3.30.2015

lines, lines, everywhere lines

oonaballoona | a sewing blog | burdastyle coat

Winter has set up shop. It likes our company too much, it's our own fault for being such good hosts. 

oonaballoona | a sewing blog | fringe belt

Come, Winter, let me part my fringe curtains for you!

oonaballoona | a sewing blog | fringe belt

My March MSN Mission: make some transitional pieces, in the hopes that a transition of seasons is still in the cards. First up, FRINGE! I attached the 24" silky lengths to some woven leather trim and added a buckle for a removable belt, in case I want to wear it over something other than this TNT from my BHL beauties, the Charlotte skirt, done up in metallic boucle.

oonaballloona | a sewing blog | fringe + leather belt

I might make another belt in Green and Hay and call it my hula belt. They've got every color in the world at Mood's NY brick and mortar, and ten colors online. And bonus for us shorties, it’s already perfect knee length. GO TEAM VERTICALLY CHALLENGED.

oonaballoona | a sewing blog | burdastyle coat

All those swishing lines infected me. I sort of went haywire over lines, lines in the fringe, lines in the boucle, lines in the basketweave silk lin-ing, LINES TO THE LEFT OF ME, LINES TO THE RIGHT, and so the coat fell prey to my sickness: zigzag topstitched crafter's lace lines all over that jammy! The yellow lines you see running along the seams are chock full of plasticky goodness. (The yellow spot you see is my dinged up camera lens.)

But wait, lest you marvel too much over that topstitching...


WHAT THE HOLY HELL HAPPENED HERE.

Couldn't really tell you, don't really know. I bagged my first lining, which was utter magic, but didn't bag it to the facing... I handstitched the lining under the facing and then decided it was time to learn how to bag... yeah, no idea. It's a mystery. Sometimes I just go with my gut, and sometimes it leaves me with a hot mess at the bottom front edge of the garment.

oonaballoona | a sewing blog | burdastyle coat

WHICH MEANS LEATHER PATCHES. I could just call it an Intended Design Element but it's so much more fun to show you the true horror story underneath it.

oonaballoona | a sewing blog | burdastyle coat

This Burdastyle Round Coat pattern was another horror story. That pattern, albeit well drafted and super fun once you figure it out, is in dire need of some decoding. It has several languages on it, and several extra unnecessary pieces in it. Seek it out if you must, but it's not for the PDF uninitiated.

Once I solved its mysteries, I spent another EIGHT YEARS agonizing over how to place it on this wooly blanket of a print. Had to hack oodles of length off the bodice to get away with my yard and a quarter…was left with whispers of fabric and a somewhat satisfactory placement…

oonaballoona | a sewing blog | burdastyle coat

AND IN THE END I CUT THE DANG SLEEVES OFF THE THING ANYWAY.

oonaballoona | a sewing blog | fringe belt | burdastyle coat

Because, you know, Spring is coming eventually, right? We'll need some sleeveless stuff, right?

this ensemble was made using my monthly fabric "allowance" as part of the mood sewing network, in the hopes of roping in some warmer weather. 

41 comments:

  1. You know, this is why I appreciate reading your blog so much. You aren't afraid to show us that sometimes you have the same "holy hell what happened?" moments that the rest of us have. I love it! Also that fringe belt is awesome!

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    1. i swear i couldn't get to my camera to document that atrocity fast enough!!! i think i might have yelled at the cat to come look at it.

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  2. You and I both are waiting for spring to arrive! There were snow shower in Philadelphia last weekend. Fo real? Beat it old man winter!

    I love how your applique/topstitching/cording details have become your signature. If someone showed me the fifth image and asked me who made it, I'd immediately say Marce!

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    1. i've had that plastic cording for YEARS... now that you mention it, i do have a penchant for throwing stuff on top of my fabric ;)

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  3. OMG, yes! Yes, yes!

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  4. Love the fringing belt! It's also given me reassurance that saving some fringing off an ugly refashion dress was a good idea and that I will find some use for it soon.

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    1. there is always room for fringe. and it's such a win to salvage something!

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  5. wow - for something that had a horror story element to it - its gorgeous and I adore the colour - the whole outfits is stunning and those leather tabs - who knew - they definitely look intended and total serendipity as they were not. great hula belt - Leigh Wheelers comment says it all!

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    1. thankya! i do love the colors together, but it's one of those outfits that needs some time in the corner, so i forget all the work that went into it ;))). save the belt, of course!

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  6. How the hell you saw that fabulous orange coat in that Burda horror I will never know... but that is your magic!

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  7. You gave this not so vertically challenged an idea. Thanks!!!
    There's no such thing as perfection, just creative camouflage ;)
    It's supposed to be in the low 60s here tomorrow. So hold tight, it does move east :)

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    1. we're breaking 60 today, apparently...and i hope the idea involves some long legged fringe!

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  8. Take plastic saffron spaghetti. Top with indOonamitable flair. BUON APPETITO

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  9. No sleeves is better babe and fingers crossed a spring time feeling comes along... it has for us in Shanghai this week! Sending it to the USA RIGHT NOW

    xoxo

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    1. could you send that tree lined street over, too? and all those crazy colors in your last post?

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  10. Waaaaaaait a minute...did you just make a FRINGE BELT?! Stop it. STOP.IT. You, my friend, are pure magical genius and I will be stealing that idea in the very near future. Love ya!

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    1. i kind of can't believe i didn't steal this idea from YOU, come to think of it!

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  11. That Burda pattern... O_o Awesome work decoding all that crazy! Loving all the topstitching/texture/lines. Transitioning like a boss... Though is it warming up there yet?!

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    1. meh. not really. why do i get the feeling we're going to have like 30 days of summer?

      the topstitching was definitely my fave part of the jacket process. it was like therapy after the stress of the pdf!

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  12. I looooooooovvveeeeeeee what you have going on with that skirt!! So much blue line-y goodness. I'd like to think the "spring sewing to bring on spring weather" is actually working because it was 60 in upstate NY today!! ....but then we're supposed to get more snow next week haha! ...I might want to start putting sleeves back on all the sun dresses I've been making. But maybe let's keep dreaming those sleeveless dreams ;)

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    1. maybe we can start making sleeved dresses with basted sleeves for when spring FINALLY truly hits??

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  13. Spin! Spin! How can you wear fringe and not spin?

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    1. I KNOW!!! i spun like a top, but they all came out a blurry wash!!

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  14. Wow! I found you through a Bloglovin' suggestion and for once it was a good one.
    The fringe belt/skirt is too wonderful for words and I'm going to have to go walk around the block to calm down. You made my day and it's only 4:45am here.

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    1. haha, well thankya! that walk around the block made me laugh like hell!!

      i know, those bloglovin suggestions are irritating. they keep wanting me to follow peeps i already follow.

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  15. You are too much, Oonaballoona! I know I'll be entertained whenver I visit your blog. Love the fringe and hope Spring comes soon :)

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  16. Ooooooona! That is some orangle-glow gorgeousness right there.
    I don't know that I'm game to have a crack at that "little" pdf, but I certainly appreciate yours.
    It's Damn Fine.

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    1. thankya liz! yeah, don't crack that one open, unless you're feeling extra happy.

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  17. my "google translate" tells me a thank you is in order, so thank you ;)))

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  18. Oona, you are just so gosh-darn COOL. FRINGE ON A BELT, how do you think of these things?

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  19. So so creative.. I am in love with that orange coat! Love the silhouette sans sleeves!!

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  20. I used to think it was me but I know its note! Some of these constructed patterns :-( I have almost given up on Burda.. I appreciate your mistakes at least I know its not just me :-)

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  21. Very nice and creative I like orange coat so all good.

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i thankya truly for taking the time to comment, i love a good conversation-- and hope you know my thanks are always implied, if not always written!