miércoles, 22 de septiembre de 2010

revista patrones (con mangas)

Ya tengo el número de invierno de la revista patrones con el bonito eslogan: "moda ideal para el frío"... Que frío? Lo compré con muchas ganas y con más ganas lo cerré porque tanto abrigo me estaba dando sarpullio (ala, traduce eso google translator)

I got hold of the latest issue of Patrones, packed with lovely coats and winter jackets for the cold weather... what cold weather? I hear me asking
.
Casi todos son chaquetas para el frío y abrigos. Hay algunos pantalones y varias blusas. No he visto nada que me apetezca hacer especialmente, pero si alguna vez bajan las temperaturas por aquí me gustaría llevar la chaqueta de la portada (aunque es de Mango así que igual espero a las rebajas y me ahorro el sudor de hacer los bolsillos cartera).

Not all of them are coats. There are some wearable trousers and basic shirts. I particularly liked the green jacket that made the cover
, but when I read it's by Mango I decided I might just as well wait for the sales and spare me the grief of sewing the funny pockets.

Este abrigo en lana sería un modelo a tener en cuenta para meterme alguna vez en el engorro de un abrigo. Pero es que coser un abrigo son palabras mayores. Mirando el plano de corte de este modelo, hay 13 piezas a cortar en lana y 5 en forro. Si me meto en esto no sólo no lo termino en invierno si no que no coso nada mas en seis meses! Por ahora va a tener que esperar... Pero no todo son abrigos, hay un vestido:

Among the coats included this one is nice- if I ever embark myself on sewing a coat (you know, with sleeves, lining, pockets...) The cut out plan shows 18 pieces to cut. Unfortunately I dont have time this year to do this so it'll have to wait. But this dress looks like a winner:


Me gusta el corte y la tela cortada al bies. Creo que es muy favorecedor así que es el ganador de este número de la revista. Y con esto inauguramos la temporada de mangas. Hasta ahora las he evitado glamurosamente, eligiendo modelos tipo kimono o con manga abullonada pero ya va siendo hora de que me enfrente a un buen par de mangas con hombreras.

It's a flattering pattern cut on the bias. I might give it a go and open the fall season with it. My next challenge will be doing the sleeves. I've cleverly avoided them so far by picking kimono style patterns or gathered sleeves but this season I'll take the challenge so here I go...

jueves, 16 de septiembre de 2010

Read the instructions



Remember this?. I was stuck with this skirt so I had to go to Mum. Have I ever said she´s a very experienced and talented seamstress? Have I ever said she´s done like a million miles of stitching lines, sewn all types of fabrics, done dresses, costumes, quilts, embroidery, you name it?
Well it just occurred to me that she might be able to help me here. So this is how it went:

Me: I´m stuck with this silly skirt. Can´t find out what´s wrong. The front is shorter than the back!!

Mum: But it´s a simple skirt, just put the pleated piece over the front piece with no pleats and...

Me: WHAT!!?

Mum: But look at the cut out diagram, you have to cut piece #3 twice, one for the back and one for the front because it goes under the pleated front piece, so that when you walk you won´t flash your insides

Me: Well, that´ll teach me to look at drawings and think.

I´m happy but I feel silly so when the silliness feeling disappears I´ll dig the skirt out of the POUP and give it another try.

martes, 14 de septiembre de 2010

Mis super ikea shorts

Aquí os presento a mis estupendos pantalones cortos con cremallera y todo. La foto está mal hecha a propósito, para que no se vean bien algunos detallitos bastantes mejorables (probé el gran truco de Sara Montiel de poner la media en la cámara pero sale una porquería).
Mi idea era hacerme unos shorts para estar en casa y eso es precisamente lo que me ha salido. Podría haber escogido un modelo simple con elástico a la cintura pero quiero ir aprendiendo nuevas técnicas. Con este modelo he practicado pinzas, cremalleras con solapa, bolsillos y ojales, y para complicarlo un poco más, elegí esta tela de cuadros para practicar el corte de piezas simétricas y que luego casen los cuadros en las costuras. Esto es lo que he hecho y aprendido:
  • No modifiqué el patrón para ajustarlo a mi talla antes de cortar en la tela. Me di cuenta de el tiro era muy largo cuando estaba uniendo el canesú al pantalón, así que tuve que quitarle algunos cms de altura al canesú para que la cintura no me quedara a la altura del sobaquillo.
  • Las instrucciones de la revista son claras pero cuando llega a la cremallera parece que se saltan algún paso o que el dibujo está mal. Culpa de Burda, no mía, claro. Aun así salí victoriosa.
  • Para cortar las perneras de forma que los cuadros coincidan en las costuras usé este método: corté una de las piezas primero, y en lugar de cortar la simétrica usando el patrón de papel, usé la pieza de tela haciendo coincidir los cuadros el los márgenes. Me quedó muy bien pero no tuve cuidado al coserlo por eso las costuras nos están perfectas.
  • Tenía que haber usado entretela para el canesú porque se chuchurre un poco.
Time to show you my shorts with a zip . Firstly, let me not apologize for the quality of the picture because it's deliberately blurred so that you can't spot my bad topstitching etc. I embarked on this project with a stay-at-home pair of shorts in mind and that's exactly what I got. I could have picked a simple pair of shorts with a elasticated waist but I wanted to practice a few things. This model from burda has pockets, yoke, zip, buttonholes and darts, so it looked promising. To complicate it a bit more I chose a patterned fabric to try cutting and matching the fabric at the seams, so this is what I did and learned:
  • I didn't adjust the size when cutting. It was halfway through the yoke construction that I realized I had to take a few inches off the yoke length (if I wanted the buttons to fall near my true waist and not just under my armpits)
  • The instructions were explanatory enough but when it came to the zip fly there seemed to be missing steps. I fiddled with it and doesn't look right still, but I now know how to do it.
  • I cut out the mirrored pieces on the fabric using this method: I first cut one leg, then, rather than using the paper piece as a template, I used the fabric piece and laid it over my fabric, making sure it matched the lines. I got to perfectly matched and mirrored sides! I then messed it up when I assembled the pieces but again, I now know I can do it right.
  • I didnt't use interfacing for the yoke, and I should have because it doesn't hold its shape.
Aquí abajo os muestro detalles de la costura trasera:
Below is a close up of back, where you can see the almost matching lines at the seam:

Y en cuanto a la talla 42 y a si me queda bien o no... bueno, quizás debería haber ajustado el patrón un poquitín...
And as for the fitting issues, size 42 is not my size but well, they're my stay-at-home shorts after all...

jueves, 9 de septiembre de 2010

something is not quite right here

Skirt #2 is on its way. I chose this pink model from one of my latest burda, with a dotted dark navy fabric in mind. The yoke suits me and the pleats will give the skirt a bit of fun. I'll wear it with white shirts for work or T-shirts for casual days. I was eager to start and traced the pattern, cut out all pieces and labeled each one in less than an hour.
And it was then that something struck me as odd.


The instructions call for pieces 3 and 4 (front and back) to be cut twice and on the fold (??) Well, after re-reading the directions (I admit I should have done it before) it looks like the fabric is actually folded along the hemline, so that you have double thickness and no hem... It didn't sound good to me. Too much hassle and fabric. So I went down the easy route. I cut 2 pieces of each yoke, but only one of the back and the front, with hem allowance, and I would assemble it in a more traditional manner.

All my pieces cut (that is, two days later) and ready to be mounted.
Second thing that struck me as odd.

When I basted the pleats on the front piece, the width was shorter that the back piece. In other words, it didn't cover the distance between side seams, by at least 7cms. At this point I re-read directions again but couldnt find a logical explanation. Checked the pattern in case I had traced the wrong size but it was OK... time to put it to rest. I took it out of sight because there was a strong possibility of sending this project to my pile of unfinished projects (the dreaded POUP), and I liked the fabric too much to waste it that way. I had these options:
1. cut the piece again- I haven't got enough fabric AND I'm stingy and don't want to buy more.
2. Arrange the pleats so that the final length is right. Tried it and it looks ridiculous
3. Sew a piece of fabric as an extension and hide it within the pleats... dodgy

I'm angry because it was supposed to be a straight forward project and it's NOT. I still have to adjust the yoke so that it fits my stupid low hips and latino curves, and then the zip.

For the time being it's on the stand by pile, waiting for my mood to decide if I go for it or relegate it to the POUP for ever...

I'll keep you posted.