This is the second La mia boutique issue I ever bought in the three years I have been living in Italy…Given that La mia boutique is the only fully Italian sewing magazine for garments and that you can find it everywhere…you can understand why it is quite an event!
Why don’t I buy it?…you may be wondering… Normally it’s the patterns they offer. The designs are either not my style at all, they seem complex or look cheap or a combination of these*

Another problem I have with LMB is their photography, make-up and hairstyles…you can see why in some of the photos below…

Despite all my reservations…this time I think they nailed the issue. They have a ‘Grace Kelly series’ I absolutely love. I guess I was born in the wrong decade!

A princess seam bodice with a pintuck skirt…and I love the fabric too!

The right-hand jacket is lovely. The structured neckline is fabulous. The dress to the left is made of organza and has a underdress/slip… so you can combine the two patterns or make them separately.

Though I find the bag print and the dress don’t go well together and I would personally not wear a coat and a dress in the same print… the patterns they are actually very nice.

Below is an article on how to be like Grace…basically they create 5 outfits from RTW items. I adore dress 2 that you can buy for a mere (!) 1,550 euros (1312 GBP or 1194 USD) from Noni-mode or make yourself by drafting your own pattern… I wonder which one I will go for

Next up are the Plus size patterns. I find them very stylish…though I probably would not make a see-through blouse…but you can simply use the pattern and choose a different fabric right?

The photo below is from a what they call an Ethnical series…with inspiration from Japan, Spain and India…ok if you go beyond the setup (I don’t quite understand what the model is doing on that green stand….and what that has to do with Japan), the styling, the makeup….you will find a quite nice cowl top (number 16 in the drawing)… What I like about it is that the front is cut below the bust thus saving you from having to place the full front on the bias…and allowing you to easily combine colors and prints…or add embellishments, piping….you name it!

This is the full pattern list…as you can see there are also two bags, some kids pattern and a couple of men patterns including an evening tailcoat for any upcoming State dinner we may have

GIVEAWAY

To mark this exceptionally good La mia boutique issue I am giving away one copy of MAY 2013 issue to a lucky winner.

To enter leave a comment below and tell me which pattern you like best from the issue.

The giveaway is open until Friday, May 31 and anyone, anywhere is welcome to join in.

WHERE TO BUY LA MIA BOUTIQUE

If you wish to buy you can find it online from Newsstand or Speedimpex or Abbonatiweb (currently they only have the Italian price). Subscriptions are 118 Euros in Europe, 155 Euros in Africa, Americas, Asia, 198 Euros in Australia and New Zealand.

As for subscriptions, I would like to mention there was an issue last year and they skipped issues in December 2012 and January 2013. Though apparently all subscriptions were extended accordingly, the communication was really poor (only in Italian and only on Facebook). I thought I should mention this.

Should you need an occasional issue, I could help you out (e.g. buy it from the newsstand and send it)

*Disclaimer: if you like LMB this is not a judgement to you by any means. I apologize if my words sound too harsh.

Clearly no dancer should fear for their job! I was told this outfit looks like a 70s Disco Costumes….and I have to be thankful it’s quite modest if compared to those!

I had to include a picture of the back view…flames on my derriere…I won’t say anymore!

Sewing details

Top: Easy cap sleeve tee by Jocole scoop neck version with 3/8 inch (1 cm) neck and sleeve bands. By the way I recently stopped using the twin needle and simply used a single row of elastic stitch…much less hassle but still nice results.
Pants: the lycra I found is quite tick so it was a breeze to work with. I added an elastic waistband because the pattern was sitting too low for my taste. I totally copied the pattern from the original pants.
The gold topstitching metallic thread was a total pain to sew…the thread kept on breaking despite my tweaking tension setting and trying every possible needle combination (except the metallic needle…) I used thin paper as backing instead of stabilizer which helped a little to make smoother stitches.

I really hope you will come back and read my blog again after this! Now I’d better go to my practice class…with my new outfit!

By the way….what do you think of my new banner? I am trying to do something different here but not sure what…

And if that was not enough of a challenge…I’ll have to copy these pants/trousers. Unfortunately I couldn’t find any red lycra with gold polka dots so they will be plain red. And I will attempt to use Gutermann Sulky metallic thread. I heard it’s not that easy to use. Have you ever tried using it? Any tips?

I want to wish you a great weekend with this picture just taken a moment ago from my balcony…I hope it will be a relaxing one!

Look my dress got selected to be on Burda Spain April issue! And they managed to misspell my blog name…they must have thought Sewig is my last name…oh well you can’t have it all.

(Sorry for the low quality picture…it’s a scan from the magazine)
Not long ago I discovered that Burda Spain and Burda Germany run a monthly reader competition. You can send them the picture of a garment you made from their patterns and hope to be selected. The winner gets a nice box of Coats threads. Above are all the finalists and the winner…the fabulous Peplum top (it´s still on my to do list after my fitting issues)

Though I may sound very cheesy, to me Burda means sewing…I grew up flicking through the issues my mom bought. So I was beyond excited when the picture made it to the magazine…just please don´t call me Silvia Sewig

If you follow Burda on Facebook you can find out about competitions…and you don’t need to live in the country to join (I don’t know if they would send the prize though).

The weekend started in the best possible way…London welcomed me with a bright sunny day! Armed with Karen’s map to fabric shops, I headed to the  famous Walthamstow market to meet sweet Evie.  Though we never met before we discovered straight away we have one thing very important thing common: coffee!

We started chatting away and time started to fly by… Evie is really a charming person…and the smile you see on her blog and profile…it’s for real!

The fabric stores were nice in Walthamstow, fabric is nicely laid out in rolls so no need for rummaging. Despite the super low prices (we are talking less than a dollar/euro or .50p for a meter) we were both rather cautious with our purchases and believe it or not only walked out with 1 cut of fabric each…

Next stop…Goldhawk Road fabric market… I had been in touch with Rachel and told her we might join them for their fabulous meet-up. Little did I know we would bump into them while having another coffee at Costa’s. Picture this….I was talking to Evie and I suddenly see her turning her head towards the restroom…all I see is somebody wearing a flowery skirt walking in…and the red tiles…All I think is: well, maybe Evie was looking at the tiles!

Turns out Evie saw Karen walking in…we turn around and see a bunch of women with shopping bags and we think: they must be from Rachel’s meet up! We burst out laughing when poor Karen walks out of the restroom…she must have really taught we were rather odd!

Despite this funny introduction…Rachel still invited us to join them for lunch! Seamstresses are really the most welcoming people. The group was super large…nearly 50 women invaded the restaurant. Pity I didn’t get to talk to all of them! (Thanks Dibs for the friendly welcome).

After a day off from sewing…on Monday I was up early (ok…it was 8…but still) to head to Raystitch for a sewing class…Remember my fit issues? After having spent most of the winter perfecting my muslin and getting feedback from Lynda on Craftsy, I still felt not all my issues were solved. So I decided to sign up for a class with Alice Prier who is a trained theater designer and teaches regular bodice block classes there.

My expectations were high…though I was worried it could turn out as another failure if the instructor was not into fitting as much as I hoping for. Thankfully it turned out Alice is very kind and expert at fitting. She could see immediately what the remaining issues were (Like…as she put it…my C cup bum!).

She helped me out redrawing the new pattern and we even managed to sew a new bodice muslin to check the fit…For a moment I felt the same pressure Sewing Bee’s participants must have felt! Now I can’t wait to make a properly fitted shift dress!

With some great food in my belly I was ready for the next stop. Later in the afternoon…I headed to meet Melissa from Fehr Trade! How great it was to meet her too…I am really thankful she could squeeze me in her busy schedule! Which reminds me I still haven’t sent her the scans I promised (oops!)

Finally I managed to sew Paco Peralta’s Treky dress…when I saw his drawings it was love at first sight. It just took six months for my love to materialize ;o)

From a technique point of view , this dress marks my first ever attempt at using flat piping.

I started off with a size M that I had to take in for my swayback, a bit at the sides and tapered the sleeves. I also lowered and widened the neckline. I used Ruth’s tutorial to put the dress together…she’s so clever!

As for styling…I never wear navy blue (but I got both fabric and piping for free) …I am always worried I look to serious in it… that’s why I decided to share some outtakes…I am not that serious after all…and for sure I won’t become a model any time soon!

After you’re told don’t look up…what can you do? Look down…right?

And here is when I try being a bit adventurous with my posing…and end up looking crazy, silly or dorky (the choice is yours)! On this is clear to me…this dress can be worn up or down…and it’s super comfy in a knit!

I wish you a week full of sewing fun! If you want to share your outtakes…I’d be happy to see them.

The problem was that my lower looper broke in half. This apparently is not so common (though Melissa told me she had the same problem) and to this day I don’t know what caused it

So, I thought I’d share some maintenance tips I have learned. Please add any tips you may have in the comments…I am sure you have some more!

Let’s start with the obvious ones…

1. Thoroughly clean your serger/overlocker after every use to get rid of the fluffs. Deborah from Whipstich made a great video

2. Oil your serger/overlocker. A drop is enough. Your manual will show you exactly where.

3. Never use pins on your project…if they end up under the knife it will break.

Now the less obvious (at least to me)…but very important when changing your threads

4. When changing your thread, release the tension on the serger. Simply turn all dials to zero (note down the tensions you had before in case you forget). Put them back to the original settings when done.

5. If you rethread your overlocker by tying a knot, gently pull the thread by hand through until the new color thread goes all the way through the serger. It’s better if you tie the know after the new color is over the tension dials.

6. Never ever start your serger with the presser foot up…not even when simply rethreading your machine. The lower looper may break.

7. Ensure your thread is well tucked in inside the tension dials

8. And finally, if you are struggling with your tension settings have a look at this video exercise

[ITALIAN VERSION]

Come forse saprete, quest’anno sono stata piuttosto sfortunata con la mia taglia e cuci. L’ho dovuta far riparare ben due volte. Lo scherzetto mi e’ costato quasi 200 euro…pero’ ho trovato una persona competente a soli 40 km da casa.

Il crochet inferiore si e’ rotto. Nonostante mi abbiano detto che non sia un problema ricorrente e tutt’oggi non sappia come possa essere successo, ho pensato di elencare qualche consiglio per la manutenzione della taglia e cuci.
Se avete dei consigli da aggiungere…lasciateli nei commenti…sono sicura che ne avete.

Cominciamo da quelli piu’ semplici.

1. Pulire bene la taglia e cuci dopo aver finito ogni lavoro. Potete guardare questo video (in inglese)

2. Oliare la taglia e cuci. Basta una goccia. Sul manuale viene indicato esattamente dove farlo.

3. Non usare mai gli spilli sul capo che cucite. Se finiscono sotto il coltello, questo si rompe e deve essere sostituito.

Ora i consigli meno ovvi…o almeno lo erano per me… Sono importanti soprattutto quando cambiate i fili.

4. Quando cambiate i fili, togliete tutta la tensione portando su 0 i selettori (appuntate i settaggi che avevate prima per evitare di dimenticarli)

5. Se per cambiare i fili usate la tecnica dei nodi, tirate i fili piano piano a mano fino a quando non avrete fatto fare tutto il percorso al nuovo colore. Altrimenti il nodo potrebbe bloccarsi. Sarebbe meglio fare il nodo oltre i dischi di tensione.

6. Non fare mai partire la taglia e cuci con il piedino alzato. Neanche solo per cambiare il filo…il crochet protrebbe rompersi.

7. Assicuratevi che il filo sia ben inserito nei dischi di tensione.

8. Se avete problemi a trovare i settaggi corretti per la tensione, provate con questo esercizio (purtroppo il video e’ in inglese ma credo si capisca ugualmente…altrimenti chiedetemi pure)

Does it happen to you that you keep on postponing fairly simple projects to venture in the most complicated endeavors? That’s what I have been doing for the past few months! I have been wanting to make lounge/pajama pants pretty much since I started sewing…and never put myself to it.

Finally I got tired of muslining and wanted to finish a real project…So I frankepatterned Maria Denmark’s Winnie wide-legged trousers and made these lounge pants! Basically I straightened the leg and widened the waistline to have enough width to pull the pants up…I should have widened them slightly more, though!

For the shirred waistband I used Noodlehead’s shirred pajama pants tutorial

The fabric is a bargain from Barcelona and it’s great because the design had the vertical stripes built in…so went against all sewing rules…and cut the waistband parallel to the selvage…and the vertical band on the left pant well, it’s just because the fabric wasn’t wide enough without it… But I like the result.

Wanna join me for a pajama party? Bring your cup of coffee…I’ll be waiting for you on the sofa!

Wish you and your families a nice Easter.

Though it’s not technically a sewing project…there is some sewing involved in making shoes…so I thought they can make an appearance on my sewing blog…

I started taking flamenco classes again this year and I desperately needed new shoes…So I decided to get them from the famous Gallardo a Madrid based company that has been making flamenco shoes by hand since 1951.

Flamenco shoes have nails on the tip and the heel…this is what allows you to make the unique sound. I have used them already twice…and you can really tell the difference in sound…now the instructor can finally hear my feet ;o)

Deciding which shoes I would get was rather difficult…You can choose among many designs from Gallardo online store, pick the heel, width, choose between leather, suede or varnished finish…but the hardest for me was the color…I have always worn black flamenco shoes and I wanted to change. Red is a popular color…but I didn’t want to draw too much attention to my feet…and when I discovered they have two shades of grey…well…the choice was made and went with the lighter option….

Now…I am officially ready to dance…on May 25 I will actually be on stage! Till then I leave you with Sara Baras in a scene from Flamenco, the movie by Carlos Saura. Towards the end of the video you can see her gorgeous foot work…something to aspire to!

That’s really annoying to say the least… but thankfully there are other options out there… and they are all pretty promising

Bloglovin

I just signed up with them today and imported there all my existing google reader subscriptions. It was pretty fast and smooth

Just follow the instructions and it will be pretty quick

Exporting subscriptions from Google reader

Importing your subscriptions in Bloglovin

You can even claim your blog
So, I will be trying it out in the coming days…if you want to try it too, here is the link to add my blog to your subscription.

Feedly

A very nice, visual alternative to reader is Feedly

I was using it already on my phone when the news from google was announced. So, in a way I was prepared. I love it on the phone because you can smoothly flick through pages. The presentation is great.

Now they also have a browser version so if you can find a version for Firefox, Safari and Chrome (Internet Explorer is not supported)

UPDATE: I just discovered you can go through your posts using the keyboard shortcut ‘J’. Here are some other nifty Feedly settings

Flipboard

If you like reading on your phone or tablet, you can also try Flipboard. Again their presentation is great, very entertaining. It’s like flicking through magazine pages where the articles are your blog subscriptions posts.

Blogger and WordPress

Another alternative is to add your subscriptions to Blogger or WordPress. I particularly like WordPress’ feature that let’s you know when someone replied to a message you sent (thanks Evie!)

So…just to let you know there are quite a few options out there…and I am sure more will come. And we have no excuse to give up reading our favorite blogs!