Saturday, December 12, 2015

Burdastyle Magazine 01/2016

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Hey, guys!
I haven't written a Burdastyle review in SUCH a long time, and I've been thinking about it lately, so here I am!
It's also the first issue of 2016, so if I were looking for signs, that would be perfect. :)

As I said, it's been a very long time, and I haven't really followed the magazine in the meantime, to be honest.
Collecting material for this review, I didn't really expect for Burda to have changed much in the last year or so, and I wasn't wrong.

My personal taste also hasn't changed that much, although, as a pattern making student, my perception and knowledge regarding design has. I'm still no expert, but I can now see and understand things I just didn't.

So, let's begin, shall we?

Ok, let me start on a positive note, with a cute little dress.
I really like the pleated neckline and the overall silhouette, although I'm not a huge fan of the curved panel on the skirt. I can't figure out if it's functional for the drape, or if it's decorative, or what.

And this one... I'm not a huge fan of the sleeves (the position of the cuffs in particular), but I like the gathered shoulder yoke and I'll never not like a pussy bow. :)

I've always identified as a huge outerwear lover, and this coat is no exception.
I like the unusual collar and the pleat in the shoulder yoke, although I'd love to see the photos better (I guess you can see much better on the printed magazine). 


Eh.
I kinda like the short version of this jacket (although it looks a bit boxy) and I think the longer one might have been cute, but cutting off the collar like that is just weird.


I wanted to include more pics from this photoshoot because there are two ADORABLE dogs, but these were are the only noteworthy patterns for me.
The jacket is extremely simple (but that also means versatile) and I really like the pants, although I'm not too sure about the waist treatment (bulky?).


At a first glance, this skirt reminded me of the Gabriola skirt by Sewaholic, but they're not very similar at all.
I hate the contrasting fabric they used here, other than that, like all long skirts, I like it a lot in photo and on other people, but I just can't seem to wear one. 



Meh.
It's not a bad dress for beginners, but they totally lost me with the cowl in the back + a panel underneath.
I don't like it, and with the wrong fabric, that's a lot of bulk on your back (= unconfortable).


I really like this outfit. As far as I can like PJs or loungewear, which I'm not that passionate about.
But hey, these two have a few interesting elements and... style?, to make them kinda cute.

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAAHAH

Now, a vintage pattern.
Not a fan of this one.
It looks so heavy for a dress... That center front placket just bugs me and so does that very high neckline.

As it's often the case, most of the plus-size section for this month is really classy and cute.
I LURVE this coat and I would make it immediately!
I don't know why, but I'm extremely drawn by peak lapels... It's a mistery.

The fabric choice is not the most fortunate (look at that hem!), but it's a cute, super simple pattern for beginners, with a couple design details (the neckline yoke and the sleeve slit) that make it a little different.

Mmh. This is where, again, I'm lost.
It looks pretty terrible on the model, that underbust panel thing-y is doing her no favors, nor does the diamond panel... I also wonder if the sleeves/wings are sewn to each other up to some point, otherwise she'll show her bra to everyone every time she moves her arms.

And of course, the beginning of the year, in Europe, means children costumes (Fasching/Carnival being in February), which are not bad at all this time.
Not incredibly trendy, though, so they might not be for the fussier little ones.


So, more than a year went by since I last looked at Burda, and pretty much nothing has changed (as I mentioned earlier).

It's still a magazine that, in exchange for a very affordable price, offers a large number of patterns, a few of those being cute or even beautiful, and a lot of them being either ugly, boring or not in your size range.
Might I remind that the patterns presented in a ridiculously complicated sheet, with no seam allowance included, scarce instructions and rare to nonexistent illustrations.
I don't think I need to add I still prefer indie designers by a lot, and it makes me a bit sad that Burda still doesn't show signs to want to change or (at least in Italy) open up to the sewing community (which is something I sadly experienced at a recent craft fair, where the Burdastyle Italia team was extremely dismissive and cold to indie designers, to the point of being rude).

For these reasons, I don't even know if it makes sense to keep writing these reviews, although I sincerely enjoy writing them just to have some fun and be a bitch, just as I would be chatting with friends.

What do you guys think?
Have you ever bought the magazine, or do you keep buying it?

[All images in this post come from here]

Thursday, October 29, 2015

My Book - Il Mio Libro



Soooo... Uhm, yeah.
I wrote a book!

One of the reasons why I've been more distant than the usual from the Internet in this last year, is because I was offered this incredible opportunity by Italian publishing house Gribaudo, and I just couldn't pass it up!

And so, after many months of hard work, "Il Manuale del Cucito" ("The Sewing Handbook") was born. It's a cute little book for beginners, it is project-oriented, including a short section dedicate to techniques and FAQ about sewing, and then 20 projects to learn how to sew while you're making them. The projects range from accessories, to clothes and home decor objects (there's also an accessory for dogs, because -duh!- I had to include dogs in it).

The idea was to offer something for everyone, without making it so difficult that it would discourage a beginner, but at the same time challenging enough so that it wasn't banal and you would learn some new techniques.
Also, there's no taking ourself too seriously in this book. Everything is as colorful as possible, and there are little animals, polka dots and smily faces scattered everywhere, which is, of course, perfectly my style.
I tried to keep the instructions as clear as possible (also thanks to Daniela Capparotto, my editor, and her very insightful input) and there are step-by-step photos to guide you through every technique.

Speaking of photos, a huge thanks goes to my photographer Mauro Aluffi, who challenged himself with something he never did before (he's a very talented pre-natal, baby and child photographer), and was a great help throughout the whole process.

Together with his photography, the book is punctuated with Ilaria Faccioli's super cute illustrations, which just added the perfect touch to the whole thing.

Also, a huge thanks goes to that magical creature who's Gaia Segattini, whose help was fundamental since before the beginning of this enterprise. By the way, her crochet book, "Il Manuale dell'Uncinetto" ("The Crochet Handbook") is released on the same date, for the same handmade book series, and it's seriously amazing (I want to make every single project included in it).

And finally, I have to mention my beloved fabric store Supercut and its fantastic owner Marine, who was the sponsor for the fabric in the book, and contributed to make it more beautiful. Thank you!

I'm sorry I've been so secretive about it until now, but it was a difficult and stressful process, and I really wanted to be ready both logistically and psychologically before announcing it officially here on my little blog (although am I ready for this? Am I?!). All in all, it was a challenging, but incredibly satisfying experience :)

The book is launching on November 5th, and, for the moment, it's to be released only in Italian (but who knows?!). 

Thursday, October 22, 2015

Sweet Ambassadrice - Knit dress with circle skirt and collar

[For the Italian version of this post, press the Italian flag on the right -
Per leggere questo post in italiano, premi la bandierina italiana sulla destra]



A few weeks ago, I had just left school and was distractedly scrolling through my Instagram feed on the subway, when I saw that Portugal-based French fabric and notion store, The Sweet Mercerie, was having the second edition of a mini contest called "Sweet Ambassadrice".

Basically, they presented this graphic print fabric and invited people to send their ideas on what to make with it. They would provide fabric to the three people whose idea they'd like the most.



I thought it was such a fun and stimulating idea! So, as soon as I got home, I sent a VERY raw sketch of a dress with a plain bodice, a circle skirt, and a peter pan collar (of course). I liked the contrast of the graphic print with a very feminine shape, and the heaviness of the fabric (230 gr/m²) combined with such a full skirt.

Well, as you might have guessed by now, I was chosen!

I ended up having to rush the construction of this dress, because the fabric took a while to arrive all the way from Portugal, and then I was away for a week at Abilmente (such a fun experience).

In the end, what I did was:
- using my bodice sloper, removing the darts, lowering the neckline and the armhole curve. No ease was added.
- drafting narrow 3/4 length sleeves, a circle skirt and a collar. I ended up with a Chelsea collar, as I thought a round shape would clash too much with the lines of the fabric.

That might seem like a lot work, but if you have some practice in drafting patterns, you'll know that wasn't difficult at all.
I serged everything together, making minor fit adjustments as I went along, then sewed the collar and finished the neckline with bias tape. I hemmed the sleeves and the skirt with a narrow zigzag stitch.

It was a really, really quick project, and it's not a perfect one by far. I'll probably go back and adjust the waist a little more, as well as getting some help with evening out the skirt's hem (it's a bit wonky).

I must admit I wasn't 100% in love with this dress, but the more I look at these photos, the more I like it. It feels like wearing a very feminine, fitted blanket, so it'll definitely be great for colder months.

If you like this fabric and purchase it for yourself, though, don't forget that it's very heavy. If you want to avoid the "blanket" effect (which I actually wanted), you can always switch the circle skirt with a pencil skirt, or just make a super cool sweater with it (for example using the Ondée pattern by Deer & Doe)!

Thursday, October 8, 2015

Sewing Meetup @ Abilmente Craft Fair, Vicenza - 17/10/2015


Ah! How perfectly me to write a post about going back to blog regularly, and then disappear for three months!
Sorry if I created any expectations, guys. My intentions were good, but my time management and motivation are still in the dump.

Anyway, I have a great announcement today! I already posted this on Instagram and on my Facebook page, but it's high time I mention it here.
We're having a second meetup next week, at Abilmente Craft Fair in Vicenza!

The event includes a brunch and a pattern swap (everyone brings a pattern, wrapped in gift paper and we randomly exchange them).
Notable participants will be pattern designers of the brand Named, Liesl Gibson of Oliver & S, Liesl + Co and Lisette, fellow Italian designer Nicoletta of Di Nuvole Di Cuori and bloggers Silvia of Sewing Princess and Sasha of Fruits, Flowers & Clouds.

If you want to join the fun, you can register online here. For more info, check out our Facebook page or send us an email.

See you there? :)


Wednesday, July 8, 2015

I'm back! With a red skirt...

Pattern: self drafted (not much drafting involved, though...)
Fabric: vintage sarong-type cotton gifted to me years ago

Hullooooooo! Guess who's still alive?
Joking aside, I'm finally back with a post on my beloved, yet neglected blog, and I hope to be able to get back to posting at a more regular pace. Maybe not twice a week, but not disappearing for months on end either...

So, where have I been all this time?
Nowhere, really, it's just that real life has been extremely busy since... well, since last year. I just didn't have enough time, energy and motivation to spend on the blog.

The thing is, I started a professional pattern drafting class in February last year; I have to commute to attend, and I've been working two jobs to be able to afford it, AND my boyfriend and I have started remodeling his late grandma's house to eventually move in it together, so I've been pretty burn out in real life to entertain my virtual one.


I'll tell you more about my classes in future posts (especially because I definitely want to document my school work), but for the moment, I just want to say IT'S AMAZING.
At 27 (now 28), it wasn't easy to decide to go back to being a student, meaning not being able to work full time and a whole other series of sacrifices, but I feel like a new person. I'm finally doing something I truly love and makes me feel fulfilled, and I feel like I'm on the right track. 

Clogs: Lotta from Stockholm
Anyways, why back now?
Things have not really changed that much, although I quit one of my two jobs and I'm about to start my summer break from class, so I will have a little extra free time for the moment. And I missed the blog and you guys too much to go on keeping to myself :D

Enter: the two-hour-skirt. Last Sunday I had the urge to make something quick and rewarding, so I grabbed one of the vintage fabrics my father-in-law gifted me (you can also see them in action here and here) and decided to make a skirt.

When making a pleated skirt, you can either:
- use you skirt sloper, slash it and add the pleats;
- or you want to use some math (waist measurement/2 + seam allowance + [measurement of single pleat] * number of pleats).

Honestly, I didn't do either. I cut two panels in the width of the fabric (in my case, 110cm), long as much as I wanted the skirt to be (56cm+1cm for waist seam allowance; I didn't need hem allowance because of the border print).
I then proceeded to pleat the fabric starting from the center; I made box pleats with a depth of 6cm + 6cm each. After pleating the whole panel, I measured it, and cut away the excess from the side.
It can be a wasteful method (although I had to cut less than 5cm from each side because my fabric was so narrow to start with), but it's definitely a fast one. 
I sewed the side seams, added a zipper on the left side, added a straight waistband and a button... and voila, done!
I didn't even need to hem it!

I love the deep red of this fabric, and its luscious print; I'm really happy with the final result! As a personal preference, I tend to gravitate toward complicated designs with many details, but I'm learning that keeping it simple can often be the best things :)


One last thing... Do you like my watch? Because I'm pretty much in love with it.
It's by Jord and yes, it's made of wood (maple, actually). I don't think I've ever received so many compliments for an accessory! My mum has even already picked one as a gift for her next birthday.
The company sent it to me, and I usually refuse any "free-merchandise-in-exchange-for-a-feature" kind of deals, but this just proves how much I liked their products, and I'm honestly glad I accepted. Furthermore, the guys at Jord offered one watch to giveaway to my readers, so if you do like it, stay tuned, because a giveaway is coming soon :)