Red Print Top and Skirt with Red Cardigan each from Burda Patterns

 

Above you can see the skirt, top and cardigan I made and wore to a Chinese New Year's Dinner and Dance with John.  I thought I would like a dress but I really find the versatility of two pieces quite wonderful. This skirt goes with other tops I own and the top can be worn with pants or another skirt but I did like the way they both resemble a dress when worn together. We had a wonderful time and the knit was very comfortable. I also made the red snake skin belt from vinyl I had on hand. I wrapped a vintage buckle with narrow stipes of the vinyl to cover it. The necklace I made a while ago from crystal and red glass beads, I was so please that the colours matched the ourfit. I also wore red snakeskin look shoes. That is the fabulous thing about sewing, it can make you feel very put together.

I really enjoy making this top from a pattern in Burda January 2009. It was especially interesting because my magazine was in German which I do not speak so I just put it together the way I figured it should go together and it worked, yeah!!

The skirt was from Burda December 2011 and I really like it, it worked well out of the knit. This knit was not too stretchy and has a very soft feel to the fabric. It has a zipper on the left side.

The last item I made was the cardigan from Burda August 2011. This was different than the Simplicity I have made cardigans of already and starts with the waterfall higher and the sleeves and length worked perfectly. I had this fabric for so long it was wonderful to finally get something useful out of it. The colours went so well too. This was a good fabric to use because both sides of the fabric looked the same for the waterfall effect.

Thanks so much for looking and all of your inspiration on your other beautiful sewing blogs.
I need another red outfit for a dance this Saturday for Valentines and I think I will wear this skirt with a red top I have in my wardrobe already.

Cheers, Jean

Aqua, Chartreuse top and Brown Boucle Cardigan

I finished this top and cardigan last week using the same two patterns that I mentioned in my blog here when I showed the teal outfit and top. This top was made of the same knit fabric as I showed in a previous blog, I love the fabric, it feels wonderful but my goodness it stretches. I was so pleased to see that is coordinated with a necklace I bought last year.

The boucle fabric for the cardigan I had had for years, it made up very quickly and it was so nice to finally make something out of it. I really liked the fringe on the selvage of the fabric and thought I would like to feature it so I cut the front with the edge along the selvage, tapered the sleeves more and added a cuff of the reverse with the fringe too. It is a bit heavier for a waterfall cardigan but it drapes well and it is warm, I also made it a couple of inches longer than the pattern. It looks really nice with an apricot silk shirt blouse I wear, probably because of the collar of the blouse and the sheen is a nice contrast to the boucle matte look. The boucle knit fabric has lovely tiny shiny loops of chartreuse, apricot and gold.

I'm having fun this week working on a skirt and top for a Chinese New Year dinner dance we are going to this weekend. It is the first time I've traced a pattern from a Burda magazine and it fit!!!