Waistcoat - Burdastyle 10-2011-126

I have made a bow tie blouse from Burdastyle 10-2011 , which I have not shown you yet.  But while I was sewing that on a whim, a new whim hit - the vest they pair with it.  I have photos of that one, so for you... the vest...

I know Diana is missing a top but I was hoping you could see the details in these shots.  I was pretty happy with my double welt pockets.  The fabric is new, but the pattern is stash (ie 6 months or older and never used before).  The buttons are stash as well.  I think they were on a cardigan I had as a teenager.  Seems suitable as they call this vest '70's styled to have buttons from then!

I like how the cut of the pattern brings the main fabric (corduroy) round to the back of the vest.  The satin is a poly charmeuse satin that I found at Spotlight.  I wasn't sure I would find a suitable colour to match the corduroy.

So piccies on me...

It actually fits me better than Diana particularly across the upper back.

I really liked wearing this vest and it just added the right weight for a Winter day in Brisbane.  The review is here for those interested.

I hope to be back soon with pictures of the bow blouse.... Ciao! 

Long sleeved gym top ... Jalie 2682

I needed a top to wear to gym for an outside boxing class held in the evening.  At the moment it is winter here so anywhere from 5C to 15C is the norm so I really wanted a long sleeved top to wear to this class.

I have looked at the tops in the shops, but honestly did not want to spend $70 for a gym shirt.

Then I realised I had some wicking fabric bought in 2009 from Wazoodle.  I had used some of this fabric to make a gym shirt for DH and I had played with it to try and make racer back shirts for gym but otherwise I had a pile of it sitting around.  Then in a brainwave I realised I had the pattern for Jalie 2682.  The pattern I had was traced off in a size V (bust 37") and I am now a size S (bust 34")... gym has paid off :)

As the fabric I had bought from Wazoodle wasn't really stretchy and only just made the stretch  requirement (but probably only one way) I decided making it a bit bigger was probably a safe choice.

This is what I ended up with:

I made the view with the zip front as it looked like the tops I was looking at in the shops.  However I wanted a zip pull and so being cheap inventive I used a piece of the same fabric in a fluoro green sewed in a tube then hand stitched into a loop onto the zipper pull.

If I see one in the shops I will change it over but this is working for me for the time-being.


The true test of a gym top is to wear it, so this is how it worked for me..

Worn over an ancient faded fluro yellow sleeveless top (in the vain hope I will get warm enough to take the long sleeved top off... nope!)


There isn't a lot of stretch in this fabric and I could do with a bit more room over the high bust/chest area and across the upper back...

However, even though I would make adjustments when/if I make this top again, it worked really well, was a good weight and I did not pop any seams.... all good! :)


Ciao gym kittens!...back soon with a lovely bow tie blouse and vest finished this month but not worn or photographed as yet....

A catch up post...

A few new things to show you...

First up is another Burda 04-2009-101 skirt.  This time in a brown denim.  

Different to last time :

• I took it in about 3cm.  I keep wondering if I traced the pattern wrong as I normally fit these patterns so well!  
• added the pockets
• added the top-stitching.  I used the triple stitch on machine in a olive green thread.  This colour is actually woven into the fabric.
• used jeans buttons.

I have paired it with my striped burda top 02-2010-112.  Every where I went this week-end I saw striped tees - I felt right on the money!

I have also finished another Burda bateau neck top 02-2009-108 in blue this time...

I think this is the fourth time for this top ... TNT status achieved!

The plan is make a few new to me patterns next... Ciao for now!