Call for help re: Burda Back Issue

Hey fellow sewists, thought I'd put this out to you guys and see if anyone could help me out. I would really like to get ahold of the wrap top pattern from Burda January 2008, style 116. I've searched ebay, etsy and have an email to GLPnews, but so far, no luck. If anyone has a back issue that they are hoping to sell OR if anyone would be willing to trace the pattern and send it to me (with instructions, as poor as they are), I would be more than happy to pay for your time/trouble/postage or arrange some sort of a swap. Your call. :)

And why, might you ask, am I so determined to get ahold of this particular pattern? I stumbled upon two missoni-inspired sweater knits today at lunch and one of them is just begging to become a fitted little wrap sweater. Begging.

Anyways, any help you could provide here is much appreciated. Thanks all!

Self-Stitched September: Days 7-16, The Hawaii Edition

Okay, I know this is soooo after the fact, but I made a point to take the pictures, so I want to post them. :)

Day 7: Burda Navy Floral A-line Skirt

I specifically bought this fabric with Hawaii in mind and it was fun to actually get to wear it on vacation.

Day 8: Kwik Sew Frankenpattern Blue Knit Dress

Comfy little tank dress that was perfect for the hot and humid evening. You'll notice a real lack of accessories (but the same two pairs of shoes) in these outfits - it was just too hot to wear more than the bare minimum of clothing. Heh.

Day 9: Kwik Sew Multi-color Racerback Knit dress

Here is one of the dresses that I was raving about before I left for vacation. Love it so much! I would have been content to wear a version of this dress every day in Hawaii, but that would have gotten a little boring, I guess.

Day 10: DVF Tank Dress (aka The Anniversary Dress)

Happy 5 Year Anniversary to us! This is another version of the DVF tank dress I made earlier this year. This one was made specifically for our anniversary dinner with the notion that it would also be a great work dress - one that would work in warm or cool temps.

Day 11: Kwik Sew Multi-color Racerback Knit dress

See, told you I love this dress. ;) As a side note, I don't know what my hair and face were doing. Ugh.

Day 12: Kwik Sew Striped Racerback Dress

Perfect casual dress for lunch at Mama's Fish House, the same beach where we got engaged 6 years ago. :)

Day 13: Burda Goldfish Mini Skirt

The crazy skirt in action. I still maintain that it's a ridiculous garment, but I love it. It was really comfortable to wear and I'd happily make it again in another print.

Day 14: Burda Mardras A-line Skirt

I've worn this skirt to death this summer and it was a nice easy piece to bring with me on vacation. I'm just kicking myself that I didn't get more of this fabric in a different color - it's really perfect for miserably hot summer days.

Day 15: Kwik Sew Striped Racerback Dress
Oops! Forgot to take a picture that night. Just see Day 12.

Day 16: McCall's Cream Scoop Neck Tank

My super comfy travel outfit - Lululemon Define Jacket, Still Pants, and a self-stitched tank. Made the 6 hour flight a little easier.

Baby Clothes Bonanza for Vino's little boy

When I first found out that Vino was pregnant, I was thrilled for her and then immediately started thinking about what I wanted to make for the little one. I was convinced she was having a girl, so when I was proved wrong, my plan had to quickly change. Now, I freely admit that I might have gone a little overboard here, but really, she is my bff and it's her first baby. I think I'm more than entitled to have gone a bit nutty in the sewing department. ;)

I wound up using exclusively Oliver + S patterns for this project - one tried and true favorite and two new ones. As always, I can't rave enough about the fabulous instructions and wonderfully drafted patterns from this company. They really do help to make sewing little tiny clothes such a joy.

First up, an oldie but a goodie, Bedtime Story Pajamas in a giraffe print knit. This pattern calls for woven fabrics, but I found that it worked equally as well with a nice stable knit. I really love this print - it's sort of whimsical, which is hard to find in printed fabrics for little boys. To go with the pajamas, a coordinating minky blanket in greens and brown.

For the other two outfits, I wanted to use some fun printed woven fabric. I was kind of stuck on what to sew that would make good use of the fabric, but also still be somewhat comfortable for a baby to wear. I ultimately settled on making two short-sleeved Sketchbook Shirts - one in a UCLA quilting cotton and the other in a Kokka midweight frog printed linen.

Folks, this was my first time making a button down shirt with a collar and they couldn't have gone together any smoother. For the UCLA shirt, I finished all of the raw edges in bias tape (I know, I know, it's baby clothes, but I still wanted this stuff to look as nice as possible). After sewing the first shirt, I realized that french seams would work just fine, and only had to use bias tape for the armsyce seam in the frog shirt.

I made two coordinating bottoms for the shirts. First, a pair of Sketchbook Shorts in brown linen. I love the flat front waistband with the elastic back - such a fun detail for such a tiny pair of shorts. The fly front is faux, but looks pretty convincing with the button sewn on the waist. Again, I finished the seams with bias tape. [Btw, I fully blame my obsession with bias tape on Amanda S. Don't know whether to thank her or curse her. ;)]

The other coordinating bottom was a pair of Sandbox Pants in a dark khaki stretch cotton. I originally wanted to make the waistband in the UCLA cotton, but switched a more neutral print at the last minute so they would work with the frog shirt, too. I took a cue from Night Knitter and cut the pockets on the cross-grain. My fabric is so fine-waled that the effect isn't as obvious as it was on her son's pants, but I still think it's a cute look. And yeah, there's more bias tape, too.

I contemplated making t-shirts to match each ensemble. Then, I regained my sanity. Heh. American Apparel had some great basic options and I took advantage of them - a kelly green tank to pair with the frog print and a grey long-sleeved lap tee for the UCLA shirt. A box of Trumpette Johnny socks completed the outfits.

Lastly, the night before I headed down to San Diego I remembered that I wanted to make Vino a set of homemade burp cloths using the good 'ol Gerber cloth diapers. Thank goodness there is a Joann's a whooping 10 minutes from my house. I swung by, bought some coordinating flannel prints and whipped up a set of three burp cloths using this excellent tutorial. For a totally last minute project, I was so incredibly pleased at how these turned out.

So, now ya'll see what I've been working on for the past few weeks. This weekend I'm working on a couple of simple fall knit dresses for me and then it's back to baby clothes - Blondie's daughter needs a box of goodies, too. :)

It's a Baby Shower for Vino!

Last weekend found me trekking down to San Diego, my home away from home, to help throw a baby shower for Vino. As a recap, Vino is pregnant with her first baby, a boy, in December. Blondie, our other bff, is also pregnant with her first baby, a girl, in December. Due dates are only 4 days apart. Mmmm hmmm. Needless to say, we're not relying on either one to do too much to host the other's shower since they're busy cooking a baby and all. Trying to work on both showers at the same time has kept me pretty busy this fall, to say the least. :)

I had been working with Vino's mom and sister for the past several weeks to get everything ready and I can happily say that the day was such a success. Our theme for the shower was Dr. Seuss, inspired by similar showers thrown here and here. While I was the one that first suggested the idea, this was such a group effort - Crafty and Dressing Queen really took the theme and ran with it and between the three of us, the creativity was really flowing. Blondie also helped us last weekend, but since she is, you know, cooking a baby and everything, we thought we'd let her take it easy for the shower planning this time around. ;)

The original idea was to have the party outside, but the rain made that impossible. Instead, we moved the set-up inside and dare I say, I think the cozy atmosphere help to concentrate the decor, which made a much bigger impact.

The Cat in the Hat greeted everyone at the door. Love him so much!

The main dining area. Paper lanterns hung from the ceiling while gerbera daisies, Dr. Seuss books and plush toys decorated the tables.

We "disassembled" a couple of Dr. Seuss books to make banners that hung around the house. Blondie did a great job stringing everything together and it was a simple way to add some color to the party.

The large diningroom table featured more plush characters and books. The fish in the bowl about killed me. He was just too cute!

For the favors, Dressing Queen and I made mini Cat in the Hat "hats" from marshmallows, white chocolate and mini gluten free cookies. While they turned out so super cute, they took HOURS to make. Maybe not one of my best ideas. Heh.

In the food department, Dressing Queen pretty much killed it. She put together a lovely lunch spread that included a selection of chilled dishes, including "green eggs and ham", of course. Made the morning food prep so much easier and the final products were just delicious! There was lots of going back for seconds and thirds - always a good thing. Instead of boring menu cards, Crafty made the cutest menu sign I've ever seen! I want one of these at every event I host!

This was easily one of the most relaxed and laid back events I've ever had the pleasure of helping to host. No super late night doing last minute tasks or running around super stressed out before the guests arrived. It was just so nice and mellow. Most important, it seemed that Vino had a great time, which is really all that matters. I'd say we are some very happy ladies, don't you think?

Congratulations again Vino! I can't wait to meet the little man later this year. :)