What Kind of Sewing Day Are You Having?

The trials and tribulations of trying to get my latest sewing project done in time for a Pattern Review Contest have inspired this little quiz.  Have fun, and let me know what kind of sewing day you are having in the comments!

1. You are trying to sew a notched collar in a jacket.  After reading the instructions and looking at the pattern you...

a. Sew it in perfectly on the first try.  Because you have done this so many times you could do it in your sleep.  It only takes you a few minutes.  And the only reason you used the instructions was so you could give them an accurate analysis on Pattern Review.

b. Sew it in without much trouble, since you have done this before, through you did stare at the instructions for a long time, you pulled out two reference books, and the internet.  It took you an hour to figure it out, but you got it.

c.  You had a little bit of trouble and had to rip it out and sew it in again.  It isn't perfect, but it is pretty close, and you can live with the results.

d.  You realize too late that you weren't supposed to sew that side of the collar, because that side of the collar gets sewn in the facing to make the notch.  You have to rip up most of your collar.  Where you already trimmed the seam allowances.  Which means when you actually do get your collar looking right you now have something of a gaping hole on the under collar.  Which you have no option but to tack by hand when you get around to it.

2.  You make sleeves with vents.  You haven't ever done sleeve vents before, but yours look pretty good!  You decide to put in the buttonholes as instructed by the pattern.  You...

a. Already planned and sewed bound buttonholes.  And you didn't even need instructions because you eat couture finishes for breakfast.

b. Measure where the buttons would go on the underlap and position your buttonhole perfectly.

c. Think about it and realize you don't really need operational buttonholes because the vents are just for show anyway and thus just sew on the button as decoration.

d.  Place the buttonhole where the pattern indicates.  You need to stitch the buttonhole twice because your fabric is so thick it accidentally triggered the automatic button hole sensor to switch directions at the wrong time.  You then realize said buttonhole doesn't actually cover the underlap, so it can't actually be functional.  You now regret actually poking the buttonhole opening into your sleeve, but figure you can cover it up with the button anyway, so who is going to really know?

3. You set the sleeves into your jacket.  This takes you...

a.  One try. Because you are a sewing goddess and/or god.

b.  Two tries on each sleeve because the fabric is thicker and stiffer than is strictly desirable, so you have a tiny bit of trouble.

c. Three-five tries. You get it eventually though and it looks fantastic.

d.  The number of licks it takes for a toothless baby to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop is smaller than the number of times you had to rip out those friggin' sleeves.  And they still aren't perfect.  And the fabric didn't recover well from the mistakes.  And you just don't care anymore.

4.  You have a partial spool of thread in the color you need for your jacket.  You...

a.  Never start a project without everything you could possibly need at hand.  So you obviously stocked up on the thread color before you cut out your fabric.

b.  Realized you were going to run out before you actually did run out, and thusly were able to get more thread at the store.  Hey, look, you even have a coupon for thread!

c.  Run out of thread, but at a non-critical junction.  You were going to run to the store tomorrow anyway.  And you can always move on to the lining for now.

d.  You run out in the middle of a button hole.  And so you go to the store.  They are also out of said color of thread.  You go to another store.  They have the thread, but you realize you left your coupon at home.

5.  You have the brilliant idea to add pipping to the lining of your jacket!  You...

a.  Had this idea originally and thus had everything ready to go when you were cutting out your jacket.

b.  Have everything you could possibly need in your stash.  It takes a while to locate what you need, but you eventually find it all.

c.  Don't have any piping cord or any fabric in the color you need.  You head to the local craft store.  They don't have the exact size of cord you wanted, but you find something close.  You also find the a perfect coordinating fabric that is on sale at 50% off.  There is only one person ahead of you at the cut counter.

d.  You head to the store.  The selection of cording is abysmal because all of the people sewing Halloween costumes have picked over the trim section, and the home dec area is no help.  Eventually you settle for something that is close-ish to what you were looking for.  The only fabric in the color you need is $20 per yard.  When you take it to the cut counter the sales lady wants to make very sure that you understand the fabric is $20 a yard.  And it is silk.  You roll your eyes and use your 50% off coupon at the cash register, but waiting behind 20 people trying to throw together Halloween costumes did give you a lot of time to ponder if you really should be spending $13 on a last-minute piping detail on a jacket that is going downhill fast.

6.  Because of annoying things like work, family, and dinner, you don't get to start sewing until around 8pm.  You finish working at...

a.  10pm.  Because everything goes perfectly and you need to get your beauty rest.

b.  11pm.  You had a few snags, but things get done well enough in a timely manner.

c.  Midnight.  You had some problems and spent a good deal of time with the seam ripper, but you finally feel you can stop for the night.

d.  2am.  You had a helluva time because your fabric is acting like a beeyatch, you can't manage to do much of anything right, Burda instructions are crazy, and, oh yeah, you forgot you had to sew something else entirely for someone else for the next morning.  Ooopsie.  Of course, you work on your stuff first.  But you get theirs done too.  You finally get to go to bed.  But by that time you are so wired you can't sleep at all.

7.  Your mother/spouse/roommate walks into your sewing room, where you are listening to music.  They ask you what is playing.  You respond with...

a.  Mozart.  Because you are classy like that.

b.  The Downton Abbey Soundtrack.  You are sewing a modern jacket, but you wish you were making a dress worthy of Lady Mary.  In fact, you think you will make one as your next project...

c. Source Music: Jabba's Baroque Recital.  The fact that you know the name of such an obscure song offhand only proves that you really need to get some new music to listen to while you are sewing.

d.  Pink Floyd's The Wall.  One of the really depressing songs.  It fits the mood of the sewing room really well.

8.  You are halfway through your project.  You...

a. Are super excited because everything is going well and you can't wait to finish so you can wear it!  You power through and finish in a timely manner.

b.  Are fairly pleased with the way it is turning out, but are a bit tired and decide to stop for the night.

c.  Are kind of getting sick of this project.  You can't wait to move on to something else.  Something fast and easy.  Your next several projects are going to be knit tops.

d.  Are really sad because everything feels like it is going wrong.  You are going to finish, but you don't know if you are going to like it.  The style is a bit more... 90s... than you were expecting.  The seam lines looked great on the muslin but now don't seem to be the most flattering, strictly speaking.  You had to do a lot of last minute adjusting because your fabric is much stiffer than you expected, and so all your pre-emptive fit adjustments weren't quite radical enough.  You feel a bit bummed because your LOVE your lining fabric and feel like it might be a bit of a waste on this particular project.  Too bad you already cut it out.

9.  Your fabric...

a. Is from a high end designer's collection.  You only work with the most luxurious of materials.

b.  Is of decent quality.  At least you are using all natural fibers, so everything presses well.

c.  Is aiming to misbehave.  But you somehow manage to wrangle it into submission with a lot of steam and a stern eye.  Well, mostly.

d.  Is not doing at all what you thought it would when you bought it.  In fact, when you tested pressing it, it was acting just lovely, but in the actually garment?  Oh, no.  No, it gets all shiny and shows all of the iron marks.  All of them.  And how is it possible for cotton to leave this many fuzz balls?  Your boogers are going to be the color of Cookie Monster for the next month.

10.  You take a critical look at your sewing project in the context of your wardrobe.  You planned this piece to fill a critical hole.  You realize...

a.  It is going to fit perfectly into your existing wardrobe.  You can already think of at least 10 other pieces to wear it with.

b.  You realize that this might not work with everything you have, but you are trying to elevate your style, and this is a step in the right direction.

c.  You think this will get worn, but perhaps not as much as your originally intended.

d.  You realize you have spent so long in academia that you no longer know what passes as style in the real world.  You think sitcom stars from the 90s would have loved your jacket, but no one in the real world today would ever wear such a thing.  You start to doubt all of the projects you have been planning for a while now.  You start to ponder if you have any taste at all.

Time to add up your scores!  For each of your answers:

a = 4 points

b = 3 points

c = 2 points

d = 1 point

If your score is...

35-40 Points:  Congratulations!  You are Mrs. Vogue of yore.  You were born to sew and the gods favor you and your insanely magical talents.  Every sewing blogger in existence is jealous of your mad skillz.  You fit into everything right out of the envelope, you never need to make a muslin, and you are the most stylish woman and/or man in your zip code.

25-34 Points:  Yay for you - you are having a pretty good sewing day!  A few normal human bobbles, but all in all things are going your way.  Better keep the momentum going while it lasts!

16-24 Points:  You aren't having the best sewing day.  Everything is taking longer than normal, you are making silly mistakes, and just aren't feeling the mojo.  Maybe you should just leave things off until tomorrow.

0-15 Points:  You are having a Sew Skate Read kind of a sewing day.  Nothing is going right for you.  Your project is disintegrating in front of your face.  Nothing looks as good as you expected, all of your sewing has wonky glaring errors, and you can't decide if it would be more painful to scrap the whole thing or just press on.  Let me hand you a tissue.  We can wipe our Cookie Monster boogers together.

Book Review: The Second Mark

I have been a big fan of The Skating Lesson - a vlog that covers the latest news and gossip in the ice skating world - since it first got started.  It has been a great way to keep abreast of figure skating news with minimal effort, and it is refreshing to hear about the the results of competitions and evaluations of skating from unbiased sources.  When they started reading The Second Mark as part of their first "book club" selection, I thought oooh, that could be fun to read in the future.  As random luck would have it, the next day my dad gave me an Amazon gift code he had won through an online survey.  Since this book is almost a decade old, it has fallen into the category where the market declares that $0.01 + $3.99 for shipping will get you a like-new hardcover book.  And, though I started the book nearly a week after the first book club episode discussion, I managed to finish it just as the book club was reaching the halfway point.

The Second Mark: Courage, Corruption, And The Battle For Olympic Gold by Joy Goodwin is an in-depth look at the three pairs teams who medaled at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.  It discusses the six skaters, and how all of their humble beginnings lead to Olympic greatness.  It also looks at the lives of their coaches and parents, to examine how their support systems were able to push the skaters and help them achieve their ultimate potential.  As the book progresses, it leads up to the Olympic event, the controversial results, and the judging scandal that followed.

It is fascinating to view this book in a historical context - the Russian and Chinese teams were coming to their physical peak at a time when the political climates of their respective countries were turning on their heads.  The Russian tradition of pairs figure skating had lead to ten consecutive Olympic gold medals before 2002, but when the Soviet Union collapsed, so did the state funding supporting the athletes and their training.  Elena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikahrulidze had started their training under the old Soviet system, but had to find a way to maintain access to ice and training time in a changing world.  Though this struggle was nothing compared to Elena's need to overcome an abusive relationship and near-death incident with her former pairs partner.  They started in a system where two young children who were not particularly interested in becoming skaters were pushed by the state to achieve greatness, then, right when they were about to reach it, the state support that had created a dynasty of Olympic champions melted away.

In China, Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo were born to parents who had lived through China's Cultural Revolution and all the repercussions that led to meager earnings and an inability to improve their social standings afterwards.  At a young age they were separated from their families and lived at the athletic training facility.  Zhao Hongbo because his natural athletic gifts were apparent at a young age.  Shen Xue because she worked harder than any other child and had a father who would help her push herself to the limit.  As their abilities and world standings progressed, their coach was able to gradually convince the Chinese government for the need of Western influence in terms of choreography and style.  In the days of their coach, Yao Bin, such a thing would have been unthinkable.  The cultural changes and government support allowed two children who were born in poverty to achieve greatness for a country whose earlier competitors had been laughed off Olympic ice.

The Canadian team of Jamie Salé and David Pelletier had a similarly long though very different road than the other teams contending for the Olympic title.  David Pelletier had a mother who pushed him into skating, and though he initially did well because of an innate talent, he eventually found a true love for the sport once he started skating pairs.  Jamie Salé had a charismatic spark, though she was not, perhaps, the most gifted skater technically speaking.  She, too, had a real love for pairs skating.  But the North American system, where parents scrape together enough to afford lessons and ice time for their children, and where appropriate partners are found by luck more than by careful assessment and planning of coaches, is not the easiest method to create a great pairs team.  Both Jamie and David spent most of their careers with different partners.  It was only once they started skating together that they had a meteoric rise to the top of the sport.  Where the other teams had been skating together for years, Jamie and David had much less time together before their attempt at an Olympic title.  Where the other teams faced more pressure from coaches, parents, and their state governments, Salé and Pelletier had to deal with their own intense emotions and passions to make the team work.

The book concludes with a thorough description of the Olympic event, and the days following when the events of the judging scandal came to light.  It is an odd tale, involving the French skating federation and a man wanted by the FBI for being a member of an international mafia ring.  The entire event resulted in dual gold medals for the Russian and Canadian teams, which was entirely unsatisfying for anyone, except, perhaps, the North American media.  The Canadians were robbed of their Olympic moment, and the Russian victory was tarnished.  Though there were hearings to discuss the events of the Olympic scandal, there was not any real effort to look into the root of the problem, and it was decided that anonymous judging would protect the judges from feeling federation pressure in the future.

The final events of this book are now a decade past, but it is interesting to see how the repercussions of the judging scandal are affecting the sport to this day.  Though this book makes no mention of it (as it was published only two years after the Salt Lake Olympics), the "new" IJS scoring system was put in place to prevent such controversial results and questions of cheating in the future.  Many have attributed the new system with removing the soul of skating and causing a rapid decline in the popularity of the sport.  It is also amusing to note that, due to the anonymity of judges and the way that scores are assessed, it is almost easier for judges to cheat under the new system than the old.  Fans can now cry out against the harsh judgements of the technical caller, and question the inflated PCS scores of skaters whose performances were marred by several falls, but it doesn't quite have the same thrill as seeing the score 6.0 flash across the screen.  Moreover, with skaters pushing their bodies to the limit to increase the base values of their program, it is increasingly difficult to have the physical staying-power of skaters past.  The sport now has an almost too-technical quality about it, where difficult elements are valued above the beauty of a pure, smooth, gliding edge.  Reading this book makes one want to go back and re-watch programs of the past.  And in doing so you realize that they made you feel something.  There is an art, a beauty, an intangible elegance to these performances that just doesn't seem to be possible in the sport today.  I won't deny that the elements being attempted by today's athletes are much more difficult than in the past.  But I will also say that the difficulty is much more obvious - that seamless quality is gone.  At the time, the judging scandal may have felt like it only affected the results of one competition, but in reality the incident would affect the future of the sport more profoundly than anyone would have guessed.

In the end I have to say this was a truly fantastic and engaging book.  The lives of these skaters, coaches, and parents are fascinating, and the book itself is very well written.  You feel for all of the skaters, and, even knowing the results, you find yourself rooting for all of them.  I did feel that the writing of the book colored the skating of the Olympic event in favor of the Canadian team perhaps a bit more than it should have; I remember watching the event and, despite a minor bobble from the Russian team, thinking, on that night, that they had justifiably won.  There was an etherial quality to their skating that feels somewhat downplayed in the text.  However, I can appreciate the argument that the skating by the Canadian team was more technically correct and I do agree that the judging of the event was unfair.  And, despite the fact that the scandal and hoopla surrounded the Russians and Canadians, after finishing the book I felt that the Chinese team displayed the greatest amount of Olympic spirit.  Inspiring, disheartening, and fascinating, The Second Mark is a great read for skating fans, but would be a fascinating personal interest story even if you don't know much about the sport.  I highly recommend it to all.

(Random slightly tangential side note - does there exist a skating book about roller or ice where Ottavio Cinquanta is not the villain?  He squashed the Olympic dreams of many on one side of the fence, and seems to have supported fixing the results on the other.  In an odd way the decline of both sports can be traced back to the man, and it is almost tragic how one person can cause such severe problems and remain in power.)

Book Review: Tailoring: The Classic Guide to Sewing the Perfect Jacket

I have been planning to sew jackets for a while, and when the lined jacket contest being run on Pattern Review convinced me to move around the projects in my queue.  Though I have made a few coats in my time, I thought it would be good to read through Tailoring: The Classic Guide to Sewing the Perfect Jacket as a bit of a refresher and to see if I could pick up a few new ideas.

I actually got this book quite recently, so I haven't used it as a reference for my other sewing projects.  I was quite excited to get a new sewing book and as I was inspired by my in-progress jacket projects I read through it quite quickly.  Tailoring focuses completely on sewing a tailored jacket, so it isn't a great general sewing book, but it does do a nice job of considering the many options available for creating a tailored jacket.  It covers custom (aka hand sewing), machine, and fusible techniques for structuring the interior of the jacket.  It also covers basic fit alterations, tailoring tools, fabric choices, and procedures for sewing common jacket details such as welt pockets, bound button holes, and vents.

I got this book because I had heard many good reviews and recommendations on several other blogs and on pattern review.  However, after reading through it I have to say I was a bit disappointed.  I think that while this book does do well in covering all of the topics one would consider when embarking on a detailed tailoring project, it doesn't quite have the depth that I would expect from a book discussing an aspect of sewing where attention to detail and fit is key.  The overview of tools and fabrics was nice, but I would have liked to have a few more details on exactly how to use all of those fancy tools (especially the ones that I don't yet own - how else will I know what to ask for as a birthday present?).  Also, the section on correcting fit issues seems cursory at best.  Obviously this isn't a book dedicated to fit alterations, but I still felt that many of the more common problems weren't covered in enough detail.  Also, while I felt that many of the sewing instructions were quite good, I did feel like some of the more complicated procedures (like bound buttonholes, welts, and vents) could have used more detailed explanations and more photographs.

It isn't that this is a bad book, but I think that I have read or used too many other sewing books that this one just feels a bit light on the content.  Actually, I also recently acquired a used copy of the Reader's Digest Complete Guide to Sewing, and I find I am turning to that book quite a bit more for technical advice.  I mean, it has at least four different methods for creating bound buttonholes.  Also, I am a bit spoiled as my mother had found Tailoring: Traditional and Contemporary Techniques at a used bookstore, and that volume is quite a bit more detailed and complete, especially as far as fit is concerned.  The one upside to The Classic Guide over Traditional and Contemporary Techniques is the color photographs are quite nice, but when it comes to actual content Contemporary Techniques wins out across the board.

In the end I would say that Tailoring: The Classic Guide to Sewing the Perfect Jacket is a good sewing book, but not a great sewing book.  I think this book would be a good first tailoring book because it covers a nice range of topics without being overwhelming in depth.  I did very much like how it presented the information about the interior structure of jackets (such as backstays, sleeve heads, and interfacing options).  However, if you have another good reference book (or several that cover various topics in depth), then you can probably skip having this book in your collection.  If you are worried about sewing a jacket or afraid of tailoring because of all the details then I think this book would be a good starting point.  If you are a bit more advanced in your sewing skills then you would probably do better choosing a more technical or advanced text.

So tell me dear readers - have any of you used Tailoring: The Classic Guide?  What did you think?  Is it your go-to tailoring book, or do you have another favorite?  As always feel free to discuss in the comments!

(Also - hey, look!  I finally reviewed a sewing book on my sewing blog!  Not the first time, but definitely the first time in quite a while that has happened.  I seem to be on a bit of a non-fiction kick at the moment, so maybe we will get some more sewing book reviews soon?)

Book Review: Tortall and Other Lands

Tamora Pierce is an author I have been reading since I was eleven years old.  I realize I have somewhat grown out of the target age group for her writing, but I continue to read her books anyway, because I enjoy seeing what happens in the worlds I loved so much as I was growing up.  Unlike her other works, however, Tortall and Other Lands: A Collection of Tales is not a novel length fantasy story.  It is actually a collection of her previously published and unpublished short stories.

The stories collected in Tortall and Other Lands take place in many of the fantasy worlds Tamora Pierce has created, and highlight small adventures of some of her most beloved characters.  Some of the other stories take place in fantasy lands unrelated to her earlier works.  There are still others that take place in the near-present day that feature varying degrees of magic.

The stories themselves have been written and collected from various points in Pierce's writing career.  As such some are much more engrossing than others.  I am a bit ashamed to admit that it has taken me over two years to finish this book.  While I enjoyed the stories that were related to characters I had loved in my childhood, other stories just weren't as exciting to me.  I also felt that the stories got more powerful as the book progressed - it took me a long time to read the first few stories, but only a few days to read the last three or four.  I don't think this reflects poorly on the book though - I think I just tend to like to read longer novels and I am not as excited by short stories.  I would read a story here and there in between longer books, but I never really felt the urge to sit down and read all of these stories back to back.

I have to say I enjoyed reading Nawat, Elder Brother, A Dragon's Tale, and Lost as they all dealt with characters or situations that were important in her full length Tortallian novels.  I also very much enjoyed Testing, the modern-day story, because I thought it was well written, and Huntress because it felt like a bit of a departure from the other stories collected in this book.  It was more mature and I enjoyed seeing that side of her writing.  It makes me wonder what would have been if she had really pushed to create adult fantasy novels instead of those marketed to teenage girls.

In the end I am happy I finished this book - the stories at the end are definitely worth reading, even if they are uncharacteristic of Pierce's other works.  I would definitely recommend this to fans of Tamora Pierce - this collection is a fun extension of her previous works.  I don't know that I would recommend this to the general audience - most of the tales are cute and enjoyable, but some of them lose impact without the context of her longer novels.  I do have to say that finishing this book has made me realize that, as a reader, I really do prefer lengthy complex stories where I can be really immersed in a world.  Short story collections just don't hold my attention because of the constant jumping between characters and settings.  Also, it seems like I have been reading a lot of stories aimed at young adults this year.  While I do appreciate the works by some of my favorite authors, it just feels like these sorts of stories aren't as fulfilling as they used to be.  I finish them wanting more.  Which is sort of sad in a "I am growing up and losing the wonder of childhood" sort of way, but also sort of good in a "I have developed a refined appreciation of literature" sort of way.  At least it gives me a better sense of books I would want to read in the future.  I don't know if I am ready to stop reading the works by my favorite childhood authors quite yet, but I do think I am ready to look for new authors to read and appreciate and enjoy.  And I have plenty of options on my shelves, so now I just have to figure out which one to pick...

Newsflash: November Burda Preview Posted

The full preview of the November Burda has been posted to the Russian website.  After the early preview came out my thoughts were "editorial, but not necessarily great wardrobe builders."  After looking through the full preview I think I may have to reverse my sentiment a bit.  Some of the model photography made things look a bit extreme, but the garment photos actually make them seem much more wearable.  This actually looks like a pretty good issue - the best issue since the fall issues started, for sure.  I actually think there is a nice balance between runway trends and wearability.  I am not exactly thrilled by a lot of the current runway trends, but I think Burda did a nice job balancing trendy with classic in this issue.

There is a lot to look at, so I am going to go by category.  First, the jackets:

Ok, when I saw this in the early preview I thought the collar was insanely huge.
Seeing the garment photo I have completely reversed my opinion.
It is dramatic and awesome.  I love it.

And look at the line drawing!  So many seams means much easier to fit.
Yes, this goes on my to-make list for sure.

I also really like this little jacket with the waist tie.

In the line drawing you can see that the tie bands are actually
caught in the side seams and not a separate belt.  Interesting.  I like it.

My only concern is that it looks a bit sloppy on the model.

Perhaps it would be better if I went for this longer version as a coat?

Normally I would avoid the bathrobe-ish silhouettes, but this one has nice back shaping.
I love the seam lines at the shoulders.  And it wouldn't be too hard to add buttons if I needed to.

Ok, so this 80s-ish poofy jacket isn't really my favorite style...

But the sleeves and pockets on the line drawing make me appreciate the drafting.
Even if I wouldn't wear it myself.

Boxy "boyfriend" blazer.

Might be more exciting in a metallic gold?

The classic lines are nice, but, again, something I don't think would look good on me.

Next up - the dresses.  Burda has an entire section dedicated to LBD-ish dresses, so there are quite a few in this issue:

Ok, I know, I know, we really don't need another cowl neck dress pattern.

This one is for knits and the pattern is super basic.

But doesn't the model look freaking hot?
And I mean hot in a classy I could wear it to work sort of way.
And the dress looks super easy.  I want one!
I predict this will be one of the most popular patterns from this issue.

The silhouette on this dress is quite nice.

But with all the seaming it wouldn't be very practical for anything other than a solid.
Actually, I would probably remove a t lot of the seaming from the skirt area.
And since there aren't any seam allowances on the pattern anyway
this would be quite easy to do while tracing off the pattern.

This dress would also be quite cute for fall.

It uses the same top as the pattern above with a different skirt.
I like the way Burda used that for a nice effect with the print.

This shirt dress feels vaguely retro inspired.
Actually, in some ways it reminds me a lot of the recent Butterick Gertie pattern.

I would like to see this made up in a solid - I am on the fence about the gathers.

This fitted black dress feels a bit blah.
And the neck opening is huge!

But the cut of the sleeves is interesting.

Ah, the raglan LBD.
I still like the dress, but hate the fabrication.
The sleeves and applique just make me think "cheap and tacky."
Maybe because it makes me think "bad skating costume."
I think I have seen too many bad skating costumes.

I actually like the cut of the dress though.  Basic, but nice.

This full length dress also feels very retro.  60s mod-ish in a way.

Yeah, not my personal taste, but I think people who love 60s patterns will like it.
Maybe I have been studying Burda a bit too much, but I almost
feel like it should be made in white and used in one of Burda's wedding dress sections.

Next a wild assortment of tops and bottoms:

I sort of like this poofy raglan sleeve blouse,
but I feel like the neck looks a bit constricting.
Maybe I have another pattern that is more appropriate in my collection.

A lot of people really likes this skirt in the early preview.
I still don't think it would do my hips any favors,
but I wouldn't be opposed to a shiny gold pencil skirt.

Actually, this grey skirt (on the right) looks pretty nice.

And I really like the line drawing on this one.

Earlier were were wondering - one top or two?

It's two!  Question answered.  Actually, I kinda like these - the shrug would be
nice for exercising in the cooler fall months.

Burda showed this as a fur coat, but I actually think it would be great for a giant slouchy cardigan.

Ok, I want to like this top.  But I just can't get behind the use of satin.

Yeah, satin plus denim just doesn't work in my brain.

Ok, I think I would actually want to make this top up in a knit (sans zipper)
and possibly use the fancy shrug wrap thing with a ball gown pattern.
Or something.  It just seems like a bit much for a trip to the grocery store.

Ah, the origami wrap pants.  My brain wants to say no. 

And I know they would look even weirder on me in a shiny metallic.

And the line drawing shows the sorts of things I usually avoid.

But they look so freaking cool on the model!
I want to dislike them.  But I just can't.

Another trend - pants in prints.
I really love this blue fabric Burda used.

And this red is fairly eye-catching as well.

Another thing where my brain says - no, don't do it!
But again I really love the way it looks in the photograph.

This is the designer pattern for the month.

The sleeves on the blouse look interesting!

They might not be practical,
but they look so soft and romantic on the model.
As for the skirt... I wish the drape were not dead center.
I think if it didn't look so much like a loincloth I would like it better.

The plus section has some good stuff too:

I really like the collar on this dress.

Though the collarless version looks quite nice too.

I ponder over those diagonal seam lines.

But I think it looks pretty good on the model?

This dress with the wrap top could be a great wardrobe addition.

This oversized top might be a bit blah, but I could see it being a good layering piece.

Normally I don't care what it in the children's section, but I thought they even had good stuff for the tiny humans.  Especially this coat:

Very classic looking coat.

Enough details for interest, but actually not that many seams.
Perfect for kids - you don't waste a lot of time, but you get something cute at the end.

Tiny human - looking stylish!

There wasn't a whole lot of crazy in this issue either.  My bottom picks would have slid by in the safe category in any of the other issues this fall:

Bathrobe-ish jacket.  Meh.

This coat just looks large and drab and boring.

Though making it in a crazy sauce print doesn't seem to help much.

I love how they added more volume in the back.

Actually I might make this shirt...

It would be the perfect addition to the Jedi costume Burda showed us last month!

Sack dress.  Meh.  But the fabric is interesting.

Sack dress version 2.  I actually like the detail around the neck.

Another sack-ish dress.  Being eaten by a giant flower.

But the flower is removable.  So maybe it just gets docked for being a boring sack dress.

And that brings us to the top and bottom picks for the month.  The Best of BS for November was actually a fairly obvious choice for me:

The jacket with the giant collar!

I did a total 180 on my opinion of the jacket - at first I thought it was just too big, but after seeing the garment photo I think it has drama without looking overwhelming.  The seam lines are awesome for fitting purposes, and I think it would look good on a lot of different body types.  A total winner.

As for the worst pattern of the month... I didn't have anything really crazy.  Mostly a lot of blah.  But in the end I gave the BWTF award to:

The crazy oversized jacket.

Ok, so I didn't actually think any of the patterns this month were that bad.  I sort of had to go to styling and fabrication to pick a worst of this time around.  And, actually, I sort of expect someone to make this up in some awesome fabric and prove me wrong in about 10 days.  I bet this might actually look cute and almost capelet like in the right fabrication.  Like deep read velvet.  And imagine it worn over an evening gown.  (Like something white and sparkly.  Having a total Audrey Hepburn moment here.)  With the right combination of fabric and silhouette it could be magical.  But as it is... well, this fabric is NOT cute.  And the larger version is boring almost the point of brining one to tears.  So it gets a boo from me.

So, yeah. That was... a lot.  But that is good.  Because it means there was a lot of interesting things to look at.  And I think there was a nice variety - a lot of stuff I wouldn't wear, but I could still appreciate the design, and I could see other people making and looking good.  And there were a decent number of things I actually might want to make.  Even the Burda Plus and the Kids sections looked pretty good.  So, to Burda I say: BIG SPARKLY YAY!!!  This is the best issue we have seen in months, and I think it has a little something for everyone.  I even think there is hope for my BWTF pick for the month.  That is the first time, like, ever that I have said that.

So, what do you all think?  Are you finally excited for the next Burda to show up in the mailbox?  Or am I just over excited because the past few issues have been duds?  Is anyone else needing to talk themselves away from the crazy pleated pants or doing pants in a print?  Am I on the Burda Kool Aid or should I embrace the trends?  Do you think my BWTF pick can be saved?  Or am I just going crazy?  And what is your favorite pattern for the month?  Feel free to discuss in the comments!