Bonn Shirt - the one with long sleeves

Over the past couple of weeks I have been doing some slow sewing on another Bonn Shirt.   I made one a couple of months ago, see here in a size 4, and while I loved the look and fit of most of it, I felt it was a little tight across my back and around the armscye,  This time I made a size 6 and used a lovely soft lilac cotton shirting.

I had a few dramas with the collar, until I realised that I had cut the wrong size (lesson to self - always print patterns in colour or highlight where you need to cut).  Once I re-cut that piece correctly, everything else went really smoothly, including my first time making a continuous lap on the cuffs.  I love all the detailed instructions and diagrams that patterns from Itch to Stitch have.

Overall the shirt fits well, I think I prefer it in a print rather than a solid colour (or maybe it's just this colour) and am contemplating making a third one, perhaps in a slightly softer drapier fabric to get the perfect shirt.

PS:  I did iron it before we took the photos of me in it.

Weekending: Hahei and Cathedral Cove

Over Easter weekend,my family and I were meant to be having our dose of Vitamin Sea at Hahei Beach  Unfortunately our national lockdown stopped that from happening,  Once New Zealand moved back to level one (normal life) we were able to re book our cabin at the Hahei Holiday Resort.  This weekend just gone, saw us enjoying walks, sunrises and sunsets and just getting away from our life in Auckland.

Highlight of the weekend was the walk from Hahei to Cathedral Cove, beautiful coastal views.

I'm back to work and reality again now.

Weekending: Hiking the Waitawheta Tramway

Bogie with a log

Vertical saw mill

The Scout and I took ourselves on a wee adventure (without children, the joy of having teenagers) this weekend.  We headed to Coromandel and walked the Waitawheta Tramway.

It is a relatively flat trail to the hut and is just shy of 10km.  The trail follows the old tramways used back in the kauri logging days.  There are lots of old iron railings , wooden sleepers still with the old rail spikes in them and various relics from days gone by.   We crossed five swing bridges over the Waitewheta River,which runs through towering dacite cliff, and you can see the old foundations under these where the tramlines used to cross.  and just before arriving at the hut there is a rebuilt vertical saw mill to explore.  

You do need to book a bunk at the hut which sleeps 26, it was a full house the night we were there, but was nice and cosy with a log fire. We had beautiful weather for this walk, and I was delighted to see rata vine flowers close up, normally they are way up in the tree tops.

I have a couple more days of leave to enjoy at home now, before I am back to work.

Burda Jacket

Earlier this year I purchased the November 2019 issue of Burda Style magazine, and fell in love with quite a few of the jackets and coats in it.  Fast forward to late autumn in New Zealand and suddenly the idea of making some slightly warmer garments feels like a good idea.  I had seen a black wool blend with embroidered flowers on it for the last couple of years, and decided that this was the year I was going to buy some of it and use it in a garment for myself.

I spent a weekend tracing the pattern and this time added seam allowance to the paper pattern rather than trusting myself to remember as I cut the fabric out.  It definitely worked out a lot better, especially as I cut each pattern piece individually to take advantage of attempting to align the embroidery.

The pattern itself was relatively easy to sew, however I did find some of the instructions a little on the light side.  I think I get quite spoiled with the very detailed instructions indie designers give sewists, which include photo and diagrams too.  My biggest problem was the large black button I bought especially for the jacket wouldn't fit in my buttonhole foot, I found a perfectly matched raspberry one in my button jar, but decided that a black one was better, so bought a few different buttons till I found the perfect slightly glitzy one I ended up using.

The jacket has ended a little more cropped that I thought it would, but I think I am going to love wearing it as a smart casual warmer layer for work.

Pattern details: Burda 103/11-2019   size 38 no adjustments

Photos courtesy of Mr J