Zlata skirt in Sew News magazine

* KLIKNITE za tekst na srpskom

After a series of posts about sewing the Zlata skirt, you must have expected I'd give it a break for some time. I thought so too myself, but then I remembered I haven't even mentioned the current issue of Sew News which features Zlata skirt on the cover! Each time my garment is being featured on the cover I am equally amazed and feel happy. However, I've never thought my garments would be featured on the cover two issues in a row! Oh joy!

You must be wondering if the article covers the pattern drafting process. Yes, the article gives a detailed explanation of how the pattern is drafted and a brief sewing instructions.

Why would I publicly share drafting instructions for the pattern I'm selling myself? Well, not every seamstress has an access to Sew News. Other than that, not every seamstress who reads the magazine is skillful enough or comfortable with drafting a pattern. So my logic is as the following: who wants to learn (or already knows) pattern drafting will learn a lot from my articles and tutorials, and this person most probably won't buy my pattern. However, many other people like having a tried and trued pattern that's precisely drafted which does not leave any room for dilemma or guessing.

The reason I'm publishing the patterns I've already written of and that I've posted the instructions for is that many readers asked for drafted patterns for certain models. On the other hand, since I'm still working on my day job, I only have a limited time for sewing and pattern drafting and sometimes I can't manage to simultaneously draft different models for the magazine and for selling.

Do I break the contract conditions with Sew News by selling the patterns I write about? No, since the contract is limited only to the contents of the article I write: the text and the pictures / illustrations, which cannot be published in any other magazine or on blog or website. On the other hand, I have the right to publish the skirt anywhere, as well as to write about it for any other magazine, blog or website, as long as I don't use the same pics and text.

Will I launch the patterns I wrote about for the magazine in the future? Yes, there will probably be more similar situations in the future, but I plan to also publish patterns for unseen and brand new models that I won't write about for the magazine. It will all depend on my inspiration and the time availability.

Finally, here's a reminder of how the skirt looks on me. I really like this skirt and I can't wait to get it back.

How to buy the pattern

Zlata skirt pattern costs $11.98,and it can be bought via my Etsy shop.  I use 2Checkout as a payment collector - it is an equivalent to PayPal - which accepts the following payment methods: * PayPal via 2checkout (www.2co.com) * Credit / Debit cards via 2checkout : Visa, Dina Card, Master Card, American Express, Discover PayPal doesn't support selling option for my country yet, so I use 2Checkout payment collector instead.

When making a purchase order, select "Other" in the payment options. I have to manually issue an invoice for you, via 2Checkout system. The invoice contains a link where you can complete the purchase - it's a page on 2Checkout's website. Once you fill in your billing information, you can chose to pay either by using PayPal account or your credit card. You don't have to register to 2checkout and you won't be charged any additional fees. It's simple, fast and secure. Once the payment is completed, I will enable the pattern download on my Etsy store. I monitor the state of my Etsy store several times a day, and I get instant emails whenever any change is made, so the purchase is usually completed within the same day. Sometimes, due to my daily duties and a time zone differences, it takes more than a day to complete the purchase.

For any additional information about the pattern or the purchase, feel free to email me at: anajan.stepalica [at] gmail [dot] com. 

Related posts

• Zlata skirt Pattern #1401
• Zlata skirt pattern - view A
• Zlata skirt pattern - view B
• Zlata skirt pattern - view C

Zlata suknja u Sew News časopisu

* CLICK to read the text in English

Posle serijala postova o šivenju Zlata suknje, verovatno ste očekivali da ću neko vreme odmoriti od pomena ovog modela. I ja sam tako mislila, a onda sam se setila da nisam ni pomenula aktuelno izdanje Sew News časopisa u kom je, zamislite, Zlata suknja ukrasila naslovnu stranu! Svaki put kada moj model osvane na naslovnoj strani, ja se raspametim i obradujem kao da mi je prvi put. Međutim, nisam ni sanjala da će moji modeli dopseti na naslovnicu dva broja za redom! Sreća, sreća, radost!

Sigurno se pitate da li sam za časopis opisala kako se pravi kroj za suknju. Da, u magazinu možete naći detaljno uputstvo za pravljenje kroja, i veoma kratke instrukcije za šivenje suknje.

Zašto bih javno delila uputstvo za pravljenje kroja koji i sama prodajem? Ovo je odlično pitanje, koje ima vrlo jednostavan odgovor: ne čitaju svi Sew News. Pored toga, čak i među onima koji čitaju magazin ima ljudi koji nisu vični pravljenju i prepravljanju krojeva, i koji bi rado sašili lepu suknju iz časopisa, ali se ne usuđuju da prave kroj. Vodim se sledećom logikom: ko želi da se bavi modelarstvom, taj će mnogo naučiti iz mojih tutorijala i članaka, ali ta osoba sigurno neće kupiti moj kroj. Pored toga, mnogi vole da imaju isproban i precizno izmodelovan kroj, koji im ne ostavlja prostor za dilemu. 

Razlog što objavljujem krojeve o kojima sam već pisala, i za koje sam postavljala instrukcije je i taj što su čitaoci za te modele izrazili želju da ih naprave i poželeli da imaju kroj po ko bi radili. S druge strane, pošto još uvek radim na dnevnom poslu, nemam uvek vremena da se posvetim u potpunosti šivenju i modelovanju, i nekad ne mogu da stignem da paralelno pravim modele za časopis, odvojeno od modela za prodaju.

Da li kršim pravila ugovora time što prodajem kroj za garderobu o kojoj pišem u časopisu? Ne, ugovor me obavezuje samo na sadržaj članka: tekst i propratne slike ili ilustracije, koje ne mogu koristiti u ni u jednoj drugoj javnoj publikaciji. S druge strane, imam pravo da suknju objavim bilo gde drugde, kao i da ponovo pišem o njoj za bilo koji drugi časopis ili blog.

Da li ću i ubuduće objavljivati krojeve za modele o kojima sam pisala ili ću pisati za časopis? Da, verovatno će biti još sličnih situacija, ali planiram da paralalno izdajem krojeve kako za već viđene modele, tako i za potpuno nove, koje niste imali prilike da vidite na blogu. Sve zavisi od moje inspiracije i vremena koje imam na raspolaganju.

I, za sam kraj, da se potsetimo kako suknja izgleda na meni. Volim ovu suknju, i jedva čekam da je dobijem nazad.

Kupovina kroja

Zlata kroj za suknju košta $11.98, ali kupci iz Srbije ovaj šnit mogu kupiti za upola manje novca, tj. za 500 RSD. Kroj se može kupiti u dolarskoj valuti preko moje onlajn prodavnice na Etsy sajtu, ili uplatom novca u dinarskoj valuti na moj žiro račun. Napominjem da dinarske cene ne važe ukoliko kupujete preko Etsy prodavnice. Za sve dodatne informacije o kupovini, molim vas šaljite mi email na adresu: anajan.stepalica [at] gmail [dot] com.

Povezani tekstovi

• Zlata kroj za suknju #1401
• Zlata kroj za suknju - varijacija A
• Zlata kroj za suknju - varijacija B
• Zlata kroj za suknju - varijacija C
• Zlata kroj za suknju - kroj za postavu

Emerald chevron skirt

Do you have a favorite fabric pattern / print you keep using when sewing? Do you like making your own fabric pattern, by making a new ornament out of an existing one? Do you stick with a safe, tried and trued fabric combination, when it comes to print, or do you explore new options and experiment with your fabrics?

* za verziju teksta na srpskom, pogledajte ovde.

I like sharp and angled lines, high contrasts and geometrical prints, and these three qualities can be seen in lots of my clothes. Chevron is probably my favorite pattern, though I can't remember if I ever bought a fabric with such a print - I've always made it by using striped, plaid and plain fabrics in various ways. You can see some of my experiments with chevron on the emerald shirt, striped pants, purple dress, heart box integration bodice, and many other of my garments.

Whenever I see a striped fabric, I think of all the ways I could arrange stripes to make interesting designs.

I made this skirt to match it with the emerald shit. The two fabrics matched perfectly, but I didn't like the pattern of the boucle - I felt I would look too old and formal if I made a plain straight skirt out of it. So I decided to play with my favorite design and make the skirt more modern.

I used the already described technique for sewing chevron. Skirt panels and waist band are cut on bias, so that the striped fabric is perfectly matched on horizontal and vertical seams. This kind matching stripes made an interesting diamond shape on the sides.

I used a very simple A-line skirt pattern that I drafted myself. It's always interesting to me to see how different two garments can look even if they're made using the same pattern, when different fabrics are used or when the fabric is cut on grainline and one bias. The skirt looks like a straight one, even though the hem's circumference is approximately 20 cm longer than the hips' circumference. But when you look at the skirt from the back you can see the flounce that falls from the rear to the hem, but when looked from the front, it looks straight.

Sewing a bias cut fabric can be tricky, since the fabric doesn't act the same way it would if it was cut on the grain. The fabric cut on bias looses its solidity which normally comes from its weft, and the fabric becomes stretchy. In some of my previous attempts to sew on bias I had problems with a shape of the skirt - I would use a plain straight skirt pattern, but the end result looked like a very tight pencil skirt, which isn't very flattering on me. The bias fabric would stretch across the hips and shrink around knees, thus making a pencil skirt look. The same thing happened with this skirt, but the extra volume at hemline gave it a shape that looks flattering on my body.

Along with the shape, sewing in a zipper can also be problematic on bias cut fabrics. When the zipper is not sewn well, the seam can get all bumpy, thus very unflattering. I had some minor issues with the zipper while working on the skirt - first I sewed it to a center back seam and got the bumpy seam. Then I moved the zipper to the side seam, which solved the problem. The body gives the zipper a support, which gives the seam a shape, and that's what was missing when the zipper was sewed to the center back seam.

Another trick I used was leaving the skirt panels to hang for a few days. I put some clothespins to the hem to add some weight to and so that the panels would additionally stretch. This way, the fabric stretched well before I started working on it (I didn't measure the length before and after stretching the fabric, but I believe it lengthened a bit after this).

Related posts

• Zlata skirt Pattern #1401
• Zlata skirt pattern - view A
• Zlata skirt pattern - view B
• Zlata skirt pattern - view C
• Zlata skirt pattern - the lining pattern

Smaragnda suknja sa šarom riblje kosti

Da li imate neki omiljeni dezen ili šaru, koju iznova i iznova koristite kada šijete? Da li volite sami da kreirate dezen materijala, aranžiranjem njegovog originalnog dezena u novi ornament? Da li volite da se držite sigurne, već proverene kombinacije, ili uvek istražujete nove mogućnosti za vaš kroj i materijal?

* to read the text in English, click here.

Ja jako volim oštre linije, velike kontraste i geometrijske šare, i ova tri atributa krase većinu garderobe koju pravim. Riblja kost je verovatno moj omiljeni dezen, mada ne pamtim da sam ikada kupila materijal koji zapravo ima ovaj print na sebi - svoju omiljenu šaru sam uvek sama pravila, koristeći prugaste, karirane ili jednobojne materijale na različite načine. Neke od primera mog eksperimentisanja ste već mogli da vidite na smaragdnoj košulji,  prugastim pantalonama, ljubičastoj haljini, srcastoj bluzi, kao i mnogim drugim stvarima. 

Kad god vidim prugast materijal, prva pomisao je - kako mogu da iskoristim pruge i napravim neku zanimljivu šaru od njih. 

Ovu suknju sam namenski pravila, da bih je kombinovala sa smaragdnom košuljom. Boje ove dve tkanine su se savršeno uklopile, ali mi se nije preterano dopao dezen buklea koji sam uzela za suknju - plašila sam se da bih izgledala previše staromodno u klasičnoj kariranoj suknji, pa sam rešila da se poigram još jednom sa omiljenom mi šarom i time učinim suknju modernijom.

Koristila sam već opisanu tehniku za krojenje i šivenje šare riblje kosti. Osim panela suknje, i pojas je ukoso iskrojen, tako da se linije materijala savršeno poklapaju duž vertikalnih i horizontalnih šavova. Ovakvo uklapanje šara za posledicu ima veoma zanimljivu šaru u obliku  romba (zapravo deltoida, da budem preciznija) na bočnim stranama.

Kroj je jednostavna A-suknja koju sam sama modelovala. Uvek mi je zanimljivo kada vidim kako isti kroj ima različit izgled, zavisno od vrste materijala, kao i od toga da li je tkanina sečena po liniji tkanja ili ukoso. Ova suknja izgleda prilično ravna, iako je obim poruba 20ak cm duži od obima suknje u kukovima. Tek gledano sa zadnje strane možete primetiti valove koji se formiraju na porubu, dok sa prednje strane suknja prilično ravno pada.

Šivenje ukoso iskrojenog materijala ume da bude prilično nezgodno, pošto se tkanina ne ponaša isto kao kada je iskrojena u pravcu tkanja. Naime, ukoso iskrojena i postavljena tkanina gubi čvrsinu koju joj  inače obezbeđuje potka, pa materijal postaje rastegljiv. U nekim ranijim pokušajima da šijem ukoso krojen materijal, imala sam probleme sa oblikom suknje - dešavalo mi se da koristim kroj za ravnu suknju, koja na kraju ispadne mnogo uža u predelu poruba nego u predelu kukova, što na meni ne izgleda ni malo lepo. Razlog za to je to što se materijal zategne preko kukova, gde mu telo drži formu, a skupi od kukova naniže. Slično se desilo i sa ovom suknjom, ali joj dodatni volumen daje oblik koji i dalje lepo izgleda na meni.

Osim oblika suknje, čest problem je i prišivanje rajsferšlusa. Ukoliko se ne prišije dobro, šav ume da bude sav grbav, što veoma ružno izgleda. Na ovoj suknji sam imala malo problema - rajsferšlus sam prvo prišila na leđni šav, i dobila upravo taj ružni, grbavi izgled. Potom sam pomerila rajsferšlus na levi bok, što je rešilo problem. Razlog je to što na boku telo daje potporu materijalu, držeći formu šava. što nedostaje na leđnom šavu.

Još jedan trik kojim sam se poslužila je to što sam panele suknje okačila da vise nekoliko dana pre nego što sam počela da šijem. Na porub sam zakačila nekoliko štipaljki, kako bi dale težinu materijalu i dodatno ga istegle. Na ovaj način, materijal se lepo istegao (nisam ga merila pre i posle istezanja, ali verujem da se malo i produžio) i bio je spreman za rad.

Povezani tekstovi

• Zlata kroj za suknju #1401
• Zlata kroj za suknju - varijacija A
• Zlata kroj za suknju - varijacija B
• Zlata kroj za suknju - varijacija C
• Zlata kroj za suknju - kroj za postavu

Sew News August - September 2013

Pre neki dan sam dobila novo izdanje sew News časopisa, za Avgust / Septembar 2013. godine, u kom je objavljen moj članak o simpatičnoj suknji zanimljivog kroja. Naime, suknja nema uobičajene bočne šavove, već dva krivudava šava koji kreću od struka sa prednje strane, spuštaju se do nivoa kukova, odakle menjaju pravac ka zadnjoj strani suknje i spuštaju se ka porubu suknje. Kroj suknje je dodatno naglašen paspulom u šavovima, koji je u kontrastnoj boji.

I got an August / September 2013 issue of the Sew News magazine the other day, which features my article about a nice skirt with an unusual cut. The skirt doesn't have classic side seams; instead, there are two curved seams that start from the waistline on front, change their direction around the hip-line, curving towards the back, and end at the hemline. The cut is additionally accentuated with a contrasting piping.

Kao i obično, evo suknje na meni.

As per usual, here's the skirt on me.

Štepalica časti - nagradna igra / Štepalica treats you - a giveaway

Fejsbuk grupa "Štepalica" je juče dobila četristotog člana (a tokom dana i još par članova više), što me jako obradovalo, jer sam stranicu pokrenula relativno skoro. 

S tim u vezi, htela sam da častim čitaoce zanimljivim poklonom. Troje srećnih dobitnika će dobiti kroj za suknju sa faltama koje se pretvaraju u gajke za kaiš, kakvu sam već pokazala na blogu pre koji dan. Svaki kroj ću napraviti u željenoj veličini dobitnika i poslati ga na kućnu adresu, dok će instrukcije biti u obliku PDF fajla koji ću narezati na CD i poslati zajedno sa krojem.

The Facebook group "Štepalica" got its 400th member yesterday (and a few more during the day), which really surprised me since I've started the group recently.

Therefore, I wanted to treat the readers with an interesting gift. Three lucky winners will get a pattern for the skirt with pleats that transform into belt loops, which I wrote about the other day. I'll draft each of the patterns in a size the winner wishes to have and send it to a home address; instructions will be in a PDF format and sent to the winners on a CD along with the pattern.

Veličine koje su u opticaju su date u tabeli ispod (kliknite na sliku da je uvećate) - u pitanju su standardne veličine koje koristi Burda časopis. 

The skirt sizes you can pick from are given in a table below (click on the picture to enlarge it) - these are standard measurements Burda Style uses.

Pravila nagradne igre su sledeća: 

• ostavite komentar na ovaj post, zajedno sa veličinom koju biste želeli da dobijete; molim vas, ne šaljite mi svoje mere, već samo veličinu koja vam odgovara prema tablici mera; ukoliko nosite neku međuveličinu, savetujem vam da mi pošaljete veličinu koja odgovara vašem obimu kukova - obim struka ćete lako podesiti prilikom šivenja.
• igra je otvorena za sve čitaoce, bez obzira da li živite u Srbiji ili inostranstvu; ipak, navedite zemlju u kojoj živite.
• nasumično ću izabrati troje čitalaca, od kojih bar jedan mora biti iz Srbije - ukoliko u prva dva izvlačenja ni jedan čitalac ne bude iz Srbije, izdvojiću grupu onih čitalaca koji su odavde i zatim iz te grupe nasumično izvući trećeg dobitnika.
• rok za prijavu za nagradu je do petka, 19.07.2013., u ponoć, prema GMT +1 vremenskoj zoni; u subotu, 20.07.2013. ću objaviti imena dobitnika.
• kroj će biti rukom crtan na flis papiru, bez dodataka za šavove; instrukcije će biti relativno kratke, dovoljne da objasne elementarne korake, i ilustrovane sa par fotografija.
• kroj i instrukcije ću poslati kada izmodelujem šnit u traženoj veličini; za ovo će mi biti potrebno neko vreme, ali se nadam da će mi 10ak dana biti dovoljno.

Here are the rules of the giveaway:

• leave a comment on this post, along with the pattern size you'd like to get; please, don't send me your measurements, but the actual size you need; if you're between two sizes, I advise you to pick the one that fits your hips well - you'll alter the waist size easily during the sewing.
• the giveaway is open for all the readers, no matter where they live; however, please state the country you're living in.
• I'll pick randomly three readers, where at least one of them must be from Serbia - in case the first two winners aren't from Serbia, I'll make a separate group consisted only from locals and pick one of the names randomly.
• you can apply for the giveaway until Friday, 19.07.2013. at midnight, GMT +1 time zone; I'll announce the winners on Saturday 20.07.2013.
• the pattern will be drafted by hand, on a tissue paper, and it will have no SAs; the instructions will be brief, with a few photos to illustrate the sewing steps.
• I'll send the patterns and instructions as soon as I draft them in requested sizes; it will take me some time, but I think 10 days will be enough.

Suknja sa faltama / Skirt with pleats

U minulih meces dana sam imala baš mnogo zbivanja, koja su mi dosta poremetila planove, i zbog kojih sam morala malo da pregrupišem obaveze i postavim im odgovarajuće prioritete. Dobra stvar u celoj priči je da sam našla novi posao, koji donosi hleb na sto (i mnogo više od hleba, nadam se!), i koji će mi obezbediti sredstva za produkciju svojih krojeva. Loša stvar je što više nemam toliko slobodnog vremena, tako da će prodaja krojeva krenuti malo kasnije nego što sam inicijalno planirala.

Last month brought some new moments to my life, which changed my plans and set some new priorities. The good thing is that I found a new job, that brings food to the table (and much more, I hope!), and that will provide the means for my patterns' production. The downside is that I don't have as much spare time as I did before, and this will postpone the patterns sale.

Ipak, uspela sam da ukradem malo vremena da sašijem par stvari - slatku haljinu o kojoj ću uskoro pisati, i veoma zanimljivu suknju koju vidite na slikama ispod. 

However, I did manage to steal some time to sew a couple of garments - a cute dress I'll write about soon, and a very interesting skirt you can see on the pictures bellow. 

O ovoj suknji maštam već par godina. Ideju sam dobila od slične suknje koju sam videla u prodavnici - izvrnute falte, koje se pretvaraju u gajke za kaiš. Slična varijacija na temu mogla se naći i u Burdi  1/2008, s tim što su gajke napravljene tako što su otvorene velike rupice za dugmad, kroz koje se provlači kaiš. Davne 2008. sam sašila sebi pomenutu varijaciju, ali nisam bila zadovoljna ni izgledom ni ponašanjem suknje. Problem je bio u tome što ovaj model nema klasičan pojas, koji bi suknji dao potreban oblik na prelazu s kukova na struk, pa mi je suknja stajala prilično nisko, što mojoj građi nikako ne pristaje. Dodatno, kad god bih sela, suknja bi se podigla malo u vis, a onda bi pojas suknje stajao kao obruč oko mog struka, ne prijanjajući uz telo. Ako imate naglašen struk, kao što ja imam, verovatno ste i sami imali prilike da iskusite ovo i zmate o čemi pričam.  

I've been dreaming of this skirt for a few years now. I got the idea from a similar RTW skirt - it had inverted kick pleats that served as belt loops as well. A similar pattern could be found in the 1/2008 BWOF, but the belt loops were made as large button holes through which the belt was inserted. I made myself a skirt using the mentioned pattern back in 2008, but I wasn't satisfied with the shape and behavior of the skirt. The BWOF pattern didn't have a waistband or a waist yoke that would give the skirt the required shape at hips - waist area. Therefore, the skirt sat too low on my hips, which doesn't suite my body shape at all. Additionally, whenever I would had sat, the skirt would rise up a bit, and the waistline stood as some sort of hoop around my waist. If you have a tiny waist as I do, you have probably experienced a similar problem, and you know what I'm talking about.

Slika iz Burde 1/2008

Picture from BWOF 1/2008

Dakle, trebala mi je suknja koja ima klasičan pojas, koja stoji visoko na struku, ali takva da falte prelaze u gajke za pojas. Znala sam šta želim, ali nisam znala kako to da izvedem - sve do sada. Tačnije, shvatila sam pre 2 godine kako da napravim kroj, ali sam imala par neuspelih pokušaja dok nisam dobila pravi oblik. Naime, prošle godine sam krenula da šijem suknju koja je završila u kanti za đubre - odnos širine falti i same suknje nije bio dobar, ali sam kroz to iskustvo mnogo naučila. Novi pokušaj je usledio pre jedno mesec dana - i bio bi dobar da nisam peglom progorela platno (ups!). Kad god napravim ovakvu početničku grešku zapitam se da li sam jedina. Imate li i vi ovakve gafove?

Treća sreća, kažu ljudi. 

So, I need a skirt with a classic waist yoke, that sat high on my waist, but with inverted kick pleats that transformed into belt loops. I knew exactly what I wanted, but I had no idea how to make it - until now, that is. Well, I figured it out 2 years ago, actually, but I had several failures until I got the right shape. Last year I started sewing a skirt that ended up in a trash bin - the pleats and skirt width ratio was all wrong, but i learnt a lot through that experience. A new attempt happened a month ago - it would have been a successful one hadn't I burnt the fabric with an iron (oops!). Whenever I make such a beginner mistake, I wonder if I'm the only one. Do you ever experience such guff?  

Evo kako izgleda suknja. Moja verzija ima i džepove, koje mnogo volim. Prednja i zadnja strana imaju po pet falti. Centralna falta na prednjoj strani je jedina koja se ne preliva u gajku, kako bi kaiš na sredini mogao normalno da stoji. Prelaz između pojasa i suknje, kao i ivice džepova su ukrašeni paspulom u šavu. Sve falte su ušivene pri vrhu, šavom dugim otprilike 5cm, odakle otvoreno padaju, dajući suknji volumen. Takođe, sve  ivice falti su preštepane, kako se pregib falti vremenom ne bi izgubio. Ovo prilično olakšava posao prilikom peglanja suknje. Kao što vidite, razlika između moje i Burdine verije je i u tome što ja nisam prišivala faltu za suknju u gornjem delu, tako da na mojoj suknji falte imaju trodimenzionalnost.

So, here's how the skirt looks. My version has pockets, which I adore. There are five inverted kick pleats on both front and back. The central front pleat is the only one that doesn't convert into a belt loop, allowing the belt to sit properly on the center front. The skirt top / waist yoke seam and the pockets are trimmed with black piping. All the pleats are closed with a 5cm long stitch at the top of the skirt, and are open from that point on, giving the skirt a nice volume. Also, all the pleats are toptsitched along the edges, to keep the fold line in place. This also makes the pressing much easier. As you can see, a difference between my and BWOF's version is that I didn't sew the pleats to the skirt in the upper part, so the pleats on my skirt have the third dimension. 

  

A evo kako suknja izgleda na meni. Jako mi se sviđja u kombinaciji sa crnim bluzama, kojih nemam mnogo - eto povoda da sašijem još koju košuljicu. Mislim da gajke bile mnogo efektnije kada bi kaiš bio u crnoj boji, jer bi se kontrast mnogo bolje vide. No, nemam adekvatan crni kaiš; dok ne nabavim neki, poslužiće bež pleteni kaišić.

Finally, here's how the skirt looks on me. I really like it in combination with black tops, and I don't have many of those - a nice excuse for me to make few more blouses. I think the belt loops would look better it the belt was black, the contrast would make them more prominent. However, I don't have an adequate black belt; until I get one, the beige braided belt would do.

 

Suknja za mamu / A skirt for mom

Prošle godine smo mama i ja udružile snage i sašile joj dve jaknice. To je bio zgodan način da ona nauči malo više o šivenju, da bude uključena od početka do kraja u proces, a da istovremeno dobije dobro sašivenu garderobu. Jedna od tih jakni je i ova roze, sašivena od prelepog buklea od sirove svile. Na žalost, nisam uslikala jaknu kada je bila završena, nadajući se da ću "uloviti" mamu u trenutku kada je nosi, što se nije desilo. Zato ću morati da se poslužim ovom slikom.

Last year my mom and I joined forces and made her two jackets. It was an easy way for her to learn more about sewing, to be involved in the process of making, and to get a quality sewn garments. One of those jackets was this pink one, made of a gorgeous raw silk boucle. Unfortunately, I didn't snap a photo of the finished jacket, hoping I'd photograph it on mom, but that never happened. So I'll have to use this pic.

Od buklea nije ostalo mnogo, tek jedna traka od oko 40cm dužine, koju je bilo grehota ne iskoristiti. Među zalihama materijala imala sam ljubičastu treviru, koje je takođe bilo premalo za neki konkretan odevni predmet, pa sam pomislila da bi dva materijala mogla sasvim lepo da se uklope u jednostavnu suknju. Na mami je bilo da je sašije. Međutim, baš kada se namerila da pravi suknju, stvari su krenule u pogrešnom pravcu. Jedna greška nizala se za drugom, i mama je na kraju digla ruke, jer je suknja bila prekratka, asimetrična i sa sitnim felerima koji su boli oči. 

Na žalost, nemam sliku pre moje intervencije da vam pokažem, ali mogu da opišem u čemu je bio problem. Ideja je bila da gornji deo suknje bude od trevire, a donji od buklea. Međutim, mama je pogrešno ocenila dužinu gornjeg dela i otsekla prekratke prednje i zadnje panele, pa je suknja bila 2-3 cm kraća od optimalne dužine, i nije bilo dovoljno tkanine za porub. Horizontalne šavove na suknji je prepeglala oba u istom smeru, što je napravilo velika zadebljanja koja su naglašavala stomak. To je pokušala da ispravi štepanjem preko šava, što nije urodilo plodom, jer se na taj način zadebljanje ne može smanjiti. Postavu je umetnula licem ka suknji, pa su se šavovi videli iznutra. Na kraju, ni pojas nije dobro prišila, jer je stajao blago ukoso, što je suknju činilo asimetričnom. Ono što moja mama još uvek nije naučila je da ponekad neki šav mora i da se opara :). Svaki početnik pravi ovakve greške, ubeđen da mala omaška u šivenju može da se zamaskira. 

Not much had left from the boucle, a strip of fabric, approximately 40 cm long, which was a shame not to use. I had some purple fabric in my stash, not enough to make a garment of it, and I thought the two fabrics could make a nice simple skirt. I left it to mom to sew the skirt. However, things started moving in the wrong direction once she started sewing. One mistake followed the other and mom finally gave up, having a skirt that was asymmetrical, too short and with striking flaws.

I don't have the before pictures to show you. The idea was to place the purple fabric on the top of the skirt and the pink one on the bottom. However, mom miscalculated the length and cut the top pieces too short, ending up with a skirt that was 2-3 cm shorter than needed, and with no fabric for hemming. She pressed SAs on the horizontal seams in one direction, making huge bulks that accentuated her tummy. She tried to fix this by topstitching the seams, which didn't result the way she had expected, since you can not reduce the bulk this way. She applied a lining with right side towards the skirt, leaving the lining seams visible. Finally, she sewed the belt slightly off, which made the skirt look asymmetrical. What my mom hasn't learned yet is that sometimes she needs to rip off a few seams. Every beginner makes this type of mistakes.

I pored svih tih grešaka, suknja joj je dobro stajala, jer je odabrala model koji joj odgovara, pa mi je bilo žao da sav trud i materijal uludo propadnu. Oparala sam pojas, postavu i rajsferšlus, kao i poprečne štepove preko tkanine. Poprečne šavove sam raspeglala otvorene, što je momentalno smanjilo debljinu platna. Otsekla sam sa donjeg dela suknje traku dužine oko 15cm i našila traku od  trevire, dugu oko 25cm. Na zadnjem delu sam, umesto klasičnog šlica, napravila duplu faltu, kako bi lakše mogla da hoda. Suknja još uvek nije porubljena - to će mama odraditi kada utvrdi potrebnu dužinu. Drago mi je da je dobila lepu suknju koja čini odličan komplet sa jaknicom od istog materijala. Samo se nadam da ću uskoro uspeti da uslikam ceo outfit na njoj. 

However, even with those flaws, the skirt fitted her well, the model was so right for her, and I wanted to fix it - it would have been a shame to waste all her effort and the fabric. I ripped off the belt, lining and zipper, along with horizontal topstitching. The horizontal seams were pressed open, which reduced thickness of the fabric. I cut off a strip of fabric from the bottom of the skirt, approximately 15 cm long, and sewed on a strip of purple fabric, 25 cm long. I made a kick pleat on the center back, to allow comfortable movement. The skirt isn't hemmed yet - mom will hem it when she defines the needed length. I'm glad she got a nice skirt that makes a lovely suit with the jacket. I just hope I'll manage to snap some photos of the outfit.

Me Made May 2012 - Četvrta i peta nedelja / Weeks four and five

Dan 22 / Day 22


Opet sam nosila moto jaknu i salutirala ispred Admirala :)


Wearing again my motorbike jacket and saluting in front of the Admiral :)

Dan 23 / Day 23

Ponovo koristim staru, ali veoma interesantnu sliku. Nosila sam varijaciju Bella pantalona, sa Burda Style sajta, koje su izmenjene prema stilu mornarskih pantalona.

This is an old picture again, but a very interesting one. I wore a variation of the Burda Style's Bella pants, altered to sailor style pants.

Dan 24 / Day 24


Ovde sam bila u poseti Alisi iz Zemlje čuda. Da znate, ima veoma lepu kućicu :)

Visiting Alice in Wonderland, she has a nice home, you know?

Dan 25 / Day 25

Foto izazov za petak: Voda. Igranje i pevanje na kiši (plus stajanje u bari, ako možete da je vidite sa slika)... to je dovoljno vode za moj ukus...

Nosila sam crnu vojničku haljinu, koju sam stilizovala da izgleda što je moguće poslovnije. Kroj je iz Burde 1/2006, #130. Nisam nosila često ovu haljinu, iako je veoma udobna i lepo mi stoji. Stvar je u tome što me najčešće podseća na radnički kombinezon. Ipak, sa zlatnim detaljima sam uspela dobro da je zakamufliram i veoma mi se dopada u ovoj kombinaciji.

Singing and dancing in the rain (plus, standing in a minor pond, if you can actually see it).... that's enough water for me :)

Wearing a black military dress, that I styled to look as business like as possible. The pattern is from BWOF 11/2006, #130. I haven't worn this dress much, even though it's really comfortable and it fits me well. The thing is, most of the times it reminds me of coveralls. However with these golden details it is well camouflaged and I like it this way.

 

Dan 26 / Day 26

Nosila sam teget satensku suknju sa zelenim detaljima (Burda 10/2005, #121 sa izmenama kroja). Volim ovu suknju, i dobila sam dosta komplimenata na njen račun, ali je nisam nosila mnogo. Nisam nalazila odgovarajuću bluzu uz nju. Ovaj put, uparila sam suknju sa belom bluze na teget pruge i tufne (Burda 1/2008 #108), i veoma mi se dopada kako izgleda.

Wearing a navy satin skirt with green details (BWOF 10/2005, #121 with alterations). I love this skirt and I've been getting a lot of compliments for it, but I haven't worn it much. I couldn't find the right top for it. This time, I've paired it with a white blouse with navy stripes and polkadots (BOWF 1/2008 #108), and I really liked the look.

Dan 27 / Day 27


Nosila sam smoking pantalone i teksas blejzer.


Wearing the tuxedo pants and a denim jacket.

Dan 28 / Day 28


Opet stara slika - nosila sam kariranu suknjicu koju sam sama modelovala.

An odl picture again - I wore a plaid skirt that I modeled myself.

Dan 29 / Day 29


Varijacija bluze iz Burde 1/2008 #108.

A variation of the BWOF 1/2008 #108 blouse.

Dan 30 / Day 30


I opet stara slika - haljinica koju mnogo volim da nosim, kroj iz Burde 2/2007, #124.

An old picture again - a dress that I love to wear, the pattern was from BWOF 2/2007, #124.

Dan 31 / Day 31

Poslednji dan ovog sjajnog izazova.

Hvala Zoe na organizovanju izazova, uživala sam kao i uvek, iako sam nekim danima imala problema da se uslikam. Kao omaž njoj, obukla sam se u mornarskom stilu.

Ovaj put sam bila manje maštovita u oblačenju nego inače, ali za to krivim vreme koje je bilo kišno, kišno, kišno...

Volela bih da imam više ručno šivene garderobe za sportske aktivnosti, poput farmerica i majica.

Ono što sam postavila sebi kao lični izazov je da uslikam interesantne slike, i mislim da sam uspela u tome (onim danima kada sam uspela da se slikam).

The final day of this wonderful challenge.

Thank you Zoe for organizing it, I enjoyed it as much as always, even though I had troubles photographing my outfits at certain days. As an homage to you, here's a quite nautical outfit from me :)

I was less imaginative with my outfits than usual, but I blame it on the weather, which was rainy, rainy, rainy...

I wish I had more casual, sportish garments like jeans and T-shirts for outdoor activities.

What I made my personal challenge was to snap some interesting pictures, and I think I did that well (on those days I when I managed to take them).