Making (very) slow progress on the Burda trenchcoat

Just so you know I'm not dead yet...

Burda Feb. 08 #117 - in desperate and floppy progress

I haven't read blogs in ages, and you must think me a horribly unfaithful blogging friend. It's just been bad news piled onto one another lately. And work, work, work.

Just so you understand why I've been so insanely busy... I am hoping to get my PhD thesis completed by the beginning of summer. A thesis in literature here is 400-500 pages long. I am on to my seventh (out of nine) chapters. I am thoroughly enjoying it, but this does not leave me much time for sewing! Or friends...

I hope this finds you all happy. Can't even start to imagine all the beauties you've been creating!
Friends, I miss you. I hope you'll still want to talk to me when summer comes!

Vogue 2980 - AKA Funky Moka

Not feeling chatty today, so the pictures shall do the talking. They were taken the other night along with the Burda top.

The fabric is a Pucci print.
Hair up to show the bolero collar:

The dress won't play - so here's a top

OK. The red dress refuses to cooperate today. I suspect that the fabric's sheen, combined with the late hour, is getting my camera all puzzled and lost (and that my camera is getting old... sigh).
My two tops, however, took more kindly to the camera. They are both cut from interesting prints, both of a nifty design, and were both easy to make.

For today, here is my favourite - Summerset's top.

(Jenna, recognize those earrings? I still love wearing them :))

The pattern is from the January issue of Burda magazine (#116). Back in January, Summerset kindly offered to trace it for me when I admired her own version; she also sent me a satiny jersey that was just perfect for this top (along with lots of other thoughtful gifts, too!).

I cannot say much else about the pattern than has already been said... It's a clever design and comes together easily.
Since I started this at a time when I was in a frenzy, I finished the edges with a rolled hem on my serger to speed up the process (you could also do this on a sewing machine, with a satin stitch = a narrow zigzag stitch).
The body section's neckline is elasticized, so that it doesn't gape. Looking at the pictures, though, I realize that a bit of elastic along the ties around the neck may not be a bad idea either, as it has a tendency to curl outwards. Another proof that blogging definitely improves our sewing skills!

Summerset's fabric is deliciously smooth against the skin, and I adore wearing this top. For work, I layer a black tee underneath for modesty (and extra warmth!). On weekends and evenings, I wear it on its own. This top has become my new favourite in my wardrobe.

Aaaaargh!*

English version: click here ->
Version française: cliquez ici ->(et décochez l'autre case)

So, I was all set to take pictures of my latest projects tonight... Set up the tripod and camera, put on the Vogue dress... Took a dozen pictures... only to realize that the batteries in my camera needed recharging, and that it would only give me be blurry pictures today!

Only one picture came out right.
So, for your enjoyment, I offer you...
The back of my new dress!

At least, you get a glimpse of the personalization. Right?
But none of those time-consuming pleats at the front...
Sorry about that. I'll be back soon with real pics.

And I'll try to put away those books in the meantime. I didn't realize the books were in the camera's field, but I find this amusing. This is only the upper half of one of three piles that need to be put away. And replaced by others, of course. Yay! (I actually mean the yay).

Talk to you soon, friends! Thanks to each and everyone of you who left such kind and understanding notes. Thanks to those of you who recently arrived on this blog, too! You are very welcome here and I am pleased to get to "meet" you :)

(*the Castle of ...)

Bon, je vais faire court... Je voulais prendre des photos de mes nouvelles réalisations ce soir : j'ai installé le trépied, monté la caméra... et j'ai pris une douzaine de photos avant de me rendre compte que les piles de l'appareil photo étaient à plat... et que tant que je ne les rechargerais pas, je n'aurais que des photos floues !

Une seule photo n'était pas floue...
Voici donc pour vous...
Le dos de ma robe Vogue !

Bon, je reviens vite avec de vraies photos...
Bonne nuit! :)

Lotsa sewing!

English version: click here ->
Version française: cliquez ici ->(et décochez l'autre case)

Hi friends! :)
I hope you are all well. Please forgive me for the hundreds of unread feeds, and consequently of entries that I haven't read and commented upon. Being consistently present online is going to be truly difficult until mid-July. Please know that I am not forgetting any of you, and that I miss visiting you and seeing what you've all been up to!

However, I took a day and the whole weekend off work. Boy, I needed the break - and I sewed up a storm! Let me tell you friends, it felt SO good to get finally started on my transitional weather wardrobe.

Here's what I made:
1. I finally finished what I always think of as Summerset's top - namely, the wrap top from the Burda January issue, whose pattern Summerset traced for me and for which she sent the perfect fabric.

I wore it to a dinner party at my brother's yesterday, and got lots of compliments. :)

I also made, from start to finish:
2. Vogue 8411, in a gorgeous, sleek, supersoft moiré burgundy silken poly. I seriously altered and personalized this little number!

3. Vogue 2980, in a funky moka-black print

Seb *loves* them all!

Seb and I also walked for a good few hours on Saturday (one of our favourite hobbies); we stopped at the Marché Saint-Pierre on our way, to find the perfect fabric for my future trench (from the Burda February issue):

Choosing the fabric with Seb was special (he enjoyed the moment as much as I did!), and I know it will make the project even more precious; we settled upon a stunning wrinkled moiré taffetas, in a deep wine red shot with black. The cost was very reasonable, too. I absolutely cannot wait to get started on this feminine trench.

I'll take pictures with my tripod during the week to show you the finished garments, OK?

Hope you all had a nice weekend. I'll do my best to be back soon, and to visit each of you as soon as possible!

Take care, friends
xxx

Allez, je vous fais un petit article en français :)
J'espère que vous allez bien. Je m'excuse pour les centaines de nouveaux articles qui sont toujours non lus dans mon aggrégateur de fils RSS... et par conséquent pour tous vos blogs sur lesquels je n'ai pas commenté depuis si longtemps. Sans parler de ma boîte mail qui va bientôt exploser. Travail forcené (mais passionné) oblige, il va m'être très difficile d'être présente en ligne de façon régulière jusqu'à la mi-juillet. J'espère que vous le comprendrez ; c'est une période de ma vie très particulière.

Cependant, pour la première fois depuis des mois, j'ai décidé de ne pas travailler ce week-end. J'en ai profité pour coudre à plaisir, et cela m'a fait grand bien !

Voici le fruit du week-end :
1. J'ai enfin terminé mon haut Burda, pour lequel mon amie Summerset m'avait envoyé à la fois le patron décalqué et le tissu à Noël.

Je l'ai porté à une soirée chez mon frère samedi et il a bien plu :)

J'ai aussi fait entièrement:
2. Vogue 8411, dans un poly aspect soie (Bouchara) rouge sombre, très fluide et doux. J'ai largement modifié et personnalisé ce modèle.

3. Vogue 2980, dans un jersey imprimé moka-noir

J'ai également profité d'une promenade de quelques heures pour trouver du tissu pour le trench féminin du Burda de février :

J'avais complètement flashé sur ce modèle. En un quart d'heure à Saint Pierre, j'ai trouvé un taffetas froissé et moiré, lie de vin entretissé de noir, et à un prix raisonnable en plus. J'ai bien hâte de commencer ce modèle mais je n'ai pas la vlieseline qu'il faut (vlieseline volumineuse, jamais vu !) ni les gros boutons pressions.

Voilà... Je prendrai des photos de mes vêtements terminés dans la semaine, avec mon fidèle trépied.

J'espère que vous avez passé un bon week-end. :) A bientôt ! (j'espère...)