I’m on the front page of Burdastyle
And I’m pretty chuffed about it.
They approached me about it last October, which was a seriously busy time for me (exams and marking at the Uni) so I told them I’d have to take a rain check on it. Anyhoo, it’s here now and it’s made me realise I really need to lift my game with my outfit photos.
Carl just called and guffaw’d about the fact that there are three photos of me up there in RTW. Also that the book I’m scanning for the next Friday Freebie is now officially overdue (on his library card because I am no longer a member of the University Library).
Big thanks to Burdastyle. Full article here.
All remaining Patterns and Postcards Sewing Pattern Magazines on Ebay now
I haven’t been updating progress on the Patterns and Postcards swap (lack of time, too much to update, sewing to do etc). I’ve moved most of the remaining magazines to ebay now. The rest should go up soon (or this time next week). I also have a sh*tload of vintage magazines and patterns I need to move, as well as Japanese sewing books. Head on down and check ‘em out. Any questions about any of the items, contact me via ebay.
Thanks so much to everyone that participated-I now have a heap of stuff I need to get around to sewing up!
Friday Freebie: Fundamentals of Patternmaking II
Title:Fundamentals of Patternmaking for Women’s Apparel
Book II: Style Patterns
Author: Esther Kaplan Pivnick
Published: Revised 1958, copyright not renewed i.e. it’s in the public domain now.
Concerned with matters relating to copyright? Please read this thoroughly. Cheers.
It’s been a big week and since Esther is already your bestest friend ever no further introductions are necessary (but if you’re new to this blog check out Book I here) so, on to the meat.
Front bodice bust dart manipulation-the insect antennae version (11) is my favourite
Front bodice waist dart manipulation: yokes and insets. No 15 looks like a face-hugger is about to burst out..
Manipulating the skirt waist into yokes, pleats gathers and insets
Manipulating the skirt body and hem with seam pleats and godets
Back bodice and waist styling
Sleeve cap and body variations-trying to image what sort of insectile appendage 58 and 59 are sporting instead of hands
Sleeve cap and hem variations-71 is so Judge Dredd..
Combination sleeves (great for sci-fi and film noire costumes)
Combination sleeves with gussets, insets and two-pieces. Lovin’ both the versions for 94-great for robot armour
Two versions of 101 were worn by the victim’s wife in The Disappearance of Mr. Davenheim (on the TV version of Agatha Christie’s Poirot mysteries). I meant to take a screen shot but was distracted by the general awesomeness of Poirot et al (Hastings, you loveable imbecile).
112 and 117 are rockin’ my boat. I’d love to try out 114 just for fun though..
Ah the elegance of the raised neckline, 122 would be perfect on a severe suit jacket (worn by Claire Underwood) over a pencil skirt. By the way, 114 and 121 may look the same, but they’re not. 121 is raised a fair bit above the neck (and would look wonderful in heavy drapey silk)
Extra sleeve details and grading
And… bup bara bup bup bup, the pièce de résistance: detailed instructions on drafting the dress from the front cover (henceforth known as the shirt-dress of jaunty princess seams and collar poppage).
Previously on Friday Freebies.
Impromptu Meetups
In a little summer dress.
This post has been sitting around in draft mode for weeks- this week is O-week at Uni and I will be teaching practs every day of the week this semester (yay for not being an unemployed loser, boo for not having found a real job yet). I met up (in real life) with two sewing bloggers recently: Jenny (I decided it would be more fun to pass her the Simplicity Sewing Book she’d won than mailing it-luckily she agreed) and Emily (we talked about meeting up ages ago but never actually got around to doing it).
Tiny side-seam pockets of lazy drafting (I don’t use these because I wear the dress belted at the low waist. See below).
As usual, I don’t have any pictures of the actual meetups (despite carrying a camera with me on at least one occasion) so the reminiscing will be mostly textual: Emily and I spent Saturday morning t*tting around The Fabric Store (I bought fabric for other people sewing and lining from the remnant bin, because I line everything) and then headed to the Little Creatures Dining Hall for lunch. We then trammed across the city to the NGV International for the Ballet in Fashion exhibit (it’s free-go check it out!) which we somehow managed to miss half of (we missed the half with the Ralph Rucci and Victor and Rolf costumes goshdurnitt!) before crashing in their Tea Room (they do high teas avec petit-fours et al.) for some much needed refreshment. I wore my Japonism dress which, by the way I have gotten a lot of use out of, this summer.
Jenny and I met up the following Thursday (Happy VD! harhar. To everyone that celebrates it: yaay best day eva! How romantic etc. To everyone that doesn’t: Verily, Love should be demonstrated every day not just one day a year, yadayada) at the Royal Arcade on Bourke Street Mall and hung out at the Koko Black cafe there free entertainment provided by various dramatastic V-day couples surrounding us (and having unreal interactions with the cafe staff). Jenny is a pâtissière and brought (crustless, yay) marbled cheese cake. Much fun was had by all (Jenny’s version here).
I off-set the panel print at the back so the bouquet wasn’t erupting out of my nether regions..
I then met Carl for dinner at The Toff followed by the Sarah Blasko concert (with Orchestra Victoria) at the Melbourne Arts Centre (canned version of her Sydney Opera House concert from the week after, here).
Pattern: Patrones Plena Temporada Primavera, No 313, Dress 7.
Fabric: Viscose blend panel print (from 3 years ago, back when I still bought the occasional item at Spotlight) fully lined with cotton voile.
Modifications: Shortened 2 cm at waist, omitted the elastic at back, narrow hemmed outer fabric and lining together.
Comments: Beaded belt bought years ago in the Chatuchak night market Bangkok. Hat, Gregory Ladner Australia (from David Jones 5 years ago).
Patrones 313 is a pretty cool issue with a couple of things in it that I’d like to make at some point: the beige belted shirt dress, the short black shirt dress and probably one or more of the evening wear dresses too (marked with asterisks).
Click to enlarge
Reviewed here by curiouskiwi.
Disclaimer: All non-self-generated images remain property of their original owners and are used here for purposes of illustration, discussion and review.
Blast from the Past
Part deux. Graciously gifted by the magnificent velo.
Back in the day when suits were unstructured and hair was poker straight..
Burda used to feature cat-walk shots and designer styles and inspiration from (then) current runway shows in an issue called Burda International.
-100 for wilful mis-alignment of polka-dots down the centre front.
Pattern sets included at least one designer pattern (sometimes more) and sizes covered the gamut (from 34 up instead of 36 or 38 as is the norm today).
Burda international was a fashion magazine which just happened to include sewing patterns. And it was awesome.
It had features on stylistic trends like the back-necklines version above. I particularly like the Mariot Chanet folded drape version. Celine have revived something similar this season by incorporating twists into their garments.
Ah.. minimalism. That brown V-neck up top is one of my favourites in this issue. And check out the lump camouflaging ruching on the mint number next to it. Hunter green at bottom right looks like Vogue 2091.
The cream of the crop though, has to be the Lacroix jacket on the right followed shortly thereafter by the red suit and the minimalist blue wrap by Dior.
Yes, those were the good days.
Patterns were depicted by fashion illustrations in the summary and line diagrams in the instructions section.
The jumpsuit and the mod suit are pretty cool (row 2 #s 6 and 2) but my favourites are in the designer section.
The perfect bustier and probably the only ‘waistcoat’ I can bring myself to sew.. (skirt with awesome pockets unfortunately not included).
Simple little knit dress. Although I’d try it with equidistant inverted pleats first (rather than gathers) and sew it up with long sleeves in a merino jersey for winter.
Speaking of good times, Burdastyle seems to be undergoing a revival of sorts-first they featured a plus-size member in their featured pattern front page slide show thing (I don’t remember them ever having done this before) and then this happened:
Could this be…
-the marriage equality issue?
One can only hope…Oh well I’ll find out when it gets here-in three months time. Big ups to the blog mysummertouch for the advance preview link.
Disclaimer: All images remain copyright of their respective owners and are used here for purposes of illustration, discussion and humour.
Friday Freebie: Fundamentals of Patternmaking
Title: Fundamentals of Patternmaking for Women’s Apparel
Book 1~Foundation Patterns
Author: Esther Kaplan Pivnick
Published: 1955, copyright not renewed i.e. it’s in the public domain now.
Concerned with matters relating to copyright? Please read this thoroughly. Cheers.
Aand.. straight to the good stuff:
It’s interesting how older drafting books focus on draping as an alternative block-making technique. This isn’t as common today and is a bit of a pity (Lucia Mors de Castro’s book is a welcome exception).
Taking measurements
I included the image above for two reasons: measurement P which doesn’t turn up in modern-day pattern drafting books (any experts want to chime in on why?) and the fact that the faceless chick is wearing what looks like a modern-day strapless push-up bra.
I’m also a big fan of measurement lines denoted both on the mannequin as well as on the human figure (in so much as the diagram above represents a human figure).
That diagonal measurement again on the corresponding blocks this time - not something I’ve noticed in modern pattern-drafting books. 
Creating a dress block by combining the bodice and skirt blocks and then modifying those for Princess seams. That bit marking grainlines on both pattern pieces should be highlighted in red.. XD 
Achieving the same blocks through simple draping. 
Not so simple draping..
Aaand Grading! (the book also includes grading for sleeves and pant blocks because Esther’s instructions are nothing if not comprehensive in the level of detail provided).
Esther optimised this special pattern drafting system off one taught to her by her father. I did a bit of a search for Mr. Kaplan but all I could up with was this (somewhat related) book (thanks Internet archive)-how sweet are those convex darts? Perhaps Kaplan was not Ms E’s maiden name..
So what’s in Book 2? Necklines, collars, sleeves and styling of all sorts (mainly late forties, early fifties). The pièce de résistance however, is a chapter with instructions for drafting, styling and fitting the dress on the cover.
Oh yea.
Previously on Friday Freebies.
February Giveaway, Simplicity Sewing Book Winner
Not the first time either. Or the last.
The winner of the February Simplicity Book Giveaway is Jenny of Rennous oh Glennous. Please send me your address details so I can send you your win!
Speaking of Aussie awesomeness, the 26th of January was Australia day, and this happened.
Best related comment: They better be Vegemite flavored and studded with the Southern Cross.
Actually I was hoping barbecue but that is not the case (apple and banana apparently). I was also hoping to buy a bunch to send to friends abroad but they’re all sold out in supermarkets so I Googled them and found this:
And just like that, my enthusiasm waned.
Disclaimer: All images remain copyright of their respective owners and are used here for purposes of illustration and humour.
This is me (right after a hair cut).
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