The first issue of this year’s Burda Easy Magazine is here! This magazine always has fewer styles than a regular monthly Burda magazine, but also has more detailed instructions, and patterns you don’t have to trace, which makes it a friendlier entry point to new sewers. The styles this time around seem to be following … More Burda Easy Spring/Summer 2017
So not everything is going swimmingly in Sudoku land… My first attempt at my wide-legged trouser is going to be a total wadder. The problem is not the pattern, which based on mid-progress try-ons should be fitting great, but that I decided to use the least stretchy lining fabric ever. The main fabric was going to … More Sudoku Wadder
Moving right along here is my second Wardrobe Sudoku item, Simplicity 3536. I’ve actually made this pattern before, though last time I made view D. This time I decided to cash in on the cold shoulder trend and made view B – the cowl neck with the open shoulders. Here is an updated and re-written … More Pattern Review: Simplicity 3536 (Wardrobe Sudoku Item #2)
Just a quick update to unofficially throw my hat into the ring for the Pattern Review Wardrobe Sudoku Challenge! I don’t know that I will have time to actually complete all the sewing for this competition by the end of March (time is flying!), but I figure that if I have it as a goal … More Am I really playing Sudoku? (Or, how many February Burda Magazines can I sew from in 2 months?)
It seems that a few of the pattern companies have released some great cosplay patterns somewhat quietly since their last full pattern release. Simplicity has apparently decided to celebrate the Star Trek 50th Anniversary by releasing some beautiful licensed Star Trek cosplay patterns: Not to be outdone, McCall’s is jumping in on the Pokemon Go! … More Simplicity, Star Trek, McCall’s, and Pokemon – A Cosplay Pattern Update Post
Continuing the new pattern round up, today I’ll be looking at Simplicity and New Look! The fact that Simplicity has updated their website (pretty, but not totally functional) has been delaying my review, as I’ve been waiting to see what the new releases look like. It seems that Simplicity has posted the latest from New Look, … More New Simplicity and New Look Patterns
In one sense, this year was the least productive sewing year I’ve ever had. To be frank, the past few years of sewing for others was really killing it for me. I think I sort of needed some down time – it was really frustrating to want to sew things, but not have the time … More A Year of (minimal) Sewing 2015
Looking back, I have to say that, on the whole, this felt like a rather lackluster year for Burda. Every issue had at least one pattern I really liked, but, honestly, there were very few issue where I wanted to make many of the garments, and most of the things I did want to sew … More A Year in Review: BurdaStyle Magazine 2015
I wasn’t really sure if I wanted to post this, but, I decided it should be done for posterity’s sake. Even more than last year, this has been an up and down season for my skating. It has been highs, lows, and even lower lows. Highlights: Passed my Gold Medal American Team Dance Test. This … More Skating Accomplishments 2015
The early spring McCall’s patterns are here! On the whole the collection is pretty simple – a lot of basic silhouettes, easy to fit knits and boxy tops, with a few party dresses thrown in for good measure. My thinking is that they are trying to entice people who just got sewing machines for the … More New Early Spring McCall’s Patterns
