Srećna nova godina / Happy new year

Srećnu i uspešnu Novu 2012. godinu želi vam Štepalica!

Štepalica wishes you a happy and successful year 2012!

Moj pačvork jastuk na Burda Style sajtu / My patchwork pillow on the Burda Style website

Juče je na Burda Style sajtu osvanuo (a zatim i misteriozno nestao!) moj jastuk rađen pačvork tehnikom. Pravila sam ga dok sam stažirala u Burda Style, a tema je bila - napraviti predmet koji je prikladan za poklon, i koji ne zahteva previše vremena niti veština za izradu. Koristila sam ostatke pamuka koje sam našla u kancelarijskom ormanu,  što je odličan način da se utroše krpice koje više ničemu ne služe. Na sajtu se nalaze  Za sajt sam pisala i instrukcije za pravljenje ove jednostavne pačvork šare.

Iz nekog razloga, Burda Style nije objavio sliku gotovog jastuka, već samo prednju polovinu nedovršene jastučnice. No, ako mi verujete na reč, jastuk sam zaista kompletirala i ostavila u Njujorku, u kancelariji. Ne znam šta se dalje zbilo s njim kada sam otišla...

Burda Style website featured yesterday (and now it has mysteriously disappeared) a pillow I made using the patchwork technique. I sewed it while interning at Burda Style, and the project theme was - make a simple item, suitable for a holiday gift, that does not require a lot of time nor technical skills for making. I used fabric scraps I found in the office stash; an ideal way to use fabric remnants. You can find I wrote the instructions for making this simple patchwork ornament on for the website.

For some reason Burda Style didn't publish a picture of the finished pillow, but only the front side of an unfinished pillowcase. However, I DID finish it, if you trust my words, but left it in NYC, at the office. I don't know what happened with it once I left...

Fitbot robotizovana lutka / Fitbot Mannequin

Nauka u službi mode. Volela bih da imam ovakvu krojačku lutku!

Science in service of fashion. I wish I had this mannequin!

Srećan Božić svima koji ga danas slave!

Merry Christmas to all of you who celebrate it today! (Orthodox Serbs celebrate it on January 7th.)

Moja bluza u Burda Style knjizi / My blouse in the Burda Style book

Posle toliko priče o Burda Style knjizi, mislim da vam dugujem par slika koje dokumentuju moj rad za knjigu, kao i slike bluze koja je prikazana u njoj. Već sam pominjala kako je tekao proces rada na knjizi, i kako smo pravili predloge izmene kroja. Imala sam nekoliko skica - tri za bluzu i dve za kaput, od kojih je izabrana leva skica sa slike ispod. Ironično, baš ta skica mi je bila ponajmanje zanimljiva :). No, sve ideje su imale svoje interesantne elemente, od kojih sam neke već realizovala, nevezano za knjigu. 

After all the talk about the Burda Style book, I think I owe you at least a few images that document my work for the book, as well as pictures of my blouse that is featured in it. I already mentioned how we (the book contributors) worked for the book, and how we suggested pattern alterations. I had a few sketches - three for ta blouse and two for a coat. The left sketch from the picture bellow was chosen for the book. Ironically, it was the least interesting one to me :). However, each idea had its features, some of them have been materialized meanwhile. 

Ovaj kaput sa ogromnom kragnom je bio moj favorit, i planiram da uskoro sašijem nešto slično. 

This coat with oversized collar was my favorite one, and I plan to make something similar soon.

Ideja za ovaj kaput je vrlo brzo evoluirala u S kaput, o kome sam detaljno pisala prošle godine. 

An idea for this coat quickly evolved into the S coat, which I wrote a lot about last year.

A evo kako izgleda moja bluza. Nemojte se zbuniti - ovo nije haljina, već komplet. Nakon što sam sašila bluzu, ostalo mi je još dosta materijala da napravim ovu divnu suknju, možda jednu od omiljenih iz mog ormana. 

Izmene kroja nisu bile drastične, tako da nisu ni prikazane u knjizi. Na žalost, svi modeli čije izmene nisu objavljene, prikazani su u knjizi na tako sitnim fotografijama, da se detalji koji ih krase ni ne vide. Čini mi se da sam ja jedina koja je imala sreće da mi je bluza prikazana i na manekenki.

And here's how my blouse looks. Don't get confused - it's not a dress, but an ensemble. After I made the blouse, I was left with enough fabric remnants to make this beautiful skirt, perhaps one of my favorites.

The pattern alterations for the blouse were not drastic, hence they were not published in the book. Unfortunately, all models which didn't have their alterations published, were displayed in the book in tiny format, which made the details almost invisible. I think I was the only one of those people who was lucky enough to have the garment displayed on a live model.

Stranica iz knjige: moja bluza i bluza rađena prema originalnom kroju.

A page from the book: my blouse and a blouse made after the original pattern.

I evo prve stranice knjige, gde su mi se potpisali svi članovi tima, kao i oni članovi sajta koji su radili na knjizi, a koje sam imala prilike da upoznam. Nema lepše uspomene na moj put, od pogleda na ovu knjižicu!

And here's the first page of the book, signed by all the team members and the book contributors I had a chance to meet. There's no better memory of a NYC trip, than looking at this book!

Novo izdanje Sew News časopisa / A new issue of the Sew News magazine

Dok sam bila u Njujorku, dobila sam paket iz Kolorada, sa novim brojem Sew News časopisa. U ovom izdanju je prikazana moja AMC haljina (nerado priznajem da je haljina nastala po uzoru na haljinu koju sam videla u AMC butiku, te otuda naziv), kao i kompletne instrukcije za pravljenje kroja za istu. Haljina je relativno svečana, mada, zavisno od izbora materijala, može se napraviti i za svakodnevne potrebe. Kroj za ovu haljinu možete skinuti sa Downoad taba bloga, u veličini 38/40.

While I was in New York, I received a package from Colorado, containing a new issue of the Sew News magazine. This issue features my AMC dress (I have to admit - the dress was made after a dress I saw in a local AMC boutique, hence the dress' name), along with detailed instructions for drafting the dress pattern. The dress is rather formal, though it can be made as a casual dress, depending on a fabric choice. You can download a pattern for this dress, in size 38/40, from the Download tab of the blog.

Zamislite, iako mi je ova haljina jako draga, obukla sam je samo jednom! Napravila sam je za posebnu priliku, i nosila na svadbi moje drugarice. Od onda nisam našla adekvatnu priliku da je ponovo obučem...

Can you imagine, even though I like the dress very much, I wore it only once! I made it for a special occasion and wore it on my friend's wedding. But since then I haven't found an appropriate opportunity to wear it again.

Haljina Sirena na Burda Style sajtu / The Mermaid dress on Burda Style website

Danas je moja haljina, koju sam radila za Burda Style sajt, objavljena na naslovnoj strani istog, u okviru rubrike Projekat nedelje. U pitanju je varijacija kroja za haljinu iz Burda časopisa 10/2011, #116. Haljinu sam šila tokom stažiranja u Burda Style, prošlog meseca. Napravljena je od divne vune u petrolej boji, a izmene kroja koje sam napravila su poveće - menjala sam i prednje i zadnje panele, okovratnik i rukave, a centralni prednji panel sam ukrasila neobičnim kosim faltama, koje me podsećaju na rep sirene. Na sajtu možete pogledati tutorijal koji detaljno opisuje sve izmene kroja. 

The dress I made for Burda Style website is featured on the site's homepage today, within the section Project of the week. The dress is a variation of the Burda Style magazine pattern 10/2011, #116. I sewed it during my internship at Burda Style last month. It's made of gorgeous wool in petrol, having numerous pattern alterations: I changed the front and back panels, neckline and sleeves, and I trimmed the center front panel with unusual bias pleats that remind me of a mermaid tale. You can see a tutorial that describes the pattern alteration in detail on the website.

Kako sam haljinu napravila prema svojim merama, imala sam čast da budem i model za istu :). Najbolja stvar od svega je što sam haljinu mogla da zadržim po kraju stažiranja, i sada čekam odgovarajuću priliku da je obučem.

Since I made the dress according to my measurements, I modeled for it :). The best thing of all was that I kept the dress for myself when my internship was over. Now I can't wait for the right opportunity to wear it.

Povratak kući / Going home

Dragi čitaoci, moj put se bliži kraju, i ne znam da li mi je drago ili krivo zbog toga. Osećam blagu nostalgiju za domom, nedostaju mi moja porodica i društvo, a istovremeno sam se prilično privikla na grad i stekla nove prijatelje u ovoj dalekoj zemlji. Povratak kući će biti velika promena u ritmu; neverovatno je koliko vas Njujork forsira da ubrzate korak, priču, izlazak, večeru. To je ponekad iscrpljujuće, ali na kraju dana, kada vidite šta ste sve uspeli da uradite za tako kratko vreme, shvatite da je bilo vredno dodatnog truda. Pre neki dan sam toliko bila umorna od obilaženja i pešačenja gradom, da sam zaspala već oko 9h uveče. Ne pamtim kada mi se nešto slično desilo.

Dear readers, my journey has come to an end, and I don't know if I'm glad or sad about that. I feel a bit homesick, I miss my family and friends, while I've got used to the city and I made some new friends in this distant country. Going home will cause a big change in rhythm - it's unbelievable how New York pushes you to speed up whatever you've been doing. Sometimes it's exhausting, but by the end of the day, when you think of all the things you managed to complete, you realize it was worth the effort. Few days ago I was so tired I went to bed at 9pm. I can't remember when was the last time it happened to me.  

Prošla nedelja je bila sjajna. U četvrtak je bio Dan zahvalnosti, pa sam tim povodom išla kod Klodin na večeru. Zaista sam se divno provela, i uživala u svim delikatesima koji simbolišu ovaj praznik (poput ćuretine, sosa od brusnica i americke pite od jabuka). Takođe, videla sam uživo neke od Klodininih legendarnih kreacija. I moram da vam kažem da sam ljubomorna: žena ima zasebnu sobu za šivenje! Maštam o tome da imam svoj kutak, gde nikome ne bih bila na smetnji, i gde mene niko ne bi ometao (trenutno šijem u trpezariji, peglam u dnevnoj sobi, a sve materijale držim u bratovljevoj sobi, što nije ni malo zgodno!). Upoznala sam i njenu porodicu, koja je zaista bila sjajna prema meni, i želim da im se svima zahvalim na gostoprimstvu i ljubaznosti.
Takođe, srela sam se i sa Elizabet, koja ima sjajan blog o svojim krojačkim poduhvatima. Bilo mi je jako zanimljivo da ćaskam sa njom (ne biste poverovali koliko tema za priču može da iznedri kovrdžava kosa!), jedino mi je krivo što nismo imale još malo vremena za druženje. No, nadam se da ćemo pre ili kasnije imati još prilika da se sretnemo i da nastavimo druženje.

The last week was great. Thanksgiving was on Thursday, so I went to Claudine's for a dinner. I really had a great time, and I enjoyed all the delicacies that symbolize the holiday (like turkey, cranberry sauce and the American apple pie). Also, I got to see some of the Claudine's famous creations. I have to tell you I was jealous - the woman has a sewing room! I've been dreaming of having my own sewing space, where I wouldn't be in a way and where nobody would interfere with me (I sew in a dining room, press in the living room and I keep my fabric stash in my brother's room, which is not convenient at all!). I also met Claudine's family, who was very nice to me, and I'd like to thank them all for their hospitality.
I also met Elizabeth of Sewn. It was really interesting chatting with her (you wouldn't believe how many talk topics a curly hair can provoke!), I only wish we had more time for hanging out together. Well, I hope sooner or later we'll have more opportunities to meet and continue our friendship.

Juče sam se fotografisala u svojoj novoj haljini za Burda Style. Ako sve bude po planu, moći ćete da je vidite na naslovnoj strani sajta u ponedeljak. No, bez brige, neću propustiti priliku da se pohvalim i da vas podsetim na to kada dođe vreme ;). Jako sam zadovoljna kako je haljina ispala, i još sam zadovoljnija jer sam mogla da zadržim haljinu za sebe! Narednih nedelja će verovatno osvanuti na sajtu i haljina koju sam šila za Noru, tako da ćete moći da vidite sve detalje vezane za nju i izmene kroja koje sam napriavila. Osim haljina, radila sam i na manjem projektu (ne volim ovu reč, ali mi trenutno ne pada ni jedna bolja na pamet!), koji je inspirisan Božićem i poklonima, tako da će i o njemu biti reči na sajtu.

Yesterday I had a photoshoot with Burda Style wearing my new dress. If everything goes according to the plan, you'll see it on Monday on the website's homepage. But have no worries, I won't miss an opportunity to brag around and remind you of it when the time comes ;). I'm very pleased with how the dress turned out, and I'm even more satisfied that I kept the dress for myself! In the following weeks, the dress I made for Nora will probably appear on the website too, so you'll be able to see more details and the pattern alterations I made. Besides the dresses, I worked on a small craft project that's inspired with Christmas and gifts, so it will be featured on the website as well.

Vikend sam iskoristila za kulturno uzdizanje i obišla Metropoliten muzej, kao i Muzej savremene umetnosti (poznatiji kao MoMA). Ostala sam bez daha! Ljudi koji me dobro poznaju znaju da umem da zaplačem od uzbuđenja kada sam na koncertu ili na baletu (ja sam strastveni ljubitelj baleta, džez baleta i modernog plesa), ali mislim da me niko nije video kako plačem pred slikama. E pa, upravo to mi se desilo sada - osetila sam ekstazu dok sam gledala originalna dela nekih od umetnika, a onda su mi se oči napunile suzama.
Da budem iskrena, prvi put sam shvatila veličinu Van Goga. Ranije, dok sam gledala reprodukcije njegovih slika, nisam bila fascinirana pejzažima, mrtvom prirodom niti autoportretima za koje svi znamo. Jednostavno, ti motivi nisu odgovarali mojoj estetici. Međutim, kada sam uživo videla njegove slike, ostala sam bez teksta. Ako niste znali, njegove slike su prilično trodimenzionalne. Ne mislim na 3D efekat i optičke iluzije, već na teksturu i reljef koji čine motiv koji je krasi opipljivim. A tek boje koje je koristio! Koliko su jarke, žive i nesvakidašnje. Mislim da sam se najduže zadržala ispred slike Wheat Field with Cypresses (namerno neću da prevodim naziv, jer ne znam zvaničan prevod na srpski); slika je ostavljala utisak da se krošnja drveta pomera na vertu.
No, nisam samo cmizdrila po muzejima, neki radovi su me nasmejali. Raspametila me je postavka karikatura i komičnih crteža koji datiraju iz XVI veka i kasnije. Nisam se trudila da zapamtim imena svih umetnika, ali sam se slatko nasmejala nad mnogim crtežima koji veoma duhovito ilustruju ljudske mane i karakter.

I used weekend for more cultural experience and visited Metropolitan Museum of Art and MoMA. I was speechless! Those who know me well know that I sometimes cry out of excitement when I'm on a concert or a ballet play (I'm a passionate fun of ballet, jazz ballet and modern dance), but I think I've never been seen crying in front of the paintings. Well, that's exactly what happened this time - I felt an excitement while looking at original paintings of some of the artists, and then tears came to my eyes.
To be honest, this was the first time I saw the magnificence of the Van Gogh's paintings. Earlier, while I was looking at reproductions of his works, I wasn't particularly fascinated by his landscapes, still nature and self-portraits that he had. These motifs didn't appeal to my aesthetics. However, when I saw his works in person, I was speechless. If you didn't know, his works are quite three-dimensional. I don't mean by that the 3D effects and optical illusions, but the texture and the relief that make the motif almost touchable. And the colors he used! They're so bright, vivid and unusual. I think I spent most time in front of the Wheat Field with Cypresses painting - I could almost see the leaves moving in the wind on the tree.
But, I didn't just cry in the museums, some of the works really made me smile. I was amazed by the exposition of the caricatures and comic drawings that date from the 16th century and later. I didn't bother remembering the names of all the artists, but I had a good laugh while watching some of the drawings that illustrated human flaws and character in such a humorous manner.

I, na kraju puta, mogu da se pohvalim da sam se zaista sjajno provela, da sam upoznala mnogo divnih ljudi, stekla nova prijateljstva i iskustvo koje nikad neću zaboraviti.

At the end of my trip, I can say that I had a great time, I met a lot of really nice people and made some new friendships. It was an experience I'll never forget.

I, kao epilog, evo još jedne pesme koja opisuje moje trenutno raspoloženje.

As an epilogue, here's another song that describes how I feel at the moment.

Vidimo se u Beogradu!

See you in Belgrade!

Zanimljivosti iz Njujorka / Fun time in New York

Dragi čitaoci, izvinite što se ne javljam češće, ali prosto ne stižem da pišem blog od svih zanimljivosti koje proživljavam u Njujorku.

Dear readers, I'm sorry I don't write more often, but I just can't manage to write a blog with all the interesting happenings I've been through in New York. 

Kao što sam već pisala, prošlog ponedeljka sam počela da stažiram u Burda Style, i konačno shvatila koliko mnogo posla podrazumeva vođenje sajta, priprema proslave i promocija knjige! Burda Style tim je veoma mali, broji svega desetak ljudi, a posla ima za bar još toliko. 

Prvi dan stažiranja je prošao prilično lagano, međutim, pravi posao sam osetila na svojim leđima već narednog dana. Kao što već znate, promocija je bila zakazana za četvrtak, a tim je, sasvim simbolično, nosio garderobu koja je zapravo bila varijacija krojeva predstavljenih u knjizi. Čak je i Dejvid, koordinator sajta i jedini momak u timu, imao majicu koja je bila inspirisana krojem iz knjige (svi su se zaista potrudili da promovišu knjigu delima, a ne samo rečima!). 

Ono što sam ja trebala da uradim je da sašijem haljinu koju je Nora, osnivač sajta, nosila na žurci. Varijacija je bila prilično jednostavna, ali sam imala veoma malo vremena na raspolaganju, a uz Norin raspored prepun obaveza, bilo je teško ugrabiti momenat za probu. Na moje iznenađenje, kancelarije u kojima tim radi u veoma male, i nema sobe ya šivenje! Morala sam da se snađem i organizujem sebi prostor, pa sam jedan dan sedela u kancelariji za računovodstvo i šila rame uz rame sa damama koje vode knjige! No, dala sam sve od sebe, i haljina je bila gotova bukvalno jedan sat pre početka žurke.

As I wrote before, I started working as an intern at Burda Style last Monday, and I finally realized how much work it takes to run a website, prepare the book promotion and the party! The Burda Style team is a very small one, it counts around ten people, but there's enough work for ten more of them.

The first internship day ran smoothly, but the following day I realized how it really feels to work there. As you know, the book party was scheduled for Thursday, and team, quite symbolically, wore the variations from the book patterns. Even David, the website coordinator, and the only guy in the team had a tee that was inspired  by the pattern from the book (everyone tried to promote the book not only with words but with deeds!). 
My task was to sew a dress for Nora, the website co-founder, to wear it on the party. The dress variation was a very simple one, but I had such a short time for sewing, and with Nora's busy schedule, it was almost impossible to grab a moment for fitting. Additionally, I was very surprised to see that the offices the team works at were very small and there was no sewing room! I had to be very practical and super organized so one day I was sitting in an accountant office and sewed side by side with the Burda Style accountants! However, I did my best and finished the dress an hour before the party started.

 

No, nećemo još o žurci... U proslu sredu sam prvi put u životu išla na kuglanje (ovaj sport je tek nedavno počeo da se praktikuje u Srbiji, ali nisam imala prilike da se oprobam u njemu): članovi sajta, koji su kao i ja radili na knjizi, su bili pozvani na druženje, što je ispalo sjajno. Zaključila sam da kuglanje definitivno nije sport za mene, ali sam se svejedno sjajno provela. Upoznala sam Dženifer, koja je i moderator foruma na sajtu, zatim Grejs i  Elen, a Džodi sam znala još od ranije (upoznale smo se u Februaru, kada je posetila Beograd). Na žalost, nisam imala fotoaparat pri ruci, ali se nadam da ću dobiti fotografije koje su drugi uslikati te večeri.

Sama žurka je bila fenomenalna! Neverovatan je osećaj biti deo tako kreativnog društva, i učestvovati u izradi knjige kakva je ova. Kao da smo svi poznate filmske zvezde, prilazili smo jedni drugima i uzajamno se divili veštinama i kreacijama onog drugog. Potpuno nesvakidašnje iskustvo, koje se pamti doveka! Mala družina na slici ispod se prilično ludirala tokom fotografisanja, sjajno se provodeći pri tom.

But, we'll talk about the party later... last Wednesday I played bowling for the first time (this sport appeared in Serbia recently, but I haven't had an opportunity to try it out) - I was invited, along with  other bok contributors, to hang out together, which turned out great. I realized the bowling was not my type of sport but I still had a great time there. I met Jennifer, who's a website moderator, then Grace and Helene, and I knew Jodi from before (we met in February, when she visited Belgrade). Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera with me that night, but I hope I'll get the photos from that night from other people's cameras. 

The party itself was fantastic! It feels amazing to be in such a creative company and to participate in making a book like this one. As if we all were some super famous movie stars, we'd approach to each other on the party and praise each other's work. It's one of a kind experience that we all will remember as long as we live! The small band from the photo bellow had such a great time while posing for the photo shoot.

Gornji red / Top row: Sew4my3, Nettie, wzrdreams, Jodika

Donji red red / Bottom row: CarotteSauvage, David, jem1022, moja malenkost / myself

Od žurke pa do početka prosle nedelje, cunjala sam gradom i provodila se sa Elen i Džodi, koje su kao i ja došle čak iz Evrope da bi prisustvovale promociji (Elen je Francuskinja, ali živi u Lonodnu, dok je Džodi Novozelanđanka, ali živi u Budimpešti). Moram da priznam da je Elen bila pravo iznenađenje: dok sam gledala njene fotografije na Burda Style sajtu, uvek sam je doživljavala kao mirnu, romantično setnu osobu. Zapravo, ona je poput energetske bombe, koja skakuće svuda i priča u rafalu, zabavljajući sve oko sebe :). 

U ponedeljak mi se Džodi pridružila kao stažista u Burda Style, tako da mi je još zanimljivije! Nikada ranije nisam imala priliku da šijem u grupi, i zaista je sjajno gledati kako drugi ljudi rade, i razmenjivati mišljenje i ideje na licu mesta.

From the party to the beginning of the last week, I wandered through the city and spent my time with Helene and Jodi, who came all the way from Europe (Helene is French but she lives in London, UK, while Jodi is New Zelander living in Budapest, Hungary) for the promotion party. I have to say - Helene was quite a surprise to me: While looking at ther photos from the website, I had an impression she was rather quiet and romantic-sad kind of person. Actually, she's like some sort of an energy bomb, that jumps around and talks in a heartbit, entertaining everyone around herself :). 

On Monday Jodi joined me as an intern at Burda Style, and I had so much fun with her around! I've never han an oportunity to sew in a group before, and I can say it's amazing to watch other people while they work and to exchange opinions and ideas right on spot.

Osim Burda Style drugarica, imala sam još par zanimljivih društvenih momenata. Najveći i meni najdirljiviji bio je poziv da odem na proslavu Dana zahvalnosti (24. Novembar), koji mi je uputila Klodin. Moram da napomenem: u trenutku kada mi je poslala pozivnicu, Klodin me znala samo u našem malom virtuelnom krojačkom društvu. Njen gest me oduševio, više nego što mogu da opišem. S moje strane sveta, u Srbiji, Dan zahvalnosti je praznik za koji znamo sa filmova, i o kome učimo na časovima engleskog jezika, ali malo ko ima priliku da ga lično iskusi, i zaista sam počastvovana što ću ga proslaviti u krugu njene porodice.

U međuvremenu sam i lično upoznala svoju buduću domaćicu, i zaista uživala u našem ćaskanju. Zamislite nas četiri, Klodin, Elen, Džodi i mene, kako čavrljamo o šivenju, pisanju bloga, ličnim iskuistvima i problemima; situacija kakvu nisam ni sanjala da ću doživeti (iskreno, oduvek sam potajno zavidela autorkama blogova koje pratim, koje su se redovno okupljale, išle zajedno u kupovinu materijala, čavrljale o svom hobiju, i posle još i pisale o tome!). Ujedno, dobila sam par odličnih saveta i preporuka gde da potražim materijale i knjige koje sam želela da kupim.

Along with my Burda Stylr friends, I had few more interesting social moments. The one that striked out was an invitation for Thanksgiving dinner that came from Claudine. I have to say - at the moment when she invited me, she only knew me via our small virtual society of sewists. I was stunned by her gesture more than I could describe. On my side of the world, in Serbia, we've been introduced to Thanksgiving holiday only via American movies and English lessons, but not many had the opportunity to experience the joy of the holiday in person. That's why I'm especially flattered to be invited to celebrate it with Claudine's family.

Meanwhile, I met my future hostess, and I really enjoyed our chatting. Can you imagine four of us - Claudine, Helene, Jodi and me chatting about sewing, blogging, personal experiences and problems; a situation I've never even dreamed of experiencing (to be honest, I always secterly envied those bloggers, who had their regular meetings and fabric shopping, while chatting about their hobby. And, as if that wasn't enough, they would post about it on their blogs afterwards!). I was given a lot of tips and advice on where to buy fabrics and books I wanted to buy.

Kad smo već kod knjiga, kupila sam sebi dve, koje priželjkujem već duže vreme. U pitanju su knjige iz serije Pattern Magic, vol 1 i vol 2, koje sadrže uputstva za šivenje veoma zanimljivih kreacija, koje više podsećaju na skulpture nego na garderobu. Od kako se knjiga pojavila na tržištu, videla sam brojne varijacije koje su kreativci širom sveta pravili, i divila se neverovatnim krojevima. Sada jedva čekam da i sama isprobam neke od njih!

Speaking of books, I bought myself two books I've been wanting for a while - Pattern Magic vol 1 and vol 2. Ever since they appeared on the internet, I've seen numerous variations from the books made by creative people from around the world and I've admired the amazing construction the garments had. Now I can't wait to try some of the ideas myself!

Nadam se da ću stići da napišem još jedan post pre kraja puta. Do tada, puno pozdrava iz Njujorka!

I hope I'll manage to write one more post before I end my trip. Until then, I'm sending you greetings from New York!

Pozdrav iz Njujorka / Greetings from New York

Dragi čitaoci, kada biste samo znali kakvu nedelju sam proživela! Prepuna sam utisaka, ne znam šta pre da vam pišem. Možda je najbolje da se držim hronologije.

Stigoh u Veliku jabuku pre nedelju dana, posle 12 sati leta: baš je daleko ova Amerika! Njujork je potpuno fascinantno iskustvo za mene, grad koji nije ni nalik ni jednom gradu koji sam imala prilike do sada da vidim. Od utorka do danas sam se našetala koliko nisam u poslednjih godinu dana, a imam utisak da sam tek zagrebala po površini. Kako sam se dogovorila sa Burda Style timom da svoje stažiranje otpočnem od ponedeljka, 7. Novembra (što znači danas! ali, o tome ću malo kasnije), imala sam par dana na raspolaganju da cunjam po gradu. Srećom. poslužilo me lepo, sunčano, vreme, sa temperaturom od 15C, pa sam uspela dosta stvari da vidim, i lepe slike da uslikam. Kompletan album možete videti ovde. 

Grad je ogroman, a prosto vas mami da ga obilazite peške. Zgrade su toliko visoke i gusto raspoređene, da se povremeno osećate kao da ste u nekoj šumi. Ujedno, fascinantni prizori vas teraju da sve vreme hodate otovrenih usta i sa pogledom uvis. Osećam se kao da sam pod svojevrsnom hipnozom ili u nekom snoviđenju, jer sve izgleda nestvarno. Mislim da imam sreće što ću provesti mesec dana ovde, jer ima toliko toga da se vidi. Verujem da lokalnim ljudima izgledam kao pomahnitali turista, jer neprestano škljocam fotoaparatom, a slikam potpuno neočekivane prizore (kao što su izlozi robnih kuća). 

Dear readers, you wouldn't believe what a week I've had! I'm overwhelmed (in a positive way) with impressions, and I don't know where to start. Perhaps it's the best to stick to the chronology.

I arrived to the Big Apple a week ago, after 12 hours of flight - America is so far away from Serbia! New York is a fascinating experience to me, the city unlike any other I've seen so far. I've never walked as much as I've had during the last six days; yet I feel as if I have only scratched the surface. Since I arranged with the Burda Style team to start my internship on Monday, Novemebr 7th (which is today! but more on that later), I had a couple of days to stroll along the city. Luckily, I had a warm, sunny weather with temperature around 15C, so I managed to see a lot and to take some really nice photos. You can see the whole photo album here. 

The city is huge, yet it tempts you to cross it on foot. The buildings are so dense and are so high, that one might feel as if he's in some kind of woods. At the same time, fascinating sights make you walk with your mouth opened and with your eyes up high. I feel as if I'm hypnotized or as if I'm daydreaming, because everything looks unreal. I believe I'm lucky to stay here for a month, because there are so many things to see. I must look like a crazy tourist to the locals, because I don't stop taking photos, and I photograph some unusual stuff (like shop windows). 

Još jedan snažan utisak je na mene ostavila robna kuća Berdgdorf Goodman, gde sam imala prilike da uživo vidim i osetim kvalitet visoke mode. Dok sam razgledala originalne komade iz kolekcija Diora, Armanija, McQueena, Chanela, osećala sam se kao dete u prodavnici slatkiša. Ujedno, po prvi put sam shvatila zašto je visoka moda toliko skupa: kvalitet izrade i tkanina su dovedeni do savršenstva, što masovnu proizvodnju čini bezmalo smešnom. 

Ali, kako je moj džep previše plitak spram zahteva visoke mode, zadovoljila sam se malo skromnijim, ali opet fascinantnim, izborom koji nude Daffy's prodavnice. Ovde sam našla fenomenalne stvari poznatih kreatora, koje su bile na velikom sniženju cena. Po ko zna koji put se zapitah zašto u Srbiji ne postoje outleti ovog tipa (no, to je tema o kojoj ne želim ovom prilikom da razglabam). 

Another strong impression left the Berdgdorf Goodman store, where I saw and felt the quality of the haute couture. While I was looking at the garments from Dior, Armani, McQueen, Chanel, I felt like a child in a candy store. It was there and then that I understood for the first time why high fashion was so expensive - the quality of the fabrics and the sewing is absolutely perfect, which makes the mass   production almost ridiculous. 

However, since my budget is too small for the high fashion, I had to satisfy myself with a more modest, yet very interesting stuff the Daffy's stores offer. I found there some really nice garments by famous designers on a discount. I couldn't help no to wonder why Serbia didn't have some similar outlets.

Takođe, obišla sam i Garment District: gradsku četvrt koja je cela posvećena modi, i koja je opremljena prodavnicama u kojima možete naći svu potrebnu opremu za šivenje, počev od materijala, preko pozamanterije, do prateće šivaće opreme. Ovde sam spoznala prednosti prave metropole: bukvalno nema stvari koju ovde ne možete pronaći. Provela sam sate u prodavnici tkanine Mood, i uzdisala nad prelepim materijalima koje sam tamo našla. Pošto ne mogu da preopteretim kofer, jer sam ograničena sa skromna 23kg ptrljaga, morala sam da se obuzdam od kupovine, inače bih vrlo rado potrošila podosta novca tamo!

I visited the Garment District, too, where one can find all kinds of fabric and notions stores. I saw all the advantages of the metropolis over there: literally there are no thing one can't find there. I spent hours in the Mood fabric store, and was fascinated by all the gorgeous fabrics I saw there. However, I had to restrain myself from buying, since my luggage is limited to 23kg. Otherwise, I'd be happy to spend a lot of money over there!

I konačno, danas počeh da stažiram u Burda Style! Upoznala sam Noru, koja je osnovala sajt, kao i Alison, kreativnu direktorku sajta, zatim Dejvida, koordinatora sajta, kao i mnoge druge ljude koji vode ovu firmu  iza kulisa. Moj deo posla podrazumeva saradnju sa Alison, radeći na sekciji Project of the week, što znači da ćete u narednim nedeljama, kada dođe red na njih, viđati moje kreacije u ovoj sekciji.  

Takođe, videla sam i prelistala knjigu zbog koje sam i prevalila ovoliki put! Moram da kažem da odlično izgleda! Naravno, prvo sam nestrpljivo prevrnula sve stranice ne bih li došla do slike svoje bluze, pa tek onda uzela da listam knjigu redom. Oduševljena sam fenomenalnim idejama koje sam videla i nadam se da ću imati prilike da upoznam ostale članove sajta, koji su isto pravili svoje varijacije za knjigu. 

U sredu ćemo imati prilike da se družimo svi zajedno, na večeri i kuglanju koje organizuje Burda Style tim, a u četvrtak idemo na žurku povodom promocije knjige. Biće uzbudljivo!

And last, but not the least, I've started my internship at Burda Style today! I met Nora, the website cofounder, Alison, the creative director, then Dadid, the website coordinator, as well as many other  people who run the firm behind the scenes. My part of the job will include collaboration with Alison, on the section Project of the week, meaning that you'll see my creations in the section in the weeks to come.  

Also, I saw the book I came here for! I have to say it looks amazing! Of course, I skipped to the pages with pictures of my blouse first, and later on browsed through it page by page. I'm thrilled with all the great ideas I saw there, and I'm looking forward to meeting all the contributors in person.  

We'll have a chance to meet up all on Wednesday night, on a dinner and a bowling, and we're having a promotion party on Thursday night. It's gonna be exciting!

Do tada, šaljem vam pozdrave iz besanog grada!

Until then, I'm sending you greetings from the city that doesn't sleep!

New York, New York!

Dragi čitaoci, dan D se približio - sutra putujem za Njujork povodom promocije knjige The Burda Style Sewing Handbook, za koju sam imala čast da sašijem bluzu. Promocija je zakazana za 10. Novembar, a ja ću provesti ceo mesec kao stažista u Burda Style-u. Iskrena da budem, veoma sam uzbuđena, čak mogu da kažem da imam i tremu! Jedva čekam da vidim knjigu, kao i da upoznam članove Burda Style tima i brojne članove sajta, sa kojima sam se do sada samo dopisivala.

Potrudiću se da vas obaveštavam o zbivanjima i da vam prenesem svoje utiske o knjizi, sajtu iza kulisa, i naravno  - Njujorku. Do tada, ostavljam vas da uživate u pesmi koja tačno opisuje kako se trenutno osećam...

Dear readers, the D day has gotten very close - I'm leaving tomorrow to New York City, to the promotion of The Burda Style Sewing Handbook, for which I had the honor to sew a blouse. The book promotion party is scheduled for November 10th, but I'll work as an intern at Burda Style for a month. To be honest, I am very excited about it, and I think I'm a bit nervous too! I can't wait to see the book, as well as to meet in person all the team members and the website members with whom I've had a correspondence.

I'll try to keep you posted about all the happenings and to share with you my impressions about the book, about the website from another point of view, and of course - about NYC. Until then, enjoy the song which describes exactly how I feel at the moment...

Blog nagrada / Blog award

Kerolin mi je pre neki dan prosledila blog nagradu. Istu nagradu sam davno dobila i od Raki, ali kako sam u to vreme već bila dobila istu nagradu, mislila sam da je previše da dva puta u kratkom periodu pišem isti post. U svakom slučaju, želim da se zahvalim obema na divnom gestu! 

Carolyn passed me a blog award a few days ago. I received the same award ages ago from Raki, but since I had received the same award at the time, I felt it would be too much to write a same post twice. Either way, I'd like to thank them both for the lovely gesture!

Pravila nagrade kažu da treba da napišem 7 proizvoljnih detalja o sebi. Pošto sam već pisala na tu temu, danas ću podeliti sa vama samo jednu zanimljivost, inspirisana postom koji je Lavender pisala pre neki dan, u kome je opisivala sve svoje frizure tokom poslednjih 5 godina. 

Za razliku od nje, ja nisam mnogo menjla izgled u poslednjih 10 godina. Malo mi je varirala dužina kose, par puta sam probala da se ofarbam u crvenkastu nijansu (što mi je, na moju žalost, užasno stajalo!), ali sam izgledala manje-više isto kao sada. Međutim, kada sam imala 19 godina drastično sam promenila frizuru i kompletni izgled. Ošišala sam se skroz na kratko i počela da se šminkam. Iznenadila sam se koliko mi je frizura uticala na imidž. Međutim, promena stila je bila pozitivna, i mislim da sam tada počela da shvatam u kom pravcu treba da idem. 

Nosila sam kratku kosu godinu i po dana, a onda sam je pustila, na nagovor tadašnjeg dečka. Trebalo joj je 2 godine da poraste do neke normalne dužine, i u tom periodu sam prošla kroz mnoge faze, koje nisu sve bile baš sjajne :-). Mnogi moji prijatelji su kategorični da mi duga kosa lepše stoji, ali ja sam neopredeljena. Povremeno se razmišljam da se opet ošišam, ali često nemam dovoljno hrabrosti. Najviše me pokoleba pomisao na period koji joj je potreban da bi porasla. Sa 20 godina, lude frizure ne izgledaju totalno kretenski. Sa 32 već nisam sigurna...

Inače, slika ispod je uslikana 1998. Rekla bih da mi se lice nije mnogo promenilo od tada. 

The award rules say I have to write down 7 random facts about me. Since I already have a post on the subject, I'll share with you just one interesting detail about me. I was very inspired by Lavender's post she wrote the other day, where she described her haircuts in the last 5 years.

Unlike her, I haven't changed my looks a lot in the past 10 years. I had some slight length differences, I even tried dyeing it in some reddish shade (which, unfortunately, looked awful!), but I looked more or less the same as I do now. However, when I was 19, I had a drastic haircut and overall looks change. I cut my hair really short and I started doing makeup. I was surprised by how the haircut affected my image. But the style change was positive and I think it was then that I realized what direction I should follow.

I had this look for a year and a half, and then let the hair grow, being influenced by my boyfriend at the time. It took 2 years to grow, and I went through all the silly phases in that period :-). Many of my friends are categorical in the attitude that I look better with a long hair. However, I'm undefined. From time to time I think of cutting it again, but I don't have enough courage to do it. What freaks me the most is the time it needs to grow. When you're 20, wacky hair does not make you look like an idiot. I'm not so sure it's the same when you're 32...

The picture below was taken back in 1998. I think my face hasn't changed much since then.

I, na kraju, evo liste blogova kojima prosleđujem nagradu:

Finally, here is a list of blogs I am passing the award to:

1. Magrit
2. Kroki
3. Lavender, Threadsquare
4. Don, Urbandon
5. Stacy, Stacyverb
6. The Sew Convert
7. Lisa Jane, Lisa Jane Sews

Još jedna košulja / Another shirt

I, još jedna košulja je gotova. Kao što Dragica reče, postaju moj zaštitni znak. Zanimljivo je da ih ranije nikako nisam volela na sebi - bila sam ubeđena da mi loše stoje. Možda sam u međuvremenu naučila da ih nosim?

Opet je u pitanju varijacija bluze iz Burde 1/2008. #108. Materijal je prugast, gde se smenjuju teget pruge sa prugama u različitim bojama. Aranžirala sam ih tako da na prednjem delu budu žute i roze, na zadnjem zelene, a na rukavima su ljubičaste i narandžaste. I ova košulja ima duplo kopčanje.

Another shirt is finished. As Dragica has said, they're becoming my trade mark. An interesting thing is that I used to dislike the shirts - I was sure they didn't suit me. Perhaps I've learned how to style them in the meanwhile?

Again, it's a variation on the BWOF 1/2008, #108 blouse pattern. The fabric is striped, where navy stripes are followed by stripes in various colors. I arranged them so that the yellow and pink stripes are on the front, green stripes on the back and purple and orange ones on the sleeves. This shirt has double button closure too.

Ujedno, ovo je jedna od retkih prilika da me vidite sa isfeniranom kosom. Povremeno, obično kada se šišam, ispravim kosu čisto da razbijem monotoniju. Frizura potraje par dana, ako imam sreće da je suvo vreme. 

Also, this is one of the rare opportunities to see me with a straight hair. Occasionally, usually when I do my haircut, I straighten it, just to break the monotony. The hair-do lasts for few days, if I'm lucky to have a dry weather.

Crvena prugasta košulja / A red striped shirt

Poslednja u nizu košulja koje šijem ovih dana. Ovaj put, koristila sam prugasti materijal, čiji se dezen pruga menja na polovini platna: jedna polovina je sa uskim, a druga sa širokim crvenim prugama. Zajedno kombinovane, pruge daju zanimljiv efekat. 

Koristila sam kroj iz španskog časopisa Patrones, koji sam ranije već isprobala (i imala malo problema sa veličinom, ali sam to uspela da sredim). Široke pruge sam postavljala vodoravno, a uske uspravno, što se da primetiti na slikama.

The last in the series of shirts I've been sewing. This time I used a striped fabric whose stripes change in the center: one half of the fabric has thin, and the other half has thick red stripes. Combined together, the stripes make an interesting effect.
I used a tried and trued pattern from the Spanish Patrones (which had some sizing issues I managed to fix). The thick stripes are laid horizontally, while the thin ones are laid vertically, as you can see on the pictures.

Još jedna košulja je iskrojena i spremna za šivenje. Verovatno sam vam već dosadila sa njima, ali trenutno sam jako rasapoložena za šivenje istih.

Another shirt is cut and ready to be sewed. You might be bored with all these shirts, but I'm currently in the mood for sewing them.

Brojna lica bluze iz Burde 1/2008, #108 / Numerous faces of the blouse BWOF 1/2008, #108

Pre par meseci sam pisala o tome koliko koristim ovaj kroj za bluzu, i kako ga prepravljam svaki put kako bih dobila novi model. A onda pomislih - zašto ne bih napisala post o tome kako zapravo menjam kroj. Da podsetim, kroj u originalu izgleda ovako. Sasvim zgodno, paspul u šavovima naglašava linije kroja.

Few months ago I wrote about how much I use this blouse pattern, and how I alter it every time to make a new model. Then I thought - why not write a post about this? To remind you, the original pattern looks like this. Quite convenient, the piping accentuates the cutting lines on the shirt.

A evo kako šnit izgleda - na slici su samo krojni delovi za prednji deo košulje. 

And this is how the pattern looks - the pic shows only front pattern pieces.

Varijacija #1

Ja sam najčešće spajala u jednu celinu gornji bočni deo i donji panel, kao što je prikazano na slici. Vidite da se ta dva dela savršeno uklapaju, tako da uklanjanje šava između njih ne menja oblik bluze, ali umanjuje posao.

Variation #1

Most often, I merged the front top side and bottom pieces into one panel. As you can see, the two parts perfectly fit together, hence removing the seam between them wouldn't change the shape of the blouse, but it reduces the amount of job.

A evo kako gotova košulja izgleda. I dalje ima isti oblik, baš kao što sam i rekla.

And here's how the finished shirt looks like. As I said, it has the same shape as the original.

Varijacija #2

Malo veću izmenu kroja možete videti na slici ispod. Gornje delove sam spojila u jednu celinu. Kao što vidite, delovi formiraju malu brusnu pri dnu. Zatim sam prekrojila donji panel - šrafirana površina predstavlja izmenu originalnog oblika panela. Vidite da sam centralni gornji panel takođe izmenila, time što sam otsekla isti oblik sa dna panela. Donji panel se može dodatno menjati, što je posebno zanimljivo na prugastim mateijralima: može se preseći horizontalno a krojni delovi aranžirati tako da pruge menjaju pravac kao što je ilustrovano strelicama.

Variation #2

A bigger pattern alteration can be seen on the picture below. I merged the front top panels int one piece. As you can see, the panels form a dart on the bottom. After that, I altered the bottom panel - the graphed area represents the change of the original shape. You can see that I also altered the center top panel, by cutting off the same shape from its bottom. You can additionally change the bottom panel, which can give an interesting effect on striped fabrics: the panel can be cut horizontally, and the pattern pieces can be laid down so that the stripes change their direction, as illustrated on the picture with the arrows. 

Evo kako ove izmene izgledaju na košulji. 

Here's how these alterations look on a shirt.

Varijacija #3

Slika ispod ilustruje izmene koje imaju zanimljiv efekat: dobija se horizontalna brusna koja stoji ispod grudi, i koja je pri tom nabrana. Krojne delove koje ste dobili prethodnom izmenom spojte tako da formiraju savršeno ravnu liniju duž linije kopčanja. Primetićete da krojni delovi formiraju horizontalnu brusnu. Gornji deo dodatno proširite kao što je ilustrovano na slici. Kada šijete bluzu, naberite gornji deo brusne.

Variation #3

The pic bellow illustrates the alterations that give an interesting detail: a gathered horizontal dart placed under the bust. Merge the pattern pieces gotten by the previous alteration, so that they form a perfectly straight line along the button closure. You'll notice that the panels form a horizontal dart. Spread the top panel as shown on the picture. When sewing a blouse, gather the top part of the dart.

Evo kako košulja izgleda. 

And here's how the shirt looks.

Varijacija #4

Romantičnu, retro inspirisanu bluzu možete dobiti uz sledeće izmene kroja. Gornji deo, koji ste dobili izmenama za Varijaciju #2, precrtajte na novi list papira. Nacrtajte par linija koje spajaju ramenu liniju sa dnom, vodeći računa da su linije ravnomerno raspoređene. Isecite panel duž tih linija i raširite ga kao što je prikazano na slici. Što više raširite delove, to će košulja imati više nabora. 

Variation #4

You'll get a romantic, vintage looking blouse with the following alterations. Copy the top panel, gotten by alterations for the Variation #2, to a new piece of paper. Draw a few lines that connect the shoulder line with the bottom of the panel. Make sure the lines are equally spread. Cut the panel along the drawn lines and spread it as shown on the pic. The more you spread the pattern, the more gathers the blouse will have.

Evo kako ova bluza izgleda.

Here's how this blouse looks.

Ove četiri izmene daju mogućnosti za mnogobrojne bluze, koje sve mogu izgledati međusobno drugačije. Kombinovane sa različitim dezenima materijala, oblicima kragne i rukava, svaka varijacija ima svoju draž i izgleda potpuno drugačije. 

These four alterations give numerous options, that can all look completely different. Combined with different fabric patterns, collar and sleeve shapes, each variation has its own charm and looks totally different from the others.