SewEllen

This is the first Burda pattern I’ve sewed.  It’s Burda 7761, a very cute jumper.  The pattern is also from an older BWOF issue, but I wasn’t a loyal subscriber yet.  From what I can tell, the sizing is the same as the magazine patterns.  I sewed a size 40 and made no alterations.  I didn’t read the directions in detail, but they seem to be more helpful than those in the magazine.  This was easy to sew up.  I interfaced the waist band with fusible tricot and finished the front and neck edge with bias tape:

All seams were serged.  The fabric is a thick wool jersey that Mom destashed to me.

Worn over Simplicity 2603 (llluuuuvvv that top!). 

On the knitting front, my Vivian cardi is coming along:

This is such a cool knitting pattern, the fronts and back are knitted together as one piece, up to the armholes.  I just started on the first sleeve.  Usually I work the 2 sleeves at the same time, but I can’t figure out a way to do that with this one, since the directions have you working the sleeves in the round (I hate doing one sleeve at a time).  Obviously, I’ve taken a break from sewing up my Contest clothes, so I guess I’d better get back to it.  I only have a shirt and pair of pants left to make!

…and

The wool jersey jumper is new, something I just completed, Burda 7761.  I’ll review it later, here’s a peak:

Great pattern!  Here’s hoping I can at least get Honorable Mention?

This one will hopefully be a wee bit easier than the wardrobe contest I’m trying to finish on Pattern Review.  I’ve decided to enter another wardrobe contest of sorts.  You can find the details over at Jordana Paige's Blog.  She makes an EXCELLENT point about wearing all of the beautiful clothes we all make or knit.  I can so relate to the fact that even though I have a bunch of beautiful handmade items in my closet (items that I LOVE), it’s more the case that I’m reaching for jeans and t-shirts to wear for the day.  Basically, the challenge is this:  put together 3 different looks using one of her designed sweaters (that you’ve knitted, of course).  I happen to have 2 JP designed sweaters, so I plan on entering twice.  The winner receives a fabulous JP knitting bag (I love these, and I already have 2 of them!)  Here are the JP designed sweaters:

Crossed front tank from Vogue Knitting spring/summer ‘05

Starsky Cardigan from Knitty 

Three different looks per sweater, huh? I’m putting on my thinking cap….I really wanna new bag!

Simplicity 2603 again, this time I just left the edges raw.  I did add elastic at the neck, though.  I love this cool variegated stretch lace from Gorgeous Fabrics.  I highly recommend the site, if you’ve never ordered from there.  This is one seriously easy project, I cut and finished in a few hours.  EASY! 

Here’s my topper item for the Wardrobe contest.

The fabric is some sort of jersey from www.fabric.com, of course.  This goes together very easily.  What I need to decide, is whether or not I’m happy with this hem.  This is a 3-thread stretch stitch done on my serger with wooly nylon in one looper.  I thought I had the differential feed adjusted properly, but I should have done some more adjusting.  I just finished the edge with no seam allowance turned under.  When worn down and open like this, the edges are wavy.  Does this bother me? Should it matter?  I don’t know.  When I wrap it around like so,

…The wavy hem disappears.  I serged the sleeve hem the same way.

I think if I had enough fabric, I would add a binding edge all the way around, but I used every BIT of fabric for this.  I made up a medium, which when you include the tank top, calls for 4 yards!  Another possibility would be to cut off the serged edge and just leave the edges raw.  I just need to decide what to do.

Here’s the tank top:

Very cute!

I had to add a center back seam, due to my fabric shortage, so I probably won’t wear this without something over it.

back view, again with the wavy hem (apparently, this is going to bother me since I keep mentioning it…)

This is my favorite way to wear this, both sides draped over the opposite shoulder.

This is a great pattern, and I plan on making it again in a stretch lace, that is if I have enough of it!