Paperless Pattern drafting: Pattern Master Boutique

Lately I have been thinking a lot about the direction my dressmaking addiction should take. Self-drafting patterns seam to be a great challenge, but being able to make it on my PC instead of drawing table seems even more appealing to me. Still, the importance of understanding the principle of pattern drafting is crucial.

I purchased PatternMaster Boutique v4 a couple of years ago. The software allows to input your personal measurements and offers a choice of garment/detail styles to combine and get your unique style, which you can then save, edit and print out. Sounds good, but there are a few things that stalled me in my work with this software.

First of all, there are fitting issues. It is not that straightforward. When I put in my measurements, got my custom sloper prinetd out and sewn it, it just didn't look very good at all. (there photos are taken in 2008)



The issues were with excess fabric around the waist and the armholes, it just looked bad. The good thing about Wild Ginger - the producers of PMB and many other useful sewing software is their incredible customer support. They have a huge forum and any questions is answered within a day or two, and you can also email them directly.

When it comes to a sloper fitting, you have to take three pics (like above) and email them to Karen from support team with your measurement chart. I did just that and she emailed me back the adjusted chart. the idea is to adjust your measurements values until the sloper fits well, and then use the saved chart for the further designs.

Well, I didn't make another one, simply escaping to the inviting and familiar sewing magazine's patterns ( which still always need alteration). I have left the program alone and ended up uninstalling it.



Making a Gwyneth skirt has been a revelation to me. My sewing magazine odyssey is definitely coming to end- I have too many of them, huge stacks, but my mind keeps wandering elsewhere. If I have to alter every pattern , yet still not always the fit is good, why not learn drafting my own patterns at last! Even troubles with fit in PatternMaster could be easily corrected with such knowledge, bypassing all the paperwork!

Then I saw the RTW contest banner, and through entering I reconnected with my interest to draft my own patterns on a CAD pattern making  software.

I went back to my software stash and re-installed PMB4, dug out the instructional video from a class I took on their pattern editing software.

After watching it once, following the class instructions, I realised I am more familiar and fluent with it than I thought I would be. I easily drafted my own Gwyneth Skirt pattern. (This was after I actually made the skirt- I used Burda pattern to alter the paper version for the original.) I found the way to save it as a PDF and straight away uploaded Gwyneth Skirt pattern on Burdastyle.com- it felt great!


Originally, I used my own measuring chart, but for downloadable PDF I used Burda size 34 standard measurements. It all seemed to work great. the pattern didn't look as good as Collette's (hahaha, dream on sister!), but it looked better than some hand drawn ones.  It had very good pie-shaped markings to put the pattern together and row and column numbering, which will make alignment very easy. However the footer of each page said.:TempPrint.las and there was no way to change it into the name of the pattern at all. It just wrecked my head!

After contacting the support team, I learnt that my version of the software is way out of date, so these kind of things are not fixed anymore.  Their new version, PMB v5, has that and a lot of other issues sorted. So I took my credit card out and bought an upgrade. ( Thankfully the price is way lower for an upgrade- but then I paid the full price for version 4 a few years back.)

In spite of me promising myself to be very careful with unnecessary spending, this seemed to be a worthy one. (Especially after a serious research into other pattern making programs- more professional ones are very very expensive. Cracked versions online are infested with trojans, so I am not going to risk losing my Pc to that!) The footer shows the name of the pattern, and you can use different line styles to use on multisized patterns. So the Gwyneth skirt pattern has been updated

Download Gwyneth Skirt Pattern from Burdastyle.com

Obviously there are a few fashion design programs on my wishlist for the future: The PatternMaker looks great for my needs, however the version that allows grading multisized patterns is a $1199 !!!! And it is not even the most expensive one.

Marvellous Designer ($199) is fun, you get to make a dress on a 3D avatar- completely unconventional approach, but not sure what kind of flat pattern quality it produces, very little information available- I have a trial software, which will expire in 28 days, so I have some time to check it out.

Of course, there are FashionCad, Optitex and Accumark - the Daddies of the CAD pattern making world, but they are very complicated for my current needs.

(And, of couse there is this lad in Morocco, who claims he can sell me any of those, fully functioning  for £350 and throw in a free one of my choice)


I am now working on a new pattern inspired by House of Pinheiro, recent Betty Jackson paperbag skirt project, and it will also be available for free download, so stay tuned!

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Burda Style 3/2012 sneaky peak

I just came accross a very first preview of upcoming 3/2012 Burda style issue's models and here are my picks ( click on the picture)

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Burda Style May 2011 issue picks

I have to admit, the last 3 issues of BurdaStyle magazine didn't really impress me at all. A couple of ok models, but nothing special, really. So this one is finally a good one. To start with the holiday wardrobe section is breathtaking, I loved most models and the fabric suggestions.

Brights, colourful, bold- LOVE IT!

And the best ones are these two dresses, that are on my to sew list , subject to my subscrition company getting their act together- I always get the issues a month after they are on sale in the shop! Too bad the closest shop they sell  Burda is over a 100 km away!

This little dress reminds me of 60's little dresses with an Asian spice fused in for good measure. The fabric looks like some kind of thicker brocade, wouldn't you give half a kingdom for a couple of meters of it? I certainly would!

And this little gem is simply fantastic! Excellent raspberry trend, real pop-art, colour exposion! I think this time I will be definitely trying to replicate the magazine photo- it just looks so totally worth it.
More favourites:

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Power Sewing Contest Winner

Great news came today, I was voted as a winner (2nd prize) for Power Sewing Looking Great in Green contest! Wow, especially that I entered just for fun and even forgot about it the same day, and now- 2nd place.

As a prize I am getting Sandra Betzina's brand new "Power Sewing Toolbox" book, Singed by Ms. Betzina herself, and a free monthly subscription to www.powersewing.com  online sewing classes! I had a yearly subscription before and I found it great- Sandra posts videos with different tutorials and techniques and you have access to all archives- I thought they were brilliant and definitely learnt a lot there.



I am delighted, especially since the new job has taken all my energy, and I could hardly even think about sewing. But I am inspired again!

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BURDA STYLE SEWING CLUB IRELAND has been launched on Facebook

BSC ROI (Burda Style Sewing Club Ireland)

Promote your Page too

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Eyes wide open: sewing magazines

My name is Juliette and I am a Burda Style addict..... I grew up sewing with this wonderful magazine, back in the days when Anne Burda herself participated in creating every issue. It is like home sweet home to me, I love the instructions and all useful master classes. Not to leave alone huge international communities of likewise addicted dressmakers.

As my first language is Russian, I am very lucky to be an active member of Russian Burda site, which is the biggest recourse of everything-to-do with sewing and Burda, they have a great Photo forum, where real people showcase their Burda pattern based creations. It is very useful as some models look absolutely different in real life than on the Burda pages.

Another site is English BurdaStyle.com, again superb online community, however I found it a bit vintage oriented. it is independent from Burda magazine, although it does sell some of Burda's patterns and features exclusively Burda magazine in it's blogs and recommendations.

In spite of this addiction, I have been researching other sewing magazines, as I find that Burda's offerings lately are dominated with very folk-oriented looks, that just look baggy and altogether quite awful to my liking. I like classy stylish looks with a sexy twist on it.  Anything baggy and midi doesn't work for me.  Also Anne Burda's son took over the business and I think they didn't get it right. There's a definite change in models since. They still represent current fashion, but they are just not that brave with it. Also most of the models can be narrowed down to a handful f basic patterns that are slightly modified, and they are very simple.

So I decided to have a browse online, hoping to find anything else.

I have a good few Patrones issues, and I love the magazine, although I only used it's patterns a couple of times as their sizing is very different ( BTW for those who need it I have a link here on my blog to measuring and sizing for Patrones- just check out useful links). I think the last year's issues are not really as good as the few previous years, as hey used to offer real big designer patterns, like Gucci and D&G, to name just a couple. I have a huge collection of digital versions of Patrones. But there's two problems: first is the instructions that are hardly comprehensive, like Burda's and even though I don't speak much Spanish, even having translated those instructions doesn't really clarify it too much. The second - most painful issue- as the issues are scanned on home printers you have to print out 18 A4 sheets and overlap them, and this is a hell of a job! So I have so many issues ( over 25) and no use...

Knip Mode is a new discovery (Thanks to Melissa from Ferh Trade) I remember checking it out a few years ago and I wasn't really impressed. But Melissa's regular blogs about Knip Mode helped me change my mind- the models offered are quite in tune with current fashion trends and also their sizing is a bit larger on the hips, which suits my pear shape. I will be honest, I haven't tried it out myself, but it is definitely in my plans. I have a digital issue of 6/2010 which has an amazing bathing suit, that is on my list for October holiday in Spain. I aslo must mention that all their patterns start at size 34- again a big plus for me!!!! I really do hate altering patterns, I normally only do this  if the garment is amazing. Well that doesn't cover small alterations I make every time for better fit.

My Image is a new sewing magazine from Netherlands It claims that every issue contains patterns according the latest trends. Well, I just received the latest ones, and I have to say I am a bit disappointed. The patterns offered have little to do with the latest fashion trends. They are more timeless classic patterns adaptable with a clever use of fabric. None of them looked supertrendy, just average housewife looking clothes. They offer 16 patterns, I would only choose one of them (the dress on the cover) but merely to justify buying the magazine, not because I wouldn't find something similar in my stack of old magazines ( I would like to make an emphasis on OLD, as their fashion style looks very 90's to me) They also have a kiddies edition.  There is a good review about My Image on Fehr Trade, but Melissa's opinion is not quite the same as mine.

La Mia Boutique didn't really impress me, I find a lot of recent models too wacky. Nothing to do with the beautiful classic italian fashion (the like's of Angelina's outfits in "The Tourist" ,for example). Over the top- but then it is just my own opinion. I had 3 issues and I sold them all on ebay (no regrets) I couldn't find their original website either. More on Fehr Trade

unfortunately, this is NOT what you find in italian La Mia Boutique magazine (((

And finally, all the way from Brazil - Manequim. My absolute winner! The trendiest of all it combines the joy of dressmaking with the latest styling advice and fashion update - it is like if InStyle also included patterns. The drawbacks- it is in Portuguese, impossible to buy individual issues (unless you have a Brazilian friend, which I actually do! Too bad she only goes home once a year) and the patterns come mostly in one (rarely in three) sizes, so grading is nessesary, for my small frame anyway. But the models are quite cool, I don't mind spending time grading. Also there are free patterns to download from their website. Here is just a preview of what they offer, and did I mention that they give you a style advice based on your body shape with their models? How cool is that? I have a digital version of 4/2010 (one shoulder dress below is from that issue) I am going to chance it and I am really thinking of getting an annual subscription for it , it is only €89/$125 per year.

I was looking through my blog reading list and to my absolute delight I discovered there is one more sewing magazine out there that definitely worth more publicity and attention of the dressmakers in the world. With one small, but significant detail- it is totally geared towards up-cycling and re-fashioning. I give you ALTERED COUTURE. I came across this gem while reading the latest post from Ruffles and Stuff who's stunning projects is featured in this magazine regularly, and in my opinion so rightfully deserved. And this is how I went to check out what that publication is about, and how oh so amazing it seems to be. 

The issues are full of superb ideas on up-styling, the instructions are so comprehensive and the photography is superb!!! One of my absolute favourites is this Parisian Rose Shoes up-styling project:

Here is another very easy super stylish ideas:

check out more and subscribe here

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The best kept secret dress?

I am appalled!  After a few month I found out that Burda Magazine 10/2010 has a dress, that is only availbale for download on their German site. So What did all Russian, English, Italian and French fans did to them, that they were all deprived of such an amazing dress, far better than anything in that issue!!!






Well, it immediately went on my next to sew list, I love the assimetric pleats on the front, there are two zippers in the shoulder seams and an invisible zipper on the side, however if you are using a stretch material it is not nessesary. I just received a very nice marl grey ponte double knit 4 way stretch jerseythat could be perfect for it.

All these are ready-made versions from Burda.ru members - looks great, I  think. Will try to give it a go soon.

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Up In The Air

So I am caught between an itching for some sewing time and total apathy, sounds familiar? Don't you just hate it when you start doing something and in a while just want to quickly check if that email you're been expecting has arrived. Two hours later you are still online and feeling sooooo lazy to go back to work! Well I do! I hate wasting time and it looks like I am very very good at it lately, wasting my precious time. 

So here's what I am putting off: 

This stunning coat, which is actually very easy to make - it could have been almost finished by now if I didn't get into this virtual trap. I am using one of those fabrics I bought ages ago and couldn't decide on the best use for it .It is a designer wool blend fabric from Italy- it feels fantastic- not too thick or heavy and it has a fantastic texture to it. I have about 2 meters, might even squeeze in a matching mini,  or even a wee bag! (I actually never made a bag before- there's spontaneous idea, Thank You Blog!)

Back to the coat, I am going to add a zipper to the front instead of concealed snap fasteners, and I decided against the lining. I just want something light you can wear on a cool spring-summer  night. I will have to either bind the seam allowances or use the overlock- I will check what looks better- I have some black satin bias tape, but I have to pop into the shop for a zipper (the ones I have at home are all too short), so I might see something nice there for binding. 

So now, after all this blabbering, I feel it's time to retire to my workshop again, so I will be back soon with the finished result, I hope!



P.S.                          Quick update:

What an amazing pattern. It is unbelievably simple to sew, just a couple of seams and the whole thing already looks like it is coming together- and quite nicely!!! I bound the hems of the sleeves with the black satin ribbon and I will do the same to the seam allowances of the bottom hem. Funny but even though the sleeves have a darker cuffs on them in the photo- there s nothing like it in the pattern/instructions. Go figure.

Too bad I have to wait till tomorrow to get that zipper, at it looks like it could be a "3 hours work" coat. So as there is no point in rushing, I am alternating sewing with some blogging and online socializing. Also need to get black raglan shoulder pads for best shape, so might check out ebay before going to bed too.

P.S    Update #2 : missing blog post! I just found out that a few of my old projects' blog posts are gone irreversibly. Very upsetting, but here are the final version pictures:

A Confident Woman with Not-So-Confident Dog (Up in the Air Coat from Burda 9/2008 No.101)

Here is a finished coat following my Up in the Air post  The pattern from older Burda Style magazine has always kept me dreaming, so now with a bit of inspiration and a wool blend fabric with a nice black and gold pattern, the coat is mine!

The most fascinating fact about it was that itentered into Sandra Betzina Power Sewing online Looking Great in Green competition and it won 2nd place!   I received an email with congratulations and a book ( pictured on the right) as a prize. Wow- that was unexpected!



So here is the finished coat in its full glory:

 

 

I amended the original press studs and added a golden zipper.

looks good worn either open or closed

I had a bit of a gold/black trip that I added on the top of the collar and to give the coat a touch of glamour. 

And here is my not-so-confident dog, who I didn't notice during the photo shoot. Not ready for the front line, he is craving fame nonetheless!  LOL

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London Fahion Week Trends

From the Times here is a list of London Fashion Week 2011 main trends:


STILL GOING STRONG:


Heavy fringes: even better if they get in your eyes;

Ankle boots:best with mini skirts and opaque tights;

The YSL Downtown: in patent leather (so you can wipe off the champagne);

Leggings: yes, they are still here, and becoming more ski-pant style with every show;

Slogan T-shirts:. . . and bags – everywhere;

Leather jackets: cropped, black and not a motorbike in sight;

Blazers: the more tuxedo-style, the better.




NEW TRENDS



Hats
There have been as many on the front row as on the catwalk. Every permutation from the panama (in February?), the bowler, the porkpie, the flat cap and even a high-topped Peruvian style (in red). Needless to say, no one removed the headwear inside, not even in that most traditional of British venues, Claridge’s ballroom. This is London Fashion Week: they like to break the rules.


Sunglasses
Only the fashion folk do sunglasses in winter. OK, it has been quite sunny this week, but inside? In Claridge’s? Where you need a torch to read a menu even without shades? A step too far – or maybe someone’s hiding a hangover.

Amy Winehouse eye make-up
Predictable but inevitable. Cat’s flicks are de rigueur these days, and beehive hairdos aren’t far behind. Agyness Deyn wannabes – complete with blonde crops – were also back in force.


Reading glasses
 Heavy framed, square glasses are this week’s pervasive nod to geek chic. Whether or not the lenses are prescription is another matter.


On the catwalk
Fringeing, architectural shoulders, short skirts, weird tights, ruffles (everywhere), military coats, black (it’s back), high-waisted trousers.

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