Ruby Silk Shell (Burda 04/2011-114)

I bought this ruby Chinese silk with jacquard pattern because I just felt that I must own it. It is not the colour I normally wear and would never use it to make a full attire, so I decided to use it to accessorise my "parade" black RTW suit.
I used the pattern from April issue of Burda magazine, only lengthened it several centimeters.

 Here is my shell. The picture with the suit shows the original colour best of all.

The colour is not correct here

I still find this Carmen red-black combination too dramatic for my colouring, should try this shell with other pieces in my wardrobe and probably find better combinations.
Here is a closer look to the accessories. Christmas tree brooche I've bought years ago from Harrod's and Venice glass earrings.

The picture was taken at the residence of the French Ambassador in Moscow. I always wanted to see inside of this building, which I think is the one of the prettiest houses in Moscow. It reminds a gingerbread house. Here are some pictures of the outside view.

And few more pictures of the interiors.

I wish you all a very Happy New Year! May the New Year come with joy, happiness, love and prosperity!
Thank you for your attention to my blog, hope to see you here next year :)

Very Simple Summer Dress (Burda 6/2011-107)

The Christmas is around the corner and I am still posting about summer projects :). I admit I haven't been blogging actively lately.

After sewing several flowery projects for Summer I finally got a desire for some one-colour and very plain pattern. I made a choice in favour of this dress from June issue of Burda magazine.

The fabric is rayon but it is so soft and nice to touch that feels like silk. The colour is pale gray blue and has jacquard pattern.

Though it looks very simple it was rather expensive. When I've just started sewing I was hesitant to buy expensive fabrics because was not sure that I will not spoil them with my sewing. I wonder about other dressmakers, when you've started sewing, did you spend money on expensive fabrics or like me opted for budget cloth?

But some fabrics are so appealing that I just can't resist buying them. Together with this blue rayon I bought a piece of  ruby Chinese silk. Normally I don't wear that bright colours but that one was so beautiful, I couldn't keep myself from owning it. I will report about this project next time.

So here is the finished dress. The pattern is very simple, literally only a couple of stitches.

I am very happy with this dress. I made it in August and had a chance to wear it a couple of times before Autumn arrived. It is very simple and understated but it immediately became my favourite out of all summer sewing projects.

Here is a small Swarovsky brooch that I use to accessorise it.

 

Jersey Dress (Burda 8/2011-116)

I haven't been posting much last time so I still have some things to report about that I made at the end of summer.

This simple dress with small kimono sleeves and hanging collar I finished in August but didn't even had a chance to wear it, the weather turned to the autumn so fast.

Not much to report about this dress, the stitching was fast and easy. Except for my first attempt to make it using other fabric which ended in turning into a top :).
After this first failure I  researched all finished versions of this model at Burda web site forum and decided that mine should be made from very thin and flowing jersey.
The only problem with this sort of jersey was that the collar just hanged flat without making nice  drapes which is the main feature of this dress. To overcome this I added fusible interfacing to the collar. And I didn't make pockets in side seams.

As for the rest I just followed the instructions.
 

Arms trimming

Now I only have to wait till the next summer when I could wear this dress.

Knitted Top (Diana Moden)

 
Knitted top from Diana Moden magazine 4/2011-13.

I don't use original Diana patterns much but this one was could change my opinion. It is simple, didn't need any alterations and fits nicely.
I would love to write that I was going to sew the long sleeves top from the beginning but this would be untruth. This beautiful knit border fabric was expected to become this Burda pattern. I did make this dress later using another fabric, will post about it in a different post.

But I couldn't fit the pattern into the piece of fabric that I had and to coordinate it with the border print.
So I cut the dress from the La Mia Boutique magazine 03/2011-12 (ШиК 8/2011).

Even though I added 1,5 cm on each side seam which in total makes 6 cm the dress was tight in hip area and fit badly (even with my bottom measurements being smaller than LMB measurement scale). With my previous exciting experience with LMB knit dress I was quiet relaxed when started with this pattern. The pattern was not only very tight but has a very peculiar sleeves as well. So I left with a cut piece of the lovely fabric. I trasformed it to the top from Diana magazine and it worked like miracle. Not only the top fits well but the sewing was relaxing and fast, actual stitching took not more than two or three hours. I didn't have enough fabric left for long sleeves and had to add cuffs. They are still a bit short but I can live with it.
I love this fabric in top pattern even more than when it was a dress and as a bonus it coordinate well with my long knitted vest that I showed here.

Men's linen shirt (Burda 06/2011-138) and some trifles

Summer linen shirt and a hat for my son.

Burda 06/2011-138

I enjoyed working with linen, such a wonderful fabric. I would love to sew something from linen for myself as well. The only problem that it wrinkles so easily, so it would be something very casual, for vacation wardrobe.

Two other small projects are the hat and the pot holder. The pattern for the hat is Simplicity 5581.

Simplicity 5581

Burda 08/1989

The pot holder was my first  try on patch-work. I chose this very small project just to see how to do this. This pattern was published in Burda magazine 08/1989 along with some other lovely bigger projects.

Besides trying quilting this project satisfied my inclination for recycling and nonwaste living. Maybe it is because I was raised by my grandmother who survived revolution and two wars and used to save everything, or just my inborn sense of  responsibility but I hate wasting things. So I made this potholder from scraps of  fabric that I used for my sewing projects.

Salad Dress (Burda 7/2011-110)

During first summer months Moscow hosted the exhibition “Inspiration Dior” .

Goes without saying that I visited it. Some dresses in vintage Dior collections had names. So I decided to copy this and to name my new project :).
The name Salad Dress comes from one of the dresses at the exhibition (please forgive me, Mr. Dior).

"Salad" dress (right)

So here is my Salad dress from July issue of Burda magazine. The camera didn't capture the true colour. In reality it is light yellowish green.

I cut size 19 petite (means 38 regular) and I feel comfortable in it but when I look at the picture I see that the top looks baggy. Again I am struggling with Burda measurements.
Good news is that is the first time when I am really happy with making the invisible zipper. Seems I finally managed to become friends with that special invisible zipper foot.

It was not a smooth sewing though. Initially I wanted to make very simple solid colour dress using this pattern.

Burda 6/2011-107

But then I decided that it will be too simple and chose another pattern. Now I regret of not going with my first intention. Still have a desire to make light solid colour dress in a very simple cut.
My second choice was this dress.

Burda 4/2010-108

I wanted to make it since it has been published in 2010 but couldn't find fabric that would drape well. I tried this fabric and it seemed that it would work. I cut out back and front pieces of the dress, basted and tried it on, and it looked like a maternity dress. Not an effect I wanted to get :/.

Since the fabric had been cut already I had a choice either to put it in a trash bin or to try to rescue it with some other pattern. So the choice of the pattern was somehow limited. I managed to squeeze this pattern in previously cut pieces of fabric and in what remained uncut.

It is a petit pattern so I lengthened the top a couple of centimeters. Now I doubt the necessity of doing this. Otherwise made no alterations, just added lining to the skirt since the fabric wrinkles easily.

One more picture from Dior exhibition that I would like to share. Shoes collection, I would wear any pair of these beautiful shoes anytime :). The green ones at the top left would suit my new dress ;).