Big, billowy blouson

This is my latest Burda Style make. Big and billowy and easy to wear.

 There's a yoke and pleats in the back - perfect for spontaneous outbursts of kitchen dancing...

... and the sleeves are as big as the wings of a bat.

There's a story behind these sleeves, which are made from 3 orange-like segments (for extra volume, of course). For one hairy moment I thought I'd run out of material, but thank goodness for highly patterned vintage fabric. What you can't see in these photos is that each sleeve now 'features' an impromptu patchwork section. Gotta love a 'feature'!

The love and hate of dressmaking

This dress and I have a history. The fabric and I first met in a Margate bric-a-brac shop just after Christmas. We thought we'd get on well. Then I noticed the pattern in the February issue of Burda style. We introduced ourselves over a cup of tea and decided to give it a go. The dress progressed, friendship blossomed. All was going so well. Until, dress completed, we had a major argument during the first proper fitting when it became apparent that instead of being a lovely, low-fuss, 60s inspired shift, she was actually a big brown swirly sack. With pockets. And frilly sleeves. 

Feet were stamped, nasty words were said, we decided to never speak to each other again. 

Then, after a good night's sleep and a bit of perspective, I decided to be the bigger person (after all, I was actually the person in this relationship). We talked it out and  realised that instead of making alterations, the only thing to do was to take the whole dress apart, cut it out in the next size down, and then, finally stitch it back together again. 

Two nights later, dress finally finished,  the relationship was well on its way to being mended. It's been hard work, but I feel I've grown as a person, while the dress has, well, become a smaller but better dress.

In the end, it was worth it.

Going round in circles

This weekend we had a family trip to Baby Boogie. Supposedly a Sunday afternoon disco experience for the under 5's, it's fundamentally a thinly veiled excuse for parents to throw some shapes. I highly recommend an audience of 3 year olds as a confidence builder in ones dance abilities. No alcohol in sight - not even a fizzy drink -  and there we were, running through every move in the book of Dad Dancing. Things got wild when someone broke out their Caterpillar. Much whooping ensued. Then the children starting crying.

Anyway, the reason I share, is because we clearly needed a special disco skirt for such an occasion. Luckily I had just the right pattern to hand- Burda Style Issue 6/2013 has a fab dancing skirt. Two-tiered, circular and gathered onto an also gathered waistband. It has a twirl factor of 10.

Although fun to make, it definitely needs a lightweight cotton and I think the fabrics (an ikea bird print and a vintage cotton) were on the heavier end of what will work. The pattern goes for an unfinished raw edge hem. While I like the idea (who wouldn't want to avoid hemming a two-tiered circular skirt), Mr Loulabelle made a comment about it not being finished yet, and I hate to confess that I kind of agree! (ssssh, don't tell him I said that!)
 

There's a version of this pattern for mum's too - dare I make myself a disco skirt?? Or would it just get in the way of The Caterpillar?