like hip yoke pockets and pleats, two are preferable to one.

collage burda pants
Burda pants: Potential patterns. Copyright BurdaStyle

So, in the collage above, I’ve identified some potential patterns. Going clockwise from the top left, 114 from October Burda 2018, 110 from January Burda 2018, 110 from August 2016, 115 from May Burda 2019, 102 from October 2018 & finally, 114 from June Burda 2019. Then there’s the fabulous pants from the August issue from this year, which all three of us have fallen for, 107 with the pleat or dart tuck hem. I love that they’re made in ponte in the magazine, but the fabric requirements don’t specify stretch fabric, or fabric with stretch either… The possibilities!!

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Pants 107, Burda August 2019

I’m loving the silhouette! The narrowing at the hem makes the pants have a slightly cocoon shape, like the Teddy Pants from Style Arc. And I like those very much! So, I have in the stash some pale grey wool, dress or trouser weight, and a darker grey georgette, so both of those can be used for making an outfit. There’s also 2m of pale grey denim bought from Higgs & Higgs that I was thinking of making Daughter No1 a pair of True Bias Landers – last year… So that’s back on the burner now. I also have 2m of olive/khaki corduroy, also bought last year. I’ll neeed to be careful with choosing the right pattern for that stuff. I have found some olive crepe in a blouse weight online that will do very nicely to go with the olive pants weight fabrics I alrady have. I’m still on the hunt for suitable dusky pink sort of colours, black is always handy too, as is off white. I’m not allowed to make her anything beige or camel though, that’s not a colour she likes. Maybe on the bottom half though… I’ve also got some navy wool in the stash that should be enough for pants and a tailored jacket. But I need to find the right jacket pattern. So that’s my start for Daughter No1!

Daughter No2 is more complicated, mostly because I’m still working my way through her summer sewing list!! I have, however, decided to concentrate on those items that she’ll be wearing from now through to October. So maybe no more little shorts and tops. She’s keen on those pants from this month’s Burda too, and intriued with the idea of a couple of pairs in ponte, or a nice, good quality sweatshirting – secret pjs! There’s another pair of trousers in this month’s magazine, number 120. We have two pieces of fabric from South Africa that would look the bomb in that pattern, one a cotton Shweshwe, the other a coated Wax fabric. I’m happy to make them both up, but I’m guessing I’ll make just the one to start, and wait for further instructions! 🙂

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Pants 120 from August Burda 2019

Then there’s my list!! I have finally started on a jacket that I wanted to make a while ago, the toile is done but I think I might need to size down, so that means more tracing. I had planned this week to trace the Tosti from Waffle Patterns (finally!) and start working on my waterproof jacket. It’s only three years after I bought the fabric, but who’s counting?? Then for a couple of quick sews, I have some jersey to turn into a Uvita top, or maybe a long sleeved version of the new pattern by French Navy, the Astair Tee. I’ve also got another LB Pullover in mind for some navy textured jersey I got at the NEC last Easter. Those won’t take long to make, once I’ve decided on the perfect pattern

Then I need new jeans, the old ones are all too small. That’s going to be tricky! I’ve loved the Baste and Gather Birkin Flares, but I’m thinking of a different shape this time. No idea which pattern to use though. Any ideas that would suit my shape would be greatfully recieved! I have decided to make another two pairs of the Teddy Pants for the winter, some pale grey wool and a length of black wool should do the trick, and of course, I want a pair of those pants 107 from August Burda too! Best I get started then!

Sewing Plans

Do you ever get a bit overwhelmed with your sewing projects?  By which I mean, there are so many nice things to sew, and not enough time to get them all done?  I have a nice big pile of gorgeous fabric I bought this year, and some very nice patterns I’m desperate to try, but my list just keeps getting longer.  And then there’s the problem of the fabric which initially was quite clear in what it wanted to be, changing its mind and now wanting to be something else.  For which there isn’t enough fabric.  Or I don’t have  a pattern, don’t have the time to draft one and so now trawl the internet looking for something suitable.

That’s what has happened this week.  While in Cornwall, I bought 2.5m of the most beautiful cotton fabric with a chrysanthemum print.  It has a slightly Japanese feel to it, the flowers are crisp, colours definite, and I fell head over heals for it.  Why didn’t I get a nice round number, like 3m?  Because it wasn’t (for me) cheap and I didn’t want to be greedy.  But what I initially thought I could turn into a pair of culottes now wants to be a jumpsuit, or a dress, or a wider, longer pair of culottes that I originally pictured, or a jumpsuit.  So 2.5m is not enough.

collage culottes or dress
Burda culottes or Sew House 7 Tea House Dress??

I thought of making the culottes #126 from March 2015 Burdastyle, they’re wide enough to look like a skirt, which is what I had in mind.  But now it wants to be a dress (for someone who doesn’t wear dresses).  I could give in to that demand, but only for the right dress!  I spent lots of precious sewing time on Friday looking for just that right pattern/shape/look.  Eventually I emerged form the deep dark pit that is a combination of Instagram and Pinterest with the Sew House 7 Tea House Dress.  It’s the bodice part that I really like – and it has pockets!  But of course, nothing is ever that easy, have fabric, bought pattern, make dress, right?  Nope – that dress needs more fabric than I have.

So now what?  Do I email the fabric shop and see if they have more?  Or dig through the stash and find a fabric that will work with the print and have contrasting pieces?  Or be realistic and just make the damn culottes I wanted in the first place?!  Let’s face it, even if I like the dress, I have a very good feeling culottes would get worn way more often than a dress.  But I now like the idea of the dress…  AAARRRGGGHHHH

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The top fabric that now wants to be bottoms…

The same conversation happened with another piece of fabric I got from the NEC in March from Rosenberg & Son.  It was only ever going to be a top of some sort.  I traced the pattern, toiled and adjusted, but now it doesn’t want to be a top.  I’d seen Clare’s fabulous print culottes on Instagram earlier and couldn’t get that image out of my head.  That is why my “top fabric” now wants to be “culottes fabric”.

One piece that is behaving is the most gorgeous deep dark inky coloured linen and rayon mix fabric I got from Fabworks back in May (I think).  I had expected a soft, drapy linen to arrive, instead it’s really crisp and full of body, but it will still look good as pants/trousers, and now I know what pattern to use too!  I made the cropped flared trousers from this month’s Burdastyle in turquoise washed linen and love them, so I think a “posh” pair is on the cards with that rayon/linen blend.  Just need somewhere equally “posh” to wear them…

I also made a jumpsuit last month (!) in one of the border printed viscose pieces I brought back from South Africa back in 2016 – only one more 3m piece of that left now!  It was from a German magazine Chris brought over for me last summer, the August issue of Fashion Style.  I’d liked it from the start and bought 3m of black herringbone linen from Croft Mill Fabric for the project, then Autumn came and I left it.  Then I got reminded of it when I watched the new Star Wars movie, Solo.  The female lead, Qi’ra wears a black jumpsuit that I totally needed!

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Image from https://milnersblog.com/

So I went about tracing, toiling and adjusting, but when it came to the making, I realised the black linen was too stiff.  So in the mean time, I used the print viscose, to “road-test” the pattern before buying a more suitable black fabric.  But that jumpsuit would be great with that floral print fabric….  My jumpsuit doesn’t have the wrap front, or the fluttery sleeves, but I was at least inspired by this to get on with mine – finally!  So I now have black viscose from Croft Mill Fabrics, and will get to it, hopefully before the summer is over – again!!  It also means I now have 3m of black herringbone linen that can be used for something else….

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Black viscose lined up and ready for this!

When I was tracing the culottes from March 2015, I remembered there was a wrap over dress that I’d drooled over, #127.  It comes in two lengths and when I first saw it I fell heavily and bought a couple of metres of Ikat fabric from Fabric Godmother.  Then doubt (as usual) set it and I didn’t make it.  But I still have that fabric, and I still like the dress!  This is the weekend when I said “sod it”, and I’ve finally traced that pattern.  It will need to be graded out a size on the sides (I have no waist) and will need a decent FBA, but it’s do-able, right?  I just don’t want to mess up my lovely fabric.

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Burda wrap dress in the Ikat, blouse in Seasalt gull print cotton voile crepe

Then a horrible thing happened.  Everyone – and I mean everyone, was chatting online about the fabric sale at Seasalt, a Cornish clothing company.  Their fabrics are nice, cute even, and I’d never thought of buying any.  But when we were in said county at the beginning of July I happened to pop into their St Ives store to investigate the fabrics “in the flesh”.  A couple I recognised from seeing them online, some I liked, some I didn’t.  So when we got back to our holiday flat, I bought 6m of Seasalt fabric. WHY?!?!  Because I have absolutely no will power and I was enabled.  It’s wasn’t my fault…

July’s Burdastyle has come to the rescue of some of the gull print cotton voile crepe.  The boxy blouse, #117 will look very nice in that fabric, and it will just happen to work with the trousers I’ve made this summer, because the colour is perfect!  It will also be less boxy because of the floatyness of the fabric.  The other piece I bought will be destined for something yummy for my Mum.

Aah, I bet you think you’re nearing the end now, right.  Nope.  Just because I haven’t taken any more photos doesn’t mean my list is done.  I have charcoal twill that’s begging to be made in the fabulous jacket #101 from May 2018, black & white gingham desperate to be used in a top from Kana’s Standard, natural coloured washed linen crying out to be made into a pair of trousers from the same book, navy viscose with a white feather print that’s been asking very nicely for about 2-3 years to be removed from the stash and is now getting loudly demanding.  Then there’s the navy oilskin I bought from Merchant & Mills last summer to make a Waffle Pattern’s Tosti, and the summer coat I said I would definitely be making this year.  Summer coat!  Not requred this summer, what I need is a paddling pool and a nice new cozzy!  And let’s not even mention the lovely fabric set aside for daughter no2’s list(s).

And I’ve spent all day writing this post.  That’s the problem when there are so many lovely things to make, and you want them all today, but you cannot decide which to start with, or which fabric to use with which pattern because you don’t want to stuff it up, and you  cannot or don’t want to buy more fabric.

I think I’ll make a cuppa and go for a walk.  Maybe when I get back I’ll have an idea, or maybe you can add your 2 cents worth!  And please tell me I’m not alone in my madness.

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