Burdastyle Flapper dress: Fabric Selection

continuing on the topic of delicate fabrics, today's post will cover fabric selection for my flapper dress. I am making it as a part of my Burdastyle Couture Challenge series in June.

I settled for the combination of navy-color silks:

• crepe-de-chine for the underdress fashion fabric
• charmeuse for the underdress underlining
• chiffon for the skirt 
• chantilly lace for the top

UNDERLINING

As I move forward with the couture challenge, I am really glad to notice that I am slowly developing some kind of intuitive confidence with regard to the choices I make. And so, this time I was sure I needed to use silk charmeuse to underline the crepe-de-chine underdress. Don't ask me why... Or actually, I can explain it. Silk organza - the workhorse of underlining - was too stiff for this project. I could imagine it for a full skirt, or more fitted piece (depends), but here I wanted soft and sumptuous drape, with some weight to it, similar to 3-ply silk... I am glad Susan Khalje (who very generously acts as a mentor of this self-imposed couture undertaking on Burdastyle) approved of it.

"Charmeuse would be lovely as an underlining, and it can almost serve as a lining as well.  Organza would be too stiff - too unlike the charmeuse in drape and movement." 

LINING

As you can see I haven't mentioned lining. And even though I initially considered to use lining for this dress, I was not sure. Somehow, it seemed to me that the dress will have too many layers for no obvious reason. Susan confirmed this doubt and suggested not to use lining as well.

"I think the crepe de chine and charmeuse would be enough, unless for some reason you want things to be heavier, in which case you could always use the matte side of a heavy charmeuse instead of crepe de chine,  but I think that would be too much.  It's a light dress."

CHIFFON ON A BUDGET

Selecting chiffon turned out to be more challenging than I initially thought. I bought crepe-de-chine and charmeuse at Mood Fabrics. But I could not get chiffon that would be lustrous enough to match the silks on the underdress and the lace on the top. All navy chiffons I checked were in a way 'milky', somehow not quite as transparent as I wanted them to be. Maybe I was too picky, but I decided to try elsewhere as well. So, at B&J I found two types of chiffon, Korean (similar to Mood's selection) and French (twice the price of the Korean). But, readers, you should see that French chiffon - it is just perfect - lustrous, bright, transparent, deep - you name it. I did splurge on French chiffon, readers. There was too much difference between the two to hesitate. The morale of the story, shop with all the fabrics you use for the project and compare. Never settle for the first best thing.

LACE

Now, since I splurged on chiffon, I decided to be super frugal with the lace. The magazine suggests purchasing 1.5m (1.6 yard) of 90cm - wide (appr. a yard) of lace. Of course, I did want to get a good French Chantilly lace for this project, but 1.5 meters was just out of question. 


I could only get half the length with the money left for the dress, so I had to think where I can save lace. I needed scallops on the hem only, because the armholes and the neckline are going to be treated with matching organza bias tape. The navy lace that B&J had, is 120cm wide (appr. 47"), and has scallops on both sides, so I can position the pattern pieces on 'crossgrain' to be able to make use of it. The only problem was the width of the lace, as I needed additional 20 cm to accommodate the finished length of the top. 


The answer was piecing at the top portions of the lace top, the last 10cm between the neckline and the armhole. I will need only four small pieces of lace which I will invisibly attach following the pattern and using tiny fell stitches. Bias binding will give the top additional support to compensate for the loss of the lace strength where it is pieced.  Yes, it is extra work, but is it worth the money I saved - absolutely! And, remember, I got that gorgeous chiffon, so...

The making of the Burdastyle Panel Dress

Dear readers, one of the projects I was working on in the last couple of weeks was the Burdastyle Panel dress, and so, here it is.

I guest blogged about it on Burdastyle, and if you check out my planning post and the finished dress report you will find some tips and techniques you may want to use in your projects as well.
It is a couture version of the dress, but I don't claim that it is the only way to make it - I made decisions I thought were right for this particular project. If you have questions why I did something the way I did, please ask - I will be happy to explain. And do suggest a different way to handle things I would love to know how you do it!

One of the readers asked me about seam finishes - here:

The question was: "When you clip the seam allowances to allow for curves, do you always round them?"

There are two reasons why I round seam allowances:

• It is easier to catch stitch around the clipped corners if they are rounded and not sharp. 
• The seam lies really flat and looks neat. 

This is the larger image of the stitched curve. I must admit I got carried away with the curves, but you get the idea, right? 

I made it following Susan Khalje's great tips on stitching curved seams:

• I recommend staystitching both sides of the curved seams, and then clipping any U-shaped (concave) curves, to allow you to fan them out and shape them to the corresponding seamline (the convex curves). The staystitching will help keep the seamlines from getting out of shape. Handle them carefully – with all of those curves and varying degrees of off-grain seamlines, you don’t want any distortion! 
• Give yourself lots of matchpoints, every inch or two, just to make sure everything lines up as it should. 
• Baste the curved seams, of course – basting will hold them better than any amount of pins, plus you’ll be able to use both hands to control the fabric as you stitch, without having to constantly stop to take out pins as you go along.
• Once you’re happy with stitching and take out the basting, then you can press the seams carefully and catch stitch the seam allowances to the underlining.

If you wonder, I did put a lot of matchpoints in muslin stage and transferred them over to the linen pieces.

Linen behaved relatively well, I must say, but I could see that without match points the panels would have stretched and shifted. 

On this image, besides match points on the muslin, you can actually see how I used the shell muslin to cut front lining. Burdastyle didn't recommend using lining, which I thought was strange because linen can be relatively sheer. So, I did make lining, matching the front panel seams as long as they lied flat, with darts forming above the bust point.  This saved a lot of time and worked beautifully - no curved panel on the lining, just two darts. 

That's it for the dress. Again, there are many images on Burdastyle, so check out the two posts - the links are at the beginning of this post. And, by the way, I did enter this dress for the PatternReview Natural Fiber Contest, go check it out - there are quite a few lovely creations in the contest gallery!

Have you made anything from the recent Burdastyle releases, magazine or website? Please, share your projects here if you did!

Couture Wardrobe Challenge, May: Let's celebrate curves!

Sewing has kept me very busy recently despite the lack of posts here. A planning post for this dress (Burdastyle Magazine, May 2012) is up on their page, and I hope to finish the dress on Monday. 

If you like this style and want to learn or practice couture techniques, do check it out. Susan [Khalje] shared a few great tips on sewing curved seams and using lining. If you know the basics, you will be all set up to do it.

Otherwise, I do update my Facebook page on daily basis, with favourite links, excellent tutorials from friends, and inspiration...

Is anyone making this Burdastyle dress? Let me know, I would love to feature it here, on my blog and on my Facebook page! 

My Couture Challenge: the first project completed!

I keep on talking about my Couture Wardrobe Challenge with BurdaStyle, but have never posted any details about it here, on my blog. I have been guest blogging for BurdaStyle for a while now, mostly covering couture-related topics, and one day, while we were discussing upcoming posts, the idea of creating a small couture wardrobe based on BurdaStyle patterns was born. One style a month, from the most current issue! If you have been following my blog for a while you will know that I am a Burdastyle fan, and have been for looong time. So, it was time I start using all those pattern magazines piling on shelves.

AND, I was very happy that Susan Khalje agreed to be a couture mentor in this project, giving me a few tips on how to handle some challenging parts of each project. These tips are published in a preview post, including some details on planning, fitting and materials. The final garment, as well as an overview of techniques used to complete it, is featured three weeks later.

Image: Emmy Rengfors, Burdastyle

The April project was based on a skirt and a blouse from BurdaStyle Bella Donna feature. Couture techniques in this first post include faced waistband boning and working with Chantilly lace - here are some details (also featured in my Burdastyle blog):

It took me more time than anticipated and so, this time, I have already started working on my May project. Meanwhile the finished April project, including detail shots and techniques, has just been posted on Burdastyle Blog.

BUT before you head over to BurdaStyle to check out the post, I wanted to tell you that I got couple of tutorials and some extras from this first project lined up for you, readers! So, check in the next few days for a detailed how-to and couture tips!!! And thanks for all your support!

You're a Couture Aficionado if...

Source: BurdaStyle

Dear readers, last year I started my couture guest blogging series on BurdaStyle with this small quiz. Almost a year later, and I am revisiting it with a slightly edited post on my own blog. Let's call it celebrating a milestone. What milestone, you may ask? A year of intensive couture learning and ... but more about it later. For now, enjoy the quiz!

So, you are an Haute Couture aficionado if:

• ...you know the difference between even and uneven basting stitch
• ...you always have handy a spool of Japanese silk basting thread and at least one pack of the finest hand sewing needles
• ...you have more than one type of many sewing tools and can justify why you need each of them
• ...you know the difference between interlining and interfacing
• ...your F* and S* words are ‘fuse’ and 'serge'
• ...you have yards of silk organza in your fabric stash
• ...you know at least four different ways to handle darts
• ...your seam allowances are often humongous
• ...you know what beeswax is used for 
• ...sewing hand-picked zipper or hand-bound buttonholes is a breeze for you
  
• ...you often spend more time pressing than sewing
• ...every time you sew with loosely woven fabric you feel the urge to quilt the lining
• ...constructing a Chanel-inspired couture jacket is/was on your to-do list…and you can name at least five characteristic features of a couture Chanel jacket
• ...you have spent more money on sewing courses than on ready-to-wear garments
• ...your family is versed in most couture and tailoring techniques you use and can explain them to a stranger
• ...you wonder why this list is so short and are able to add at least twice as many items to it

So, are you couture aficionados, readers? If yes, feel free to continue the list!

BurdaStyle April 2012 picks

Readers, do you like BurdaStyle magazine? I am a loyal fan, I have to admit. Have been for the last twenty-five years... I remember holding the first issue published in the former Soviet Union and drooling over styles and styling, home advice columns and exotic cuisine recipes with ingredients noone ever heard of. I kept every issue, until I had to move, again and again and again, traveling from one job to another... And, even when I wasn't sewing I was buying the magazine every now and then, in whatever language it was available, keeping some of my favorite back issues. I got Italian edition in Kosovo, Serbian in Belgrade, Russian in Macedonia, French in Paris, German in Austria... Last year, it has been the first time since long that I was able to subscribe (and sew) again, and so now my collection is growing again.

I like Burda a lot for it offers several features in every issue, and each of this features has a set of coordinated looks that would allow anyone to create a mini wardrobe. April issue was no exception, with my favorite La Siciliana trend. It seems no coincidence that I was just recently admiring Fall 2012 collection by Dolce and Gabbana... So, off we go, here are my favorites from the recent issue:

Cachecoer 126 A

I adore this blouse - well, it is very sheer, but with a nice corselet underneath it will look less provocative. It is a potential candidate for my Camp Couture, or I may even do it before I go and focus on the corselet instead. It is a very simple style that shouldn't take long, the only thing is that, depending on lace, I may need to stabilize/ reinforce it, but more construction thoughts in a later post.

Skirt 118B

This skirt is a tiny bit too tight here, readers. What I love most are the structural seams and the high waist. It is a winner skirt and will look flattering on curvy women. Recommended fabric is cotton satin, but I am considering using peau de soie, or medium-weight silk twill, both perfectly suitable for fitted styles.

Blouse 117

Another favorite - it is so easy, and I love that back flounce. The belt pattern is also included, and I am planning to make one as well.

Alberta Ferretti exclusive designer pattern

A beautiful and sophisticated dress, it is really timeless even though it comes from Alberta Ferretti's 2009 Pre-Fall collection. They even used the original image of the dress. The brooch is important, so I make be hunting a suitable piece these days if I'll decide to make this dress. It looks like a perfect theater or cocktail look, easy enough to feel comfortable and yet quite chic.


Have you picked your favorite Burda styles yet?

New BurdaStyle post: Beeswax, the Unsung Notion

Readers, yes, this time I was inspired by... beeswax. If you are asking yourself whether this notion deserves so much attention, check out the post for some tips and useful information! And if you have more to add, please feel free!

Click the badge to read the post on BurdaStyle:



What about you, where do you use beeswax in sewing?

the Burdastyle Sewing Handbook released!

Dear Readers,

As a part of a larger BurdaStyle guest blogger team, I wanted to share with you this news from the BS editors: 

Today is the day. The BurdaStyle Sewing Handbook hits retailers in the United States and we can hardly contain our excitement (international members: you can order your copy from a U.S. retailer and have the book shipped internationally)! If you haven’t had a chance yet, make sure to check out our dedicated page to get an exclusive preview of the book including pictures, pattern previews, technical drawings and more, then snag your copy at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Indie Bound or wherever books are sold!

And international members – mark your calendars because The BurdaStyle Sewing Handbook will be released to international retailers in January 2012, while the eBook version will be available for download through iTunes, Amazon and other online outlets on December 12th, 2011. Make sure to stay tuned as we share more info, behind the scenes peeks and great projects straight from our very first book!

I haven't seen the book myself but have already heard some nice reviews. So, check out Burdastyle links above to find out more!

Books for Couture Enthusiasts and updates

Readers, forgive me for patchy posting these two weeks! These are my last days in my current job, and I got loads of work to do before I finally leave. I have been sewing nevertheless, and, once things calm down this weekend, I will upload all the images and posts and tutorials that I am so keen on sharing with you! These will include a sneak peek into the inside of my LBD, which I just recently finished and which I started as a part of my class with Susan Khalje in June. I've learned some great new couture techniques and want to share them with you.

Meanwhile, if you are interested in some couture-related books from my library, read my new post on Burdastyle



Thanks,
Marina

Muslingate

I am amazed and amused at how a simple post on making a toile turned into a Muslingate.

I am talking about my Burdastyle guest blog post. The post triggered lots of positive comments and great questions. Of course, some readers also explained how they never make a toile, or, even, how toiles are a waste of time. That’s ok, right? I believe in personal choice, and we all want to have an opportunity to express our opinions.

But there were also some pretty fiery comments, like the one Gertie decided to comment at on her blog. I read her post on Google reader, before, couple of hours later, she removed it from her blog.

“Enough people were irritated by my directly quoting a Burdastyle comment that I figured I should take my earlier post down lest I offend anyone else,” she said

Ok, here is the culprit:

“Unfortunately it seems to me that this one-upmanship in the couture standards (as if every single summer dress needed to be a work of art) has been muddled with working methods of past custom dressmakers, so that innocent beginners now thing it’s normal to muslin every t-shirt. As a result they have encouraged pattern companies to be even more slack in sticking to their defined sizes. So one now often needs to do a muslin when sewing up the big 4, which seem to be morphing from merely strange sizing to really all over the place. Sigh.”

I did comment on this on Burdastyle, readers. Nothing scandalous - be disappointed :-) but, seriously, do you think pattern companies are lurking in the blogosphere looking for a pretext for neglecting their jobs?.. or, is there really a need to protect ‘innocent beginners’ from negative side effects of muslin-making?..

Now, about directly quoting the comment here. I posted it, readers, because I have something to say about it. I know it may seem ‘frightening’ to some that a comment can be reposted and responded to, but that’s the essence of social media we all are part of– we act and react. There is nothing bad about it. We do want to be nice to each other, but we also want to be able to express our opinions, like that person who posted the initial comment on Burdastyle.

Now, do comment, criticize, argue, but ‘keep it civil’ as Gertie said. I believe constructive debates are very useful!


I am adding this edit after I read Gertie's comment that she intends to repost her post with some changes. I am looking forward to it!

New post on BurdaStyle and the winner of the Crescent Skirt Pattern

Readers, check out my next post on BurdaStyle blog! This week we toile, yay! Click the Burdastyle banner below to read the blog post



Now, the winner of Tasia's Crescent Skirt is...

...Creative Mama of Adithis Mama Sews. She said:

"I self draft my patterns, but would love to see how a commercial pattern is. Here, in India, we don't get commercial patterns for sale. I have downloaded a few of Burda's free patterns, but never have seen a commercial pattern with a cover, I would love to see how it works."

Congratulations, Creative Mama, and enjoy the pattern. I can only recommend Tasia's patterns, and check out her Sew-Along for the Crescent Skirt. Now, all you need to do is to send me a mail with your address at mvk(dot)fashion(at)gmail(dot)com.

Readers, I wanted to thank you for your suggestions for my Burdastyle posts. I will try to cover all of the topics you suggested, and as a small teaser, I am planning a post on boning and structure of a couture garment, will update you later on this one! Stay tuned!

70 Hours to the Dream: my new Burdastyle blog post!

Dear readers, if you are still not tired of the Classic French Jacket Class, please read this Guest Post on Burdastyle.com!



I am blogging on Burdastyle every two weeks, sharing my experiences (and failures) in learning couture sewing. If you have any suggestions for next topics, I would love to hear them! I will be happy to research, try and write about anything couture - the more challenging, the better! :-)

Burdastyle Day party!

Burdastyle has somehow become the focus of this week for me. First, my guest post has appeared on their website, and then, on Thursday, I went to the Burdastyle Day party at Purl Soho here in New York. It was small and sweet, and I had a chance to meet the Burdastyle team and some of my favourite bloggers and Burdastyle members! How cool is that?

Most of the images I took turned out blurry (blame the iPhone), sorry, but here are my favourites:

I finally met Marcy of Oonaballoona! She is one of my favourite bloggers!

...and my celebrity moment :-) 

Visit Burdastyle photostream for better shots of this fun event! And, thank you Burdastyle, for organizing this meetup!

Have you attended a Burdastyle party in your area? Do you occasionally meet other sewing and fashion bloggers?

For the Love of Couture: read my blog on Burdastyle!

Yes, I am a new guest writer for Burdastyle.com!

Someone read this blog and thought I have something to say. And, yes, I do! I love sewing, I love couture, and now I can talk about it in front of the one of the largest sewing communities on this planet!

The first post has been uploaded this Wednesday - it's a couture quiz and I hope you will enjoy it. Check out the follow-up posts starting from the end of May. And if you want to comment, or suggest new posts - please do. I love getting your feedback!

Finally, I wanted to say thank you, dear readers! Thanks to you I take advantage of every minute of my really busy life to sew, to learn new techniques and to blog about it! It is very motivating to be a part of such a supportive and passionate community!