Burda Easy fashion - Spring 2014

I regularly go to the French Burda magasine site to check out the latest issue before deciding if I want to buy it. This time the issue of Easy fashion - Spring 2014 was available. I took a quick look and I was very happily surprised by the patterns.

First, this cute little bomber jacket. I've seen quite a few around the blogoshpere (mainly the Rigel Bomber jacket by Papercut Patterns, which had me really re-think the idea of that style). I think I might actually prefer the higher, rounder neckline on this one:
 

 

I've also been dreaming of making bustier tops, for the summer or to wear under a cardigan/button down shirt. This one looks like a good one to start with. It also involves sheering in the back, which would help with fitting:

 But the big ticket that made me want to definitely buy this issue was this jumpsuit:

It is basically the same bomber jacket as above, but attached to pants. I feel like it could be really nice and comfortable in a light, silky fabric. I actually quite like the photographed version. And the best thing, there are two other variations of this jumpsuit, all based on the same top and pants:

Three quarter sleeves and shorter hem, with a tie neck instead of mandarin collar. Love.

And for those hot summer days:

Sleeveless and shorts. Love. Love. I can see it in a scarf-type fabric, maybe with a solid color for the sleeve yokes.

Jumpsuits have been on my sewing dreamlist forever but I never found a pattern that I was 100% convinced by until now. I like that these have raglan sleeves and a front zipper, it's different from the more classic button down or wrap/drape front. I want to make all three versions. And the best part is, once I fit one, I can basically make the other two with the same alterations.

This is another thing that I really liked about this issue, is that a lot of the pieces are used in different variations and paired together to form another garment. For example, the dress below is basically the bustier top from earlier, paired with a skirt thst also come as a seperate pattern:

It may seem like a cheat (you're not getting as many patterns as it seems), but I actually think it's really smart, especially since these "easy" issues are, I assume,  targetted towards less experienced sewers. It's a great way to introduce the idea of "frankernpatterns", while still making it easy and accessible to create a variety of garments.

I'll end on two more cute looks: wrap skirt and cross top on the left, another version of the bomber jacket and cute shorts on the right.

I went to my local newspaper store, but they didn't have a copy of this issue. I feel like they only get 1 or two copies of the Easy issue and i didn't want to risk missing it, so I asked my mom to find it for me in France (I'm sure she'll have no trouble), and send it via post. I can't wait!

Spring

Spring is here! We have had amazing weather here in Vancouver BC, with temperatures unusually warm for the season...Unfortunately that means this baby, which is still sitting unfinished on my dress form, probably won't see any action until next winter - no biggie, story of my sewing life...

One of the reasons that it's been left untouched for so long (I started it in early february if I recall correctly), is because I have been busy with this guy:

I know, it doesn't look like much...This might give you a better idea:


Kylie Minogue - Can't Get You Out of My Head from Sonny London on Vimeo.

Yup, I'm making the white jumpsuit from Kylie Minogue's 2001 video of Can't Get you Out of My Head...It's not actually for me: a woman that I work with is going to a "White Party" next week and she asked me a little while back if I would make it for her.

Now, I don't usually make clothes for other people, but this sounded like a pretty fun project and not overly complicated. So this is obviously the muslin, the final fabric (a crisp white lycra-bamboo blend knit) is all cut up and will be all sewn up before the week-end is over.

It was fun to make as I basically had to piece together the top, altered from one pattern, the bottom copied from a pair of pants she owns and the hood/cowl, traced from another pattern and redrafted.

I'll share more details on the pattern pieces soon, and hopefully will get a picture of the final garment...

After that, once the fur vest is done (and put away), I want to finish a button-down shirt I started a few months ago, get started on a muslin for a pair of linen pants I've had in mind for quite a while now, and possibly knock off this pretty Tibi top using this equally pretty cotton voile found at Dressew last week.

source: The Glamourai

In other totally unrelated news, I got these babies today:

 

My first pair of skis! Can't wait for next season to ride them out!