Burda III

Before I go any further, I have to take a minute to remember what today means. My company lost 13 people in Tower One, seven years ago. They'd been given the all clear and went back. Today, I work less than a mile from the Pentagon. This is a picture I took at lunch. Just down the street from my office. I was going shopping, but couldn't get there - Jeff Davis Highway was closed for POTUS to attend the Memorial Dedication at the Pentagon. I'm tempted to tell "my story", the where I was tale. Maybe next year. This year, just walk down this path and remember your own way.

I finally sat down for a few minutes this afternoon and worked on the Burda pants. I was stumped/frustrated for a while because they seemed too large. I kept taking them in and messing with the back center seam to make them right. Knowing all along that I was messing with the waist band and didn't know what do to about it. So I sat down after work for a few minutes and took out all my sizing basting. Then I pinned on the waist band as cut-only one 'layer', machine basted it and tried them one. Good news and bad news.

Here's my cutting photo (and Kacy). Lightened a bit to show the fabric. See - it isn't ugly, just isn't great feeling. You can see my thread tracing (THANK YOU ANN! from Stitcher's Guild) as well as my initial attempts at marking at cutting line seam allowance. Now let me just take a minute and whine about how long this took. Seriously, I spent most of last Friday - probably 6 hours total - in cutting prep work. Lay out - fabric was a little tight, kind of narrow to fit it in, messing with the marking, making the thread tracing - what a lot of thread that takes! Maybe I'll get faster at it and learn to thread needles better, but it was pretty tedious. But I REALLY do like having a seam line to sew on. Notes for next time: leave bigger loops and use a less contrasting thread. In other words, LISTEN TO ANN! ANN KNOWS BEST.

Now, back to the good news, bad news....

Good News: darned if they didn't fit to a TEE! Absolutely awesome. Can't wait to finish them great. Want to make another pair perfect! I haven't had on a pair of pants at any price that fit like that. Who knew I had a German shaped ass? Seriously? Who knew?!?

Bad news: I put the stupid thing on inside out. Or however you say it. Right side to wrong side. So off that comes. Oh, and I put one of the front band peices on backwards. This Burda,-no- pattern-markings thing has been a bit of a struggle for me, I need to mark my pattern pieces better next time. Add to that (or subtract maybe) that there's no right or wrong side to my fabric (I hope!!! It isn't apparent to me, so I'm just plowing ahead) and I get all turned around.

Flushed with success, I cut and fused my interfacing for the waist band and cut the 2 still missing front facing pieces. Then DH called, said he was just getting home and did I want to meet him for dinner. Duh.... ye-ah. Thai food.

I have to work tomorrow, but DH will be out of town ALL WEEKEND so I'll finish them tomorrow evening. And may start pair #2. Upgrade the fabric a bit, I have some good stuff for next and some Zegna wool from Michaels for really nice (that will require a lining - itchy stuff). Woo-Hoo! My Burda virginity is almost lost, LOL.

Also on the weekend docket is a trip to G-Street for more waistband interfacing, the new issue of Burda (yeah, I'm hooked), and some general deal shopping. They extended last week's sale due to Hanna and I have a couple of coupons. A little UT football (get your stuff together Phil, this one's for real!), and I REALLY want a jacket at NY&Co. I saw today. And I have a $30 off coupon for just such an emergency. And maybe a call to Pizza Hut.

And as a parting shot, we went to Ocean City Maryland over Labor Day and walked along the boardwalk. Here's my favorite shot from there. An ART GALLERY!!!

Burda II

I have no photos to post, but I'm going to update my Burda progress on what I'm calling my Hanna pants, as I sewed while Hanna rained. I cut out "the real thing", really more of a muslin II, as I left out all the pockets. And the more I work with my fabric, the less I like it. I think it's a wool/poly blend. It came from the $2.97/yard rack at GStreet. It's black with grey and white stripes. Not ugly, but I don't really like the way it feels. And they're LONG LONG LONG LONG LONG LONG LONG! I didn't even add the extra pattern piece to the bottom and they're still about 8" too long. That's one healthy hem! Did I mention they were really long? And they seem bigger than my muslin was. **sigh** Today was a long day and I'm too tired to mess with them. Maybe tomorrow.
On a better note, I got my shipment from Fabric Mart. Some really pretty "silks". They're listed as silk charmeuse, but I'm uncertain. They don't smell like silk. I need to do a burn test, I suppose. And take some pics to post. They're pretty. I like pretty. I also bought 4 lambskin oval patches, LOL. For $1/pair. NO idea what to do with those things, but it will come to me someday. Maybe piece them together for a purse or belt. They're dark brown suede. Fun, anyway. And if worried about what I'm going to with everything I bought, my shelves would be dead empty. And that just isn't the case. Not at all.
Also, not photo'd is my finished M5523, view B. Made from a "skirt length" navy pinstripe from GStreet. Wool/Lycra blend. Turned out very nice, though a tad big. I'll add a belt and see.

And my iron bit it over the weekend. The "push to steam" button doesn't. Nothing. No resistance, no steam. And the dial won't turn. It turns "off" easily, but "on" is very hard. It makes my fingers sore. SOO, I'm now the owner of a Rowenta Focus. I really love it EXCEPT the auto shut off. Hate that. But they all do that now. Again, **sigh**

We made it thru Hanna. I was underwhelmed, LOL. LOT'S of rain. Old Town got about 6", mostly between around 9am to noon. Not a lot of wind, some. And a little flooding on King Street, but it didn't look like it got even to the first stores. They were ready - sandbagged. And the wooden indian in front of the Cigar store was wearing it's life vest. Wish I'd taken my camera.
If the Burda's turn out, more pants will be on deck. If not, likely back to the pencil skirt. BOR-ING! And not really where I want to go.
And since I have no sewing photo's, I'll just leave you with this neat picture. I don't remember where it came from, but I didn't take it. Sorry to whomever I got it from, and thank you! If it's you, let me know.