08 December 2010

Pipe Up and Button Down

I love naps.  You, too?  Oh, you're talking about the sleeping kind.  No, I mean, yes, I like those, too, though they are rare these days.  I'm talking about the fabric kind of nap.  Have you ever noticed when you run your hand up or down a piece of fabric it feels different each way?   Nap.  Corduroy frequently has a nap.  And did you know another thing?  When you cut out your pieces on a fabric with a nap you want it to feel smooth when you run your hand UP an article of clothing?  That way, if the nap is going toward your face, the fabric looks darker and more saturated.  I love naps.
B/W Christmas Dress Two: In high school I always heard about how you should never use Burda patterns because the seam allowance was not included [!].  That stigma stuck and I never touched a Burda.  Until now.  I was on the search for a jumper just like this one and couldn't find it anywhere until I began browsing burda's collection.  It was the one.  I wasn't sure where to make my purchase, however.


I went to Joann fabric store and asked one of the employees if they carried Burda patterns.  No, she said straight to my face, they did not.  I harumphed over to the pattern book table and laid my eyes upon a Burda book!  If they have the book, they surely have the patterns!  I went around the corner and voila!  I was so excited to get the pattern in my hands and rather annoyed with the employee.  I ran into her again and let her know that they do indeed carry Burda patterns.  Was that rude of me?
Pearl had on a grumpy face for the photo shoot, so I told the ever wandering Clover to make her laugh.  I turned around to see how she did it:

I love this pattern, although the translation in the directions are a bit off and rather convoluted. I began to just study the pictures and made some changes in the construction.  Do not start with this Burda pattern if you are just beginning, or if you're the type who likes 3-4 pattern pieces at the most.  This one had 13 for a total of about 30 pieces you cut out.  And, incidentally, Burda now includes seam allowances in their patterns.  Goes to show, just wait 15 years and things change for the better!
What I loved about this pattern was the many lines.  I knew they would get lost in just a plain black, so I added the contrasting piping.  I think it made construction more than twice as long, but I'm pleased that it actually all lines up.  I used regular store-bought piping, although I think a great big chunky piping would have looked really great, too.
The shoe buttons are from New York's M&J Trim, but you can get them online here.

I got the vintage, glass white buttons in Boston at a little beading store for a steal of 15 cents each!  The girl at the register said, are you sure these are 15 cents?  She went over to check because she didn't believe me.  I should have bought all of them.
I was uncertain about the little accessory I made until it was atop my carrot top.
Pearl wanted to keep on her ensemble until Ryan came home from work to show him.  We all want to please daddy, right?
Two down.

19 comments:

  1. i'm enjoying seeing your B&W Christmas dresses & what great modeling !! bravo to you both !

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  2. What a beautifull dress! And a beautifull model!

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  3. I've always avoided Burda for that exact same reason ... the advice given in high school! And I had no idea you want the nap to run up ... thanks for the tip.

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  4. I didn't know the nap should run upwards. Thanks for the tip. I love the piping too. It looks like the hair piece was made using piping also. Brilliant.

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  5. Awesome, and I didn't know that about nap, which is really important since I'm going to be putting together a vest for my son hopefully soon.

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  6. Beautiful work, as always! Love the hair piece as well!

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  7. Love the corduroy and white piping.

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  8. Very cute! I had the same kind of thing happen to me the other day at the fabric store. I asked if they had a certain color of suede, and she said, "Oh if it's not there, we have ordered it. It'll be here in 1-2 weeks." I went back a couple weeks later and it wasn't there. After asking another gal, I learned that they have never carried it in the color I wanted. I was rather annoyed as well, but was able to find the stuff at another store! I'm glad joann's had your pattern!

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  9. Gorgeous. I'm sure Pearl feels like a million bucks.

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  10. Sew...sew....SO very original and cute.

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  11. So adorable, I love the buttons and piping!

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  12. I love all your corduroy creations!

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  13. Katy, you've outdone yourself! We need to do the Christmas photo all dressed in Black and White (and maybe red for the traditionals in family)

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  14. Magnifique.. again! I love the contrasting piping. What a great idea!

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  15. It's so beautifull !!! Bravo :)

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  16. I love it! Especially the little hat thingy!

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  17. wonderful--hey, did you get the hat toppings at Tinsel? If so, I am sad I didn't see those.

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  18. A fact you might find interesting: you are supposed to put the nap so that it goes towards the face UNLESS you are making: ballroom dancing, figure skating (ice or roller), or dance costumes/dresses. You want the nap going down and away from the face for these, otherwise when the person is dancing/skating and the skirt comes up, the skirt will stick to the body because of the nap. Therefore, so the skirt goes back down, the nap must go down!

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