We are going to be creating a new feature on our blog. Every Saturday and Sunday we will post a members blog, site or store. What this means is if you post something cool on your blog (which I'm sure you do) and you want us to check it out send us the link and maybe you will get chosen for that week's member blog spot. This goes for stores and sites too, we want to see what you are made of! So if you have something for us to see, send it to us at team@burdastyle.com, we will check it out and the pick the ones for that coming weekend. Have a great long weekend everyone and we will see you back here on Tuesday!

The studio almost burst with the amount of people that came- we had to take out furniture, even our beloved pattern table.

The room was certainly abuzz with creative energy. We had a good turn out of members: (wzrdreams, Kasia26, cmintrator, Desira_Pesta, bellamabella, motozulli, Julia) as well as tons of smart and creative people from DIY, fashion, media and the online scene.


Some of the people who have inspired us through the years joined in our celebration. Admired Esther Dyson came, Robert Kalin, founder of Etsy (who taught Benedikta and Nora Illustrator and got them on the opens source track), Etsy's new CEO Maria Thomas - super nice and smart! – as well as tons of our Etsy friends.

We were especially happy to welcome independent designers that use BurdaStyle patterns for their line! Check out the following:

- Layla Delridge Ledthread

- Das Design Team ruffeoheartslilsnoty

- Desira Pesta Desira Pesta

And of course our sweet new addition to BurdaStyle contributor Alison Kelly (known from Project Runway, who is always wearing her beautiful line Alison Dahl) and also a young guy named Alex Yoo (founder a fun site where you can design men's shirt online: alexander-west.com)

People were certainly having fun and celebrating all that is BurdaStyle: “Awesome party -- very colorful! Burdastyle is a fantastic idea, and it's great to see it flourishing. Viva la DIY!” says Tom Bennett of Pond5.

After Benedikta and Nora introduced team and welcomed the guests we turned up the music and danced like there was no tomorrow. As Robert Kalin from Etsy said, “The dance floor was as jumpin' as BurdaStyle's online community, with joy until late in the night.” Unfortunately we did remember there was a tomorrow and decided to pack it in. Though it was certainly hard to get Jeff (Hikru’s fiance) and Mike to stop (break) dancing. As everyone left they got a bag of goodies: personal measurement cards, buttons, and lollipops.


There was a lot of work that went into this party and we just want to take a minute to give the team a shout out: We all worked hard on our customized T-Shirts, playing around with Hikaru's iconic button design. Alden organized the party with the huge help of Layla. Juniors was responsible for our big super cheese-chocolate cake, picked up by Sabsi. Tristan caught the perfect mood with the perfect music. And finally to everyone who contributed and attended the party, thank you.

There will be a video next week, stay tuned!

Check out pictures:

Antwan Duncan was our photographer and his pics really captured the moment.

And Bre Pettis took some awesome photos, as well!

The most controversial piece of fabric: the veil in fashion.

What comes to your mind when you think about headscarves? Female oppression? Religious extremism? At least in Germany, the controversy about female Muslim teachers wearing headscarves in school has turned this little accessory into one of the most contested pieces of cloth. Yet, this controversy is not new: Just to give you an example, already when the French colonized Algiers in the 19th century, French soldiers dragged women from villages into towns where they had to publicly take off their headscarves. What for the French was a symbol for the liberation of oppressed women, was for Algerian men AND WOMEN a symbolic rape.

Mind you, in Europe, it was not only fashionable but also convention for women to wear headscarves until the 1970s and men would not leave the house without their hats. Some people of world fame still appreciate headscarves not just for their practicality against cold winds and rain but also for their style: a 2007 issue of the British Vogue called Queen Elizabeth II of England, "as glamorous in her brogues and headscarf as she is wearing the crown jewels."

But not only old queens can look glamorous in headscarves. In fact, where Muslim women have a bit of room for experimenting within their religious dress code, a fully covered body including veiled hair cannot just look incredibly sophisticated but also creates an aura of female mystery. What it looks like to "show the beauty of the flower while covering the flower" shows us Turkish fashion designer Rabia YalÁin who made her debut as at New York's Fashion week last February. Autumn and winter are coming and why not get inspired by a tradition that searches for and reveals the beauty of a woman in a completely different way than we are used to.

And while you get your patterns and sewing machines ready, just remember for a moment all those women in this world, for whom it is not a question of choice what to wear.

1. Where are you from and/or where do you live?

I'm from Tallahassee, Florida and I'm currently going to school at Georgia Tech and living in Atlanta, GA.

2. What was the 1st thing you made? How did you start sewing?

I don't really remember probably a pillow or tote bag out of scraps from my mom. The first thing I remember making on my own was a huge messenger bag for school. I started sewing because I wanted cool clothes and accessories that no one else had, I had always seen my mom sewing so it was easy for me to pick up.

3. What role does sewing play in your life?

I literally sew something everyday. I go to a school that is very structured and sewing is my creative outlet, not to mention way cheaper than buying clothes.

4. What is your favorite and what is your least favorite thing about sewing?

My favorite thing about sewing is when people ask me where I got something I'm wearing and I get to reply "I made it". My least favorite thing about sewing is when I mess up and have to spend 30 minutes ripping out seams.

5. If you could make something for anyone who would it be and what would you make?

I would make a cool sling for my dad (he broke his elbow) because he doesn't like his black one. I'd also love to make myself a fantabulous wedding dress someday.

6. What are you looking for on our site? What do you think should be improved and what do you really like?

I'm looking to learn more about sewing, I've learned a lot from this site and I look forward to learning more! I can't think of any improvements I love this site! I love to look at user creations, I think there are so many talented people on this site, I could sit at my computer and flip through the creations all day.

7. What is your motto?

I don't really have one, I guess it would be never give up, cause I never give up on my sewing projects.

Kgallagher3’s creations are sweet feminine and stylish. Her Potato Stamped Anda was one of my personal favorites for the Anda Sewalong Mini Challenge. Her status say’s she is sewing up fall clothes and I, for one, am excited to see what her fall clothes turn out to be

I decided I wanted to become a fashion designer by default; having always a strong interest in art, my mother being an extraordinary painter (who also taught me to sew), my father, an English major with an obscure sense of humor in language as well as in illustration, I graduated high school planning to become a sculptor, painter, or jeweler. I moved to San Miguel de Allende in Guanajuato, Mexico, to study fine arts at an international institution and became entranced by silver-smithing. A year went by and I realized that body adornment was extremely important to me, having always worn clothes that had been altered to my liking, or as a teenager, made by myself, I decided I was keen to study fashion design. True to my wandering nature, I enrolled myself in another international program which landed me in the morosely beautiful city of Florence, Italy. Our design rooms were perched upon a striking yellow ocher building which nested at the base of Ponte Vecchio on the river Arno. Learning to drape changed my perspective on fashion design completely. With a few props & tools there are endless patterns and forms to create, it's incredibly addictive.

To bring my message to you in less than 1000 words, I will sum up the meaning of this explanation by saying that sewing & design changed my life. And created what is meaningful in my life now. To be able to create a unique piece of clothing is invaluable, and being able to wear this creation and interact with the world while in it is incredibly fulfilling, a unique experience unto itself. I have had my own line since the day I graduated from college. I moved to Los Angeles upon getting my BFA and set up shop in a tiny little closet above the stairs in my apartment. I would scour the garment district for old bolts of washed silk and jersey to make limited edition, 1-off collections and bring them around to stores where many buyers placed the limited collections on consignment. I also did many "punk-rock flea markets, and other more upscale flea markets where I'd sell t-shirts and dresses to boys & girls for $20 each.

The popularity of these mini-collections became an issue at a certain point; the buyers always wanted more, yet I had used up the entire roll of a vintage washed silk print and it was gone. Forever. As much as I loved the exclusivity of 1-offs, I decided it was time to transform the line into a wholesale collection. I moved to New York City in the winter of 2006 and while searching for an apartment, I auditioned, much against my own will at first, for Project Runway, the hit fashion design competition series. I found out I had been cast as a contestant in May. Everything changed.

Want to win a Singer Sewing Machine? Well here is you chance! Venus Zine has partnered with Singer to bring you the 4th Annual Craft-Off. To enter you need to have a great DIY gift idea which costs less than $40 to produce. The best ideas will be pulled from the submissions and their creators will be featured in the winter issue of Venus Zine. Submission's are due by the 18th of September, so get crackin!

We have noticed a slight problem with the “submit order” button while purchasing patterns. Our programmers are working hard to fix this but for the time being we ask you not to purchase any patterns until further notice. The free patterns are still available for download. Thanks for your patience!

I know that many of you live in my neck of the woods so I wanted to let you know about Melbourne Fashion Week. It runs from the 1st to the 7th of September and has over 100 free and ticketed events showcasing the latest and hottest Spring-Summer fashion and a few events on the program have caught my eye. The Gorman Organic Ship Shop is made from a 20ft used shipping container, constructed from recycled ply and other sustainable materials and it moves!! There are no plastic bags and no cash register. You try on then buy online at the ship shop and have your purchase sent to you. All of Gorman’s clothing is organic. The Ship Shop will be docking in the City Square all week long. I’ll be taking a trip into the city to check it out.

The other event that I’m interested in attending is the RAW Sustainable Fashion Parade. The parade will promote sustainability in fashion with the use of organic, vintage and recycled fabrics. Australian designers will demonstrate that fashion can be stylish and sustainable. It will be held at FIX Docklands on Friday the 5th of September from 9 till 11pm and costs $15. Of course I’ll have to come up with a fabulous refashioned outfit by next Friday, I have a few ideas and will show you what I come up with. Would anyone care to meet up with me there? I’d love to get together with some of you so email or message me if you are interested.

I’m still working on the Jorinde jacket for the sewalong. My second muslin is almost done then I can get started on my final piece. I’m taking it slow and making sure I (hopefully) do a good job but more on that next time. I also have a new mini challenge planned for the very near future so keep you eyes peeled for that.

Here at BurdaStyle, we love learning new sewing tricks to help us execute our projects as well as beautifully as possible. Sometimes, of course, the fancy techniques can be a bit much, but it’s nice to have the confidence and knowledge to make a really high-end garment once in a while.

Well, this week we show you the Hong Kong method of seam finishing in our How To section. This method encases raw edges in bias binding, and, since it is more labor-intensive than, say, serging raw edges, the Hong Kong finish is generally used in better-quality clothing. This technique is great for finishing beautiful summer garments that you wouldn’t want to line; for example, a linen jacket or skirt.

We show you how to apply the Hong Kong finish to both seams and hems. Take a look, and start day-dreaming about using these techniques on your next extra-special garment.

Uni- or Unique-form

It's "back to school" and millions of students are pulling out their school uniforms. And curiously, no matter what continent or country, no matter the diversity of styles and clothes around the world, school uniforms are uni-form: in the choice of darkish colors and a somewhat European designs.

How can that be, you ask, that school uniforms in Africa, look the same as in Asia, as they do in Latin America, Europe and elsewhere in the world? The answer is simple: thanks to a certain colonial influence, many school systems around the world were modeled after the European school system not just with respect to their curricula but also their fashion.

Take the "traditional" Japanese school uniform: the boy's secondary school outfit, the gakuran, which sports a dark jacket with stand-up collar and buttons down the front, is modeled after the Prussian army uniform worn in the 1870s when Japan was looking to Europe for ideas to build its education system. Today, school uniforms have become a Japanese fashion item inspiring fashion parades to show off latest designs. Especially the sailor fuku, the naval uniform worn by girls is well known thanks to its appearance in Japanese cartoons known as mangas. Nevertheless, the super-short skirts that you may have seen be worn by Sailor Moon, the High School Girls or in Gonz·lez IÒ·rrituís Film Babel are likely to be fiction rather than reality: there is a minimum length for skirts in schools and teachers do enforce them; although, I wouldn't vouch for what happens outside school.

In the US school uniforms, especially in public schools, have not just a shorter but a less inspiring history. Uniforms or strict dress codes started to b introduced in the 1980s to "prevent kids from shooting each other over designer sneakers". Whether it helps is difficult to say but, it has sparked some strong reactions not just in children but also in parents who feel their freedom of expression to be violated. But do dress codes and uniforms really have to infringe on rights? Maybe a uniform design contest could turn a nerds uni-form into a unique-form and a fashion statement · la Japan.

And in case you are looking for a new supplier, you can have your new batch of school uniforms hand tailored by HandCrafting Justice and give mothers in Mexico and Laos the opportunity to send their children to school, too.