Burda Style For people who sew

If you, like me, are counting down the days until the impending release of the new The Great Gatsby, you can probably guess what project I picked from this month’s burda style magazine. Jazz Age-inspired Ralph Lauren, Gucci, Etro, and Marc Jacobs designs this spring have been filling the air with the spirit of excitement and liberation of the 1920s. No wonder that once I saw the flapper-style layered lace dress in the June issue of burda style magazine, I knew I had to make it!

Another project accomplished – a beautiful ‘optical illusion’ dress from the May issue of burda style magazine. This makes it the third garment for my couture wardrobe challenge that I started back in March.

What happens when you take on a self-imposed monthly couture challenge? I completed the April project and here I was, restless, waiting for the next issue to arrive so I could choose a sewing pattern for the May project. Remember what this was all about? Here’s a refresher:

After 60 yards of thread-tracing, 30 yards of catch-stitching, 30 yards of basting, and 10 yards of fell-stitching, I am now the proud owner of a couture skirt and blouse. But let me recap what this is about first. Back in March, I challenged myself to create a couture wardrobe picking one style each month from a current issue of Burda Style Magazine. With the help of my couture mentor in this project, Susan Khalje, I plan to complete each project before the next issue is released.

This week, BurdaStyle guest blogger Marina von Koenig dishes with couture sewing expert Susan Khalje on Valentino, the importance of fit, and keys to success when sewing a couture garment. Susan also shares her top 5 BurdaStyle pattern picks and gives readers some tips on how to customize and style these looks.

This week, guest blogger and couture aficionado Marina von Koenig gives us a sneak peak of April’s BurdaStyle couture challenge using two handpicked sewing patterns from our upcoming issue of Burda Style Magazine.

Though I wouldn’t say that I’m quite in the territory of having a Snuggie as my winter uniform, I’m definitely more likely to be found crafting in front of a terrible (read: awesome) movie than out doing winter activities. But then I see images like this and it makes me want to rethink my approach to the whole season. Days of olde, why you make everything look so good?

It’s everywhere. I open my eyes, glitter. I close my eyes, sparkle. Tis the season to shine! It is my first Holiday season in New York City and I can’t help but crave a little bling for the holiday parties filling my calendar.

I would love a new outfit studded with glittery accessories, but my move across the country has me a little cash strapped. What is a fabulously broke girl to do? Why, DIY of course!

Follow me on my first time DIY adventure! Check out my glittery finds on Pinterest and chat me up on Twitter about your favorite glittery finds.

With the cold weather setting in the Northern hemisphere, what’s better than to wrap yourself in warm woolen garments? Especially if they are made by yourself.

A few couture techniques may help you achieve more professional and polished look for your next tweed blazer or bouclé dress. A seemingly basic construction element – a dart – can be key in accomplishing this task.

There are a lot of reasons why fall is the unchallenged queen of all seasons for me. The blazing leaves, the smell in the air, and yes… the plaid! Dipping temperatures are perfect for my more-is-more fashion philosophy and it’s made all the happier whenever I can incorporate a whole lotta chunky textures and a profusion of prints. It’s especially exciting this season as colors, prints and layers dominate the runways as well as the streets. Consider this look at similarly inspired glories of autumn fashions from the past as a love letter to my most favorite season.

Hundreds of sewing patterns, sewing books, magazines and instructions and hardly any mention of this most useful sewing notion: beeswax.

You don’t need to be a quilter to enjoy a visit to the International Quilt Festival. The quilts on display are full of incredibly craftsmanship that shows the talent of these artists. Here are some close-ups of the fine details for your viewing pleasure.

Honestly, I hardly know anyone who hand overcasts nowadays. Do you?

But the sewing nerd I am I could not resist making a case for it. You may say that hand overcasting takes ages, and that it is much easier to serge or zigzag the edges, or use Hong Kong finish, or anything else.

As much as I love Halloween, the week before never fails to find me sans costume. Generally, my best Halloween ideas come to me shortly after the holiday has passed and then disappear long before the day has rolled around again. Alas, this year is no different. As the creepy decorations go up and jack-o-lanterns are alighted, this month’s Style Sheets is dedicated to filling the trick-or-treat bags of us procrastinators with a little inspirational eye candy.