Ferns in the snow, Burda 02/2009 #124

I am Lucia. I am a fabricholic. I buy and buy and never make anything. Here is to changing that.

In the last two years I have bought a couple of wool-blend knits at the local fabric markets. This is one of them. I didn't expect the quality to be great, I just want to make a couple of easy knit dresses that still look proper enough to wear to the office. My first try is with this one.

The pattern is Burda 2/2009 #124. I made version A, since B is meant for lace fabric. Oh, oh, you say? Yes, I know. Indeed this pattern is meant for a woven fabric, not for a knit. And yes, I now wish I had considered that more seriously before.

Still, I'm quite happy with how it turned out and especially I'm happy with the whole experience of sewing this pattern. Why? For one, I actually finished it! I can wear it to the office tomorrow! (if I make sometime tonight to hide the couple of thread ends still hanging from a few seams). But that of course has nothing to do with the pattern itself...

So, on to reasons external to my psyche. The pattern difficulty is marked at 1.5 dots and indeed it was pretty simple and quick. It fits quite well despite the very few seams and fit elements. Also, the small cap sleeves formed by the extended shoulder are very nice, not too small at all yet somehow they don't bunch up too much around the armpits.

I did make a few changes: the neckline was much too low for me, both at front and back, so I raised it considerably. This required me to redraw the neckline facings as well, but that was pretty straight forward after I had marked the new neckline in the pattern pieces. I also removed the back zipper. I figured this was ok since I was using a knit. Indeed, even having raised the neckline as I did, my head fits through the neck hole without even stretching the fabric at all. And finally, being a pear I know that straight skirt styles don't look good on me, so I changed the skirt shape into a slight A-line, by adding 5cm at the bottom of the skirt on all sides (thus 4 x 5cm = 20cm all around).

A couple of garments ago I still had delusions of being an intermediate sewer, but a few servings of humble pie later I now know better. How else can I tell? Well, I also seem to learn a couple of things with each new item that I sew. I document these pearls of wisdom here, for future reference...

Lesson One: patterns for woven fabrics don't just work for knits. I cut this pattern in my usual 40 top and 42 bottom, but it is quite roomy. I think I could've easily done one size smaller all around (38-40). Yes, I know, I would have learned that from the muslin, had I bothered to make one. The thing is, this fabric was pretty cheap, so in a way it is a muslin that I happen to want to finish and wear to the office. Later on I will re-make this pattern in a nicer fabric, and this will have been the muslin!

Lesson Two: again I learned something from Claire Shaeffer's The Complete Book of Sewing Shortcuts. I looked here for techniques to attach the neckline facing. She outlined what I already knew, except for the instruction to attach the facing inside to some of the seam allowances, so as to keep it from showing on the outside. So simple, yet brilliant! Thanks again Claire. 

Now, on to hiding those threads so I can wear this tomorrow...

The next day... Oh dear! I hate the dress! It looks terrible. It's not the shape, nor the fit, nor the hang of the fabric. All those things are ok; great, actually. The problem is the print. It is too busy, too large, too "what is she thinking?!" Even the colors are ok. Dark and medium brown, light gray, white, a slight heathered look over all. Nice muted winter feel to it all. So it really is just the print. Ugh! I felt so awkward at work wearing this, that I don't think I'll put it on even one more time...

And now for the really painful realization: this is just another symptom of my fabric addiction. I don't buy fabric for the garments I will make, I buy fabric because it looks gorgeous on the bolt. This means that I have lots of prints that will not easily turn into wearable items. Sure, if I had the designer flair of Lacroix or Galliano we'd be in business, but since I don't...


Look on the bright side; my stash just got that much smaller...