Last Minute Burda Top

I spent this past weekend in the Poconos with my boyfriend's extended family, and I must say that family reunions are much better when you are not related to the other guests.  Some of the highlights of my weekend included singing with Irish folk songs, watching my boyfriend's family drink plenty of Jameson, and exploring an abandoned resort.  It was nice to get away for a few days, but it has really taken me awhile to get back up to speed with life this week--as evidenced by my lack of posts!  I'm excited to finally have the chance to share the story of my new Burda top.

Before we departed for the scenic Eastern Pennsylvanian countryside on Friday, I wanted to make sure that I had plenty of nice outfits to wear.  In addition to the H&M tankdress, I decided to make this strapless top, #113 from the 6/2009 Burda magazine.  I owe a big thank you to Marita for posting a super helpful tutorial on her blog!  I did attempt to read Burda's directions briefly, but found Marita's guidance a bit simpler and intuitive.  This was definitely a quick project--I started and finished it last Thursday, the night before we left on our trip.  My biggest trip-up was that I originally put the pleats in going the wrong direction.  No big.  I just ripped them out and flipped them the other way!  

I highly recommend this pattern for summer sewing, as it is a very quick and rewarding project.  It also fits quite well, and this is coming from someone who does not usually "do" strapless.  The top does naturally slip down a bit over time, however.  As a fix I'm thinking of adding some corset boning in the side seams of the bodice, and maybe even some silicone-backed elastic at the top.  One additional note is that the fabric I used was 1 yd of bamboo/cotton jersey purchased from fabric.com.  While making the top, I wished that I had picked a slightly denser rayon knit with better recovery.  While I'm sure this jersey will be fine for a single season garment, the grain is also not completely straight, making the pleats hang a bit wonky.

Has anyone else made this top?  Please send me links if you have--I would love to see your results!  

Ok, I'm off to work on more projects!  I cut a pair of linen pants out three weeks ago that I should really finish before summer is over!  Happy sewing :)

Weekend Project Progress

I was really busy this weekend! My list of current projects keeps getting longer, though I haven't been finishing much. This past weekend I cut out:

1. Jacket from Burda 5/2006
   
   
2. Strapless swimsuit
   
   
3. Top 118 from Burda 2/2009
   
4. Franzi vest from Burdastyle

I don't have pics yet for the last two, but I will soon-promise! For the jacket I am using a silk/cotton blend from fabricmart fabrics, and a great vintage button that I found at Exquisite Fabrics. For the strapless swimsuit I'm using poly/spandex jersey from fabric.com. The photo on the left is Norma Kamali's Walter MIO suit, which inspired this creation. If you haven't seen it yet, you should definitely check out http://normakamalicollection.com.

I've also been combing through my stash to identify possible projects. There is so much fabric that I really love, but am not sure how to use. My sewing space is quite small (about 5ftx7ft, including sewing machine, ironing board and storage) so it can get a bit chaotic when i bring out too many projects at once.

Yesterday I found this post by Katharine, in which she mentioned how she deals her small workspace. I know I need to be better organized, but of course I'm not sure where to start! How do you keep your sewing space tidy? If you have any suggestions I would love to hear from you.

Now I'm off to find some fabric to go with this:

But more about upcoming projects later! Good luck on all your current projects and fabric hunting :)