Review Knipmode March 2016

The March issue of Knipmode is all about top trends must-have items for spring/summer 2016. At least, according to the editor's introduction. After reading the magazine from cover to cover and over again I find the content of this issue more classic than fashionable.

Palazzo pants, midi skirt, kimono

Maxi dress, flared pants, jumpsuit

Oversized shirt, 7/8 pants, trenchcoat

Also in the must-have collection: a blazer, a shift dress, culottes, a boho blouse, a vest, a cardigan and a denim shirtdress. A bunch of useful, but not jaw dropping patterns.

Any personal must-haves? Yes, I think I'll give pants #5 a go. It has good style lines, a nice curved waistband and a back leg seam, providing extra fitting opportunities.

Same pants as the green crepe, now in stretch denim

The bonus spring special is sponsored by a big fabric supplier. It's a vehicle to showcase new fabric designs that often overwhelm the garments and usually are not my cup of tea. Looking at the line drawings I can see the attraction of some of the patterns, like tunic 105.

Back to the regular issue. The midi skirt #8 (pictured above in Vlisco print) is a maybe for me. I'm not utterly convinced by the design with two flat pleats on the right side and a box pleat on the left side. There is a risk of the asymmetry ending up looking unintentional. (Below the shorter version)

When the right fabric comes along I'll give this kimono sleeve shirt a try. Gardeners can't have enough simple shirts!

I saved the best for last.

This DKNY inspired skirt (#27) prompted mr Foxgloves to donate one of his pinstripe jackets (one of many that started out as suits, but survived the matching pants) so that I could do that 'Great British Sewing Bee- refashion thing'. I may take him up on his offer, for the fun of trying.

My favourite pattern-of-the month must be this dress:

I've already earmarked a pretty cotton sateen for this stunning pattern!

What would you make from this issue?

Vogue 8379, the wrap top

Ever since I finished this lace skirt back in 2013 I was struggling to come up with outfit ideas. I love this skirt (Knipmode 1312-04, blogged here) but it didn't go with anything in my closet.

A few months ago I took the skirt with me on a fabric shopping spree and found some fabulous fluffy fabric in blush pink.

Instant outfit! I like the mix of textures and shine!

Now what to make? The fabric came with some challenges: I wanted to make a fitted top with as few seams as possible, preferably without facings to avoid bulk, and no topstitching. When I was putting away Vogue 8379 after finishing my jungle wrap dress it occurred to me this pattern was fitting the bill! I traced new skirt patterns with a skirt length of 15 cm and went straight ahead. Cutting was a nightmare. Pink fluff ended up in my nightgown, on the dog's ears and in my coffee, but other than that it was quick and easy.

I omitted the facings, just turned the seam allowances under and hand stitched them down. I lengthened the sleeves by about 10 cm and made sure my ties were long enough. Ha! A fox is not caught twice in the same snare ;)

I used the double stitched seams again, so no need to go out for matching serger thread. I kind of like this finishs, at least I do on knit garments without lots of negative ease and not too much tension on the seams.

(Slightly out of focus) double stitched seam

Finding the right spot to take pictures wasn't as easy as it is when I'm wearing my usual bold and colourful garments. Suddenly those trees growing out of my head became the stars! Arghh, so much easier in summer when the backdrop is all green. Just as I was about to give up the light changed and the sky turned into a matching shade of pink.

Artistic or what? Now I'm off to de-fluff the premises!
Happy sewing!

Vogue 8379, the jungle edition

Wooooooahhhhh! While my first V8379 ended up a bit plain and boring, the remake can be described as...well, the opposite. In fact my camera had trouble focusing on the leopard-roses-tropical birds-mix, and the same goes for the human eye. You just don't know where to look in this dazzling print. The pictures were taken on a rather dark afternoon, the flash went off resulting in slightly washed out colours, in real life the fabric is vibrant!

The fabric is a cotton/viscose mix, the pattern is Vogue 8379, a classic wrap dress I made two years ago in solid blue.

What I like best about this pattern are the diagonal soft pleats coming from the waist. They provide nice shaping, releasing extra fabric at the bust without messing with the neckline.

Because of this feature it is gently skimming the curves, which on me is a better look than wrap dresses with a large amount of negative ease at the bust. 

The pattern comes with two sleeve variations: a short sleeve and bracelet length with cuffs. I was short on fabric so the cuffs weren't an option. Without cuffs the sleeves looked a bit wide so I narrowed them below the armscye and shortened the sleeves till just below the elbow.

The fabric had been in my stash for over a year and I knew I would not be able to buy extra in case of emergency. It was very slippery and during an overlocker test run it didn't behave very well, making me think the sewing machine was the safer option.

The instructions mentioned double-stitched seams. Stich along the seam line, stitch again 1/4"(6mm) away in seam allowance; trim close to the second stitching. This results in seams that at first glance look like French seams, but without the bulk coming from the extra fold. I had never used it before, but it looks really good.

I left out the facings, as I knew from the first time I used this pattern that there was no way to let them stay inside.

Neckline turned under and stitched

When I read Debbie's review of the Cashmerette Appleton wrap dress over at Stitches and seams I made a note of her brilliant idea to interface the ties and copied it for this dress. Works really well!

Speaking of the ties: they ended up really short. Of course this may have something to do with the state of my waistline, but that should have been taken care of by sewing up the correct size. Right? When I checked the pattern I noticed a grading issue. Only half of the difference in waist size was added to the next size up. Which would of course be correct if the ties were knotted at the back. But when you tie it as in the envelope drawing, the right tie goes all the way around the waist and the left tie about three quarters. With a difference of 33 cm/13" between the smallest and the largest size this is rapidly adding up, so check it! Adding to an already finished tie is no fun. Ask me how I know ;)

I am very pleased with this dress that is putting a smile on my face everytime I see it. I'm already planning a next version! 

That's about it. As I mentioned a few days ago this dress was inspired by Jungle January, and although finished in time, due to jungle weather conditions it was only ready to join the big parade on the fourth day of Ferocious February.

Thanks to Anne of Pretty Grievances for hosting another fabulous Jungle January! This one is for you Anne, a salute from the exotic woodpecker that is now residing on my right upper arm. Beep beep!

Message from the jungle

Roarrr! Or better: Beep beep! Oonk-a-lunk! According to the Onomatopoeia Dictionary those are bird sounds. (Onomatopoeia ((ŏn′ə-măt′ə-pē′ə, -mä′tə-) is the formation of words such as buzz or murmur that imitate the sounds associated with the objects or actions they refer to). Isn't that interesting? It undeniably proves the educational value of Jungle January, the annual party hosted by Anne of Pretty Grievances.

For the second year in a row I joined the jungle parade (you can find last year's entry here) so I spent the last weekend of January in my sewing room, turning tropical bird fabric into a wrap dress.

Last night it got a bit creepy, when an army of  decapitated woodpeckers and oonk-a-lunks were giving me the side eye, giving the jungle a spooky Hitchcock vibe. Despite this unfortunate collateral damage things went really well, except for modelling this dress. Why, you ask?

A monsoon flooded the concrete jungle! What's a girl to do, except grab a vine and swing to the highest tree to protect her not-so-jungle-proof footwear?

With less than two hours to go in Jungle January I leave you with a sneak peek of my dress and the promise to show more of this birds/roses/leopards tropical surprise soon. Spoiler alert: I love it!

Punk-er-lunk! Chacalaca!

Review Knipmode February 2016

The opening of Knipmode's February issue is quite spectacular: four designer knockoffs, straight from the catwalk. A Michael Kors coat, a Salvatore Ferramo top and skirt, a Stella McCartney suit and a DVF wrap dress, all from Spring 2016 shows.

Knipmode 2/2016, Michael Kors (Getty Images)

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Knipmode 2/2016 Salvatore Ferragamo (Getty Images)

Knipmode 2/2016 Stella McCartney (Getty Images)

Knipmode 2/2016 Diane von Furstenberg (Getty Images)

Although Knipmode offers designer knockoffs on a regular basis, I can't recall seeing official catwalk images next to Knipmode line drawings before. The replicas are usually presented as sewn up Knipmode interpretations next to a picture of the original. Like this DKNY inspired pattern elsewhere in the magazine:

Knipmode 2/2016

Similar, but with noticable differences in the proportions. The line drawings for the designer patterns look like accurate copies. The models are obviously wearing the real thing, but unlike the pattern makers of McCall Pattern Company (as discussed in this post) I doubt if Knipmode's crew had access to the original designer garments at any time. Let's hope they sew up looking as stunning as the originals. I certainly like where the inspiration is coming from!

On a side note, in her foreword the editor mentions these patterns were created for the real fashion victims. Seriously? Addressing your readers as women who are unable to identify boundaries of style, slavishly following trends against better judgment? 

I say that's uncalled for. 

Pattern overview Knipmode 2/2016

This month's illustrated sewing course is for retro styled tapered pants #23

Knipmode 2/2016 #23

Knipmode 2/2016

A collection built around panel prints, designed by Knipmode.

Knipmode 2/2016

More colour blocking, a peplum top that I feel strangely attracted to, despite the fit issues on the model, and a faux leather dress that's embellished with studs in the DIY section.

And lots of skirts. 

Knipmode 2/2016

I really like this set. The cropped jacket is a good match with the intriguing design lines of the Donna Karan style skirt. My personal favourite of the month must be this skirt:

It's on my sewing list and it fits right into my sewing and stash busting plans. I have the perfect fabric (in red). It was earmarked for a dress, but this skirt is well worth changing plans for! 

All in all another inspiring issue. I can't help thinking there are patterns in this magazine that would cause some buzz in the online sewing community had they been released as a single pattern by any pattern company with a stronger online presence!

Sewing plans?

Reading everyone's sewing plans at the beginning of the new year made me stop and think about where I am heading. In recent years I filled some gaps in my wardrobe and now I've reached the point where I can honestly say I don't need to sew anything. What's more, I don't need fabric. Or patterns. I find that a very liberating thought.

I can fully concentrate on what I really want to sew! 

When I reflect on last year's sewing there was one project that I enjoyed from planning stage till sewing on the last carefully selected button: the trench coat I worked on for almost three months. Underlined, bound buttonholes, flat piping, lbeautiful lining, lots of details and some hand sewing. It's the kind of project I love, also resulting in the kind of garment that I know will last for years. In order to make more projects like this I'm going to change directions and slow down my sewing even more. 

When I look at my stash I see a lot of fabric that I like, and only a small pile that I really love. Most of my fabrics are bought locally, or within a radius of 20 km from my home. Cotton and knits are easily available but don't ask for silk, cashmere, tweed or even crepe or you'll get the side eye. 

For a few special projects a year I'd rather buy one length of designer silk than add ten lengths to the stash that don't spark real joy. Ha! Enter the life changing effects of the Marie Kondo method ;)

Now when will these changes in my sewing start? Probably during the second half of this year. After three years of inactivity, caused by a painful back injury, I went back to the gym in November. Just two months later I'm not only regaining strength but I've also noticed a change in my measurements. I'll give it a few more months to see where it's going before starting to make close fitting tailored jackets or other time consuming garments that could turn into a potential alterations nightmare.

So what are the plans  dreams for 2016?

During the first half of the year I hope to:

- Sew a dent in my existing stash by making wrap dresses, shirts, tees and casual skirts 

- Sew a shirt for mr Foxgloves

- Watch all Alison Smith Craftsy classes

- Try new techniques from various Claire Shaeffer books, Kenneth D King's Cool Couture and 

   Paco Peralta's tutorials

- Learn how to draft slopers

  

After the summer holidays:

- Make trips to Nanucci Tesutti and Silk Route in Amsterdam, collect swatches from Linton 

  and who knows, maybe even take the train to Paris, to buy special fabrics 

- Start working on one or two jackets

Maybe you noticed the question mark in the title of this post. Perhaps these plans are more ambitious than realistic in a year in which we also plan to redecorate our home and maybe even build an extension. I also know myself well enough to foresee that it only takes one exciting release of a shiny new pattern to change what I want to sew overnight. But a girl can dream. 

To keep myself focused I ordered Vogue 1721 on Etsy, an Oscar de la Renta pattern that will get a prominent spot in my sewing room as it embodies all of my plans in the best way imaginable. For me the picture of that jacket paints a thousand words.

Whatever your sewing dreams are, I hope you'll make them come true in 2016!

My year in patterns

New Year's Eve. Can't think of a better moment for reflections on the past year. Don't you love reading all sewing hits and misses posts? When I was looking back at my sewing I found it hard to select five hits and five misses, so I tried something else. Sewing statistics! This year I sewed a total of 15 garments. Only one of them was a dress. I don't believe in rules for the sewing room, but I had a vague plan in the back of my mind to sew less dresses and more separates. Win!

Four tops (one unblogged), three skirts (one unblogged), two jackets, two sweaters, a cardigan, a blouse, a dress and a coat. All of my garments have been worn. Some an awful lot, like the jackets and the coat, others less, due to the nature of the garment.

Most worn: Ottobre trenchcoat

This coat took a big chunk out of my sewing time, yet it was worth every minute!

Least worn: M6696

My Christmas dress , finished too late for Christmas 2014, was my least worn handmade garment of 2015. I still call it a big hit because it was there when I needed it: for an opening night at the ballet, a formal dinner in September and, as you can see above, this year's Christmas dinner with the family!

No misses this year, although some projects were more challenging than others....

....but  eventually everything turned out fine and although not very productive measured by the number of finished garments I call it a succesfull sewing year. All handmades in regular rotation, that's what it's all about, right?

During my first year of blogging I discovered a lot of new to me pattern companies and I wanted to try them ALL. This year I'm pretty much back to my regular routine. 

More on the philosophy behind my pattern selection in my next post. For now I want to end with my nine most popular pictures of 2015 on Instagram. If you haven't joined IG yet, please consider to do so because it is so much fun!

Thanks everyone for another year full of sewing inspiration, and I wish you all a very happy, healthy and creative New Year!