Štepalica

Postavljanje konca na mašini Bagat Višnja / Threading the Bagat Višnja sewing machine

2012-02-26T12:13:00.002+01:00

Pre par nedelja mi se jedna čitateljka obratila za pomoć oko svoje mašine. Naime, ona je poreklom iz Italije, a kupila je polovnu BAGAT Višnja mašinu, za koju ne može da nađe instrukcije na engleskom. Pošto imam isti model mašine, bila sam voljna da joj pomognem instrukcijama za pravilno postavljanje gornjeg i donjeg konca, uz par fotografija. Možda pomognu i vama?

A few weeks ago a reader asked me to help her with her sewing machine. She's from Italy, but had bought the BAGAT Visnja sewing machine (the ex Yugoslavian brand), and she couldn't find a user manual for it in English. Since I have the same sewing machine model, I wanted to help her with the instructions for threading the machine, using a few photos. Perhaps someone will find these useful as well?

Namotajte ručno na donji kalem par krugova konca. Uglavite kalem u kućište za namotavanje konca. Takođe, podvucite nit ispod zateznika konca (na postolju mašine).

Wind by hand some thread on a bobbin. Put the bobbin to the bobbin winder case. Pull the thread through the thread tensioner (placed on the machine case).

Levom rukom pridržavajte zamašnjak, a desnom okrenite ka sebi dugme na zamašnjaku (zaokruženo na slici ispod). Na ovaj način ćete onesposobiti pokretanje igle na mašini, dok namotavate konac na kalem. Pritisnite papučicu i namotajte konac. Kada je konac namotan, vratite dugme na zamašnjaku u prvobitan položaj, okretanjem istog u smeru kazaljke na satu.

While holding the hand wheel with your left hand, use your right hand to unscrew the button on it in anticlockwise direction (marked on the picture below). This way, you'll disable the needle while winding the tread on the bobbin. Once the bobbin is winded, screw back the button on the hand wheel, in the clockwise direction.

Postavite donji kalem u kućište. Konac provucite kroz zarez na kućištu, zatim ga podvucite ispod pločice i uglavite ga u zarez levo od pločice. Konac ne provlačite kroz rupicu na vratu kućišta (osim u slučaju da radite sa duplom iglom).
Ukoliko je potrebno, regulišite zategnutost konca zavrtanjem / odvrtanjem šrafa na kućištu. Da biste proverili zategnutost konca, uhvatite nit koja viri iz kućišta i pustite kućište da visi - konac ne bi trebalo sam da se odmotava dok je u ovom položaju.

Put the bobbin to the bobbin case. Pull the thread through the slit on the case, then pull it under the little pad on the case and set it to the slit left from the pad. Don't pull the thread through the whole on the case's neck (unless you're using a double needle).
If needed, regulate the thread tension by screwing / unscrewing the screw on the bobbin case. To check the tension hold the thread by hand and let the bobbin case fall down - the thread should no unwind when in this position.

Postavite kućište u mašinu. Pomičnu pločicu pomerite u levo kako biste pristupili petljaču. Levom rukom uhvatite "vratanca" na kućištu kao što je prikazano na slikama. Postavite kućište u petljač, uglavljujući vrat kućišta u odgovarajući zarez na kućištu. Vratancima sa kućišta fiksirajte ga na mestu.

Put the bobbin case to the sewing machine. Slide the pad on the machine case to the left in order to access the loop taker (shuttle). Hold the "door" on the bobbin case with your left hand, as displayed on the pictures. Put the case to the shuttle, putting the case's neck to the corresponding slit in the shuttle. Use the door on the case to fix the case in the place.

Postavite gornji konac, provlačeći ga kroz mašinu kao što je prikazano na slici. Povucite donji konac na površinu, spuštanjem i podizanjem igle. Zatvorite kućište donjeg kona, povlačenjem pomične pločice u desno.

Thread the machine as illustrated on the picture. Pull the bobbin thread by lowering down and lifting up the needle. Close the machine case by sliding the pad on the machine to the right.

Kompletno uputstvo za Bagat Višnju nalazi se ovde. Da podsetim, uputstvo je napisano na hrvatskom , srpskom, slovenačkom, i makednoskom jeziku. Na blogu Dugmence možete naći uputstva za sve modele Bagat mašina za šivenje.

A complete user manual for Bagat Višnja sewing machine can be found here. The manual is written in Croatian, Serbian, Slovenian and Macedonian languages. You can find manuals for all Bagat sewing machine models on the blog Dugmence.

Roze jaknica za mamu / A pink jacket for mom

2012-02-08T15:49:00.002+01:00

Posle uspešnog timskog rada sa mamom, rešile smo da ponovimo iskustvo i napravimo još jednu jaknu za nju. Ovaj put, odabrala je model koji sam već pravila sebi, iz Burde 6/2005, #127 (u većini slučajeva moja mama nema baš jasnu ideju šta bi volela da napravi, pa je zaključila da je najlakše birati one modele koji su se u praksi pokazali dobrim - zato me često kopira :-).

After the successful team work with mom, we decided to join our forces once again and make her another jacket. This time she chose a model I've used before for myself, from BWOF 6/2005, #127 (in most of the cases my mom doesn't have a clear idea on what she'd like to sew, so she figured it was easiest to pick those models that I already tried and that she liked - due to that, she copies my style quite frequently :-).

Materijal je prelepi svileni bukle, koji sam kupila pre par godina, sa namerom da napravim haljinu. No, znate kako se kaže: nije kome je namenjena, već kome je suđena. Pošto kroj ima jako zanimljive linije, htela sam da ih naglasimo paspulom. Međutim, kako u momentu obostrane inspiracije nismo imale keder traku u odgovarajućoj boji, iskoristila sam trakice koje sam prošlog proleća pravila tokom kursa modnog dizajna. Verovali ili ne, trake su prišivene za jaknu običnim cik cak bodom, a u kombinaciji sa rastresitim bukleom, šavovi se jedva primećuju!

Evo kako jakna trenutno izgleda - spoljni delovi su spojeni, postava je takođe odrađena, i ostalo je još da se prišije postava za jaknu. Dugmiće još nismo odabrale - mislim da ću ih sutra potražiti u lokalnim prodavnicama pozamanterije.

The fabric is a gorgeous silk boucle that I bought few years ago with a plan to make a dress. However, life had other plans with it. Since the pattern has some very interesting lines, I wanted to accentuate them with piping. But, we didn't have the piping in the corresponding color at the moment of our simultaneous inspiration, so we used the cords I made last spring during the fashion design course I attended. Believe you or not, the cords are applied to the jacket using a plain zick zack stitch, which completely blend in with the fabric.

Here's how the jacket looks at the moment - both the shell and the lining are completed, and they should be joined together. We haven't picked out the buttons yet - I'll look for them in the local notions stores tomorrow.

Par detalja sa jakne.

A few details from the jacket.

Pošto je svileni bukle prilično mekan i mlitav, ojačala sam sve delove lepljivim platnom sredne debljine.

Since the fabric is rather soft and drapey, I fused all the panels with medium weight fusible interfacing.

Nora jakna za mamu / Nora jacket for mom

2012-02-04T13:48:00.000+01:00

Pre neki dan smo mama i ja, udruženim snagama, završile jaknu za nju. Identičnu jaknu sam šila sebi pretprošle godine, za Burda Style sajt, i od onda me mama molila da i njoj napravim jednu. No, uz moje silne ideje i raspored, nikako nisam uspevala da nađem vremena - ili mi se nije radilo (motiv za šivenje je mnogo veći kada na kraju rada mogu da obučem ono što sam napravila), ili sam bila raspoložena za nove kreacije (monotono je šiti istu stvar više puta), i tako prođoše dve godine dok sam se nakanila da šijem. Pošto je mama rešila da i sama nauči da šije, napravile smo kompromis koji je funkcionisao bolje no što sam očekivala: zajedno smo iskrojile materijal, ja sam lepila leljivo platno, fircala delove i raspeglavala sašivene komade, a ona je šila. Time sam joj pomogla da uredno sklopi delove, i pokazala joj redosled operacija, a ona je vežbala. Timski rad je dosta ubrzao proces, jer smo uspele da završimo jaknu za 2 dana. Njena verzija ima postavu, dok je moja sa unutrašnje strane završena paspul trakom oko dodataka za šavove. Kroj za jaknu sam dobila izmenom kroja za Nora haljinu, a instrukcije za izmenu su objavljene na Burda Style sajtu. No, nije zgoreg da ih ispišem i ovde.

A few days ago my mom and I joined our forces and made her a jacket. I sewed an identical jacket for myself two years ago, for Burda Style website. Since then, mom has been asking me to make her one, too. However, with my ideas and schedule, I couldn't manage to find some tome for that - either I wasn't in the mood (sewing a garment I'm able to wear in the end motivates me more), or I wanted to materialize some of my ideas (it's not fun to sew a same thing over and over again). That way, two years went by until I pushed myself to sit down and sew for her. Since mom wanted to learn to sew as well, we made a compromise that worked better than I expected: we cut a fabric together, I fused an interfacing, pinned the pieces together, and pressed the seams on sewed pieces, and she sewed. The team work sped up the process a lot and we finished the jacket in two days. Her version of jacket has a lining, while mine is finished using the Hong Kong finishing. I altered the Nora dress pattern, and instructions for this alteration were posted on Burda Style website. However, I thought it wouldn't hurt to write them down here as well.

Za sada, imam samo sliku na ofingeru da vam pokažem. Čim se ukaže zgodna prilika, uslikaću mamu, a do tada možete da vidite kako moja jakna stoji na meni.

I only have the hanger photo at the moment. I'll take pictures of mom wearing it as soon as possible. Until then, here's the pic of me wearing my version of the jacket.

Nora je strukirana, uska haljina, ali pravimo kroj jaknu, koja zahteva određenu komociju. Zato, izvucite kroj u veličini većoj za jedan broj od onog koji biste inače izvukli. Primera radi, ja sam za svoju jaknu izvukla broj 40, umesto standardnog broja 38. Neće vam biti potrebni svi krojni delovi, pa prekopirajte sledeće: prednji gornji panel (1), zadnji gornji panel (2), prednji rukav (3), zadnji rukav (4), prednji panel suknje (5) i zadnji panel suknje (6). Takođe, nećete koristiti cele panele suknje, pa možete prekopirati samo gornje delove panela, u visini od 15ak cm.
Uklonite dodatke za šavove sa svih krojnih delova, koji su široki 1.5 cm. Obratite pažnju na to da zadnji gornji panel (2) nema dodatak za šavove duže linije pregiba, pa ovaj deo kroja ne treba menjati.

Nora is a form fitting dress pattern, but we’re making a jacket, which requires some ease. So trace the pattern one size larger than you’d normally trace. In my case, I traced size 40 instead of usual 38. You will not need all the pattern pieces, trace the following pieces: Front top (1), Back top (2), Front sleeve (3), Back sleeve (4), Front skirt panel (5), and Back skirt panel (6). Note that you won’t need the whole skirt panel pieces - you can trace the top parts of them, around 15cm tall.

Remove the seam allowances from all the pieces. The seam allowances are 1.5cm wide. Note that the Back top (2) does not have seam allowance added along the fold line. So, you should not alter that part of the pattern. All other pieces should have seam allowances removed along all sides.

Sledeći korak je pravljenje krojnih delova za bokove. Postavite prednji i zadnji panel suknje u položaj kao što je prikazano na slici ispod i spojte delove selotejpom. Nacrtajte liniju paralelnu sa gornjom ivicom kroja, udaljenu 13 cm od nje. Ovim ćete dobiti jaknu dužine do kuka. Ipak, ako želite da vaša jakna bude duža, možete krivu postaviti na visini koja vama odgovara. Isecite delove duž iscrtane krive.

Treba da odredite položaj bočnog šava na panelu. Ovo ćete izvesti tako što ćete uporediti dužinu donjih ivica prednjeg i zadnjeg gornjeg panela sa dužinom gornje ivice panela na boku. Iz kalkulacije treba izuzeti širinu brusni. Kada utvrdite dužine prednjeg i zadnjeg gornjeg panela, prenesite mere na panel na boku i formirajte novu brusnu na dobijenoj poziciji. Presecite panele na boku duž isctranih linija. Vodite računa da pri tom ne poremetite donju ivicu panela.

Now we’re going to make the peplum pieces. Position the front and back skirt panels as displayed on the picture. Fix them together using the cello tape. Going along the top line, measure 13cm and draw parallel curve. I designed this jacket to be short, high hip length. However, if you like your jackets to be longer, make the peplum as long as you feel comfortable with. Cut the peplum pieces along the drawn line.

You should determine the position of the side seam on the peplum. You’ll do this by comparing the width of the top front and back pieces with the peplum’s top line. Note that the top pieces have vertical darts, whose width should be reduced from the total width of top pieces. Once you determine the widths of the front and back peplum pieces mark these widths on the peplum. Cut the peplum pieces following the marks. Remember that the length of the bottom line of the peplum should not be changed.

U sledećem koraku treba izmeniti prednji gornji panel. Primetite da je centralna linija kroja zakrivljena ka vratu, dok naša jakna treba da ima pravu liniju duže te strane. Dodajte komad papira na centralnu liniju i ispravite liniju kroja. Isecite kroj duž nove linije.

Now you should alter the front top pattern piece. Note that the lateral side of the pattern is curved, and our jacket should have straight line on that side. Attach a piece of paper to the lateral side of the pattern piece and straighten the lateral side. Cut the pattern along the drawn line.

Spojte selotejpom prednji gornji panel i prednji panel na boku, tako da formiraju pravu liniju duž centralne linije kroja. Premerite dužinu dobijene linije - u mom slučaju, duga je oko 52cm. Isecite traku papira: 5 cm široku i par cm dužu od premerene dužine. Dobijena traka će predstavljati prednji panel za kopčanje.

Join together the front top piece and the front peplum piece, so that they form a straight line on the lateral side. Measure the length of the lateral line. In my case, it’s arround 52cm long. Now cut a strip of paper: 5cm wide and few centimeters longer than the measured length (in my case, around 55cm). This will be the front band.

Spojte prednje kopčanje, prednji gornji panel, prednji rukav, zadnji rukav i zadnji gornji panel kao što je prikazano na slici ispod. Prepravite okovratnik kao što je prikazano na slici. Iskrojte delove duž nove linije okovratnika.

Now join together the front band, front top piece, front sleeve, back sleeve and back top panel as shown on the picture. You should redraw the neckline curve as shown bellow. Cut the pattern pieces along the marked curve.

U sledećem koraku bi trebalo da napravite kroj za rusku kragnu. Izmerite obim okovratnika i isecite traku papira, dužine obima okovratnika i širine 3-4cm. Presecite traku po visini na par mesta, kao što je prikazano na slici. Preklopite presečene delove otprilike po 3mm, kako biste formirali krivinu. Kada dobijete željeni oblik, fiksirajte delove na mestu selotejpom. Više o ovoj tehnici možete pročitati na Šerinom blogu.

You should make a pattern for a mandarin collar. Measure the neckline circumference and cut a strip of fabric that’s as long as the circumference of the neckline is, 3 - 4cm wide. Slash the strip on few places as shown on the picture. Overlap the slashed pieces together around 3mm to create a curvature. Finally, stick the pieces together using the cello tape. You can read more on this technique on Sherry's blog.

Izmerite dužinu ruke, mereći od vrata preko ramena. Takođe, izmerite širinu rukava oko zgloba šake. Postavite krojne delove rukava u položaj prikazan na slici ispod. Produžite krojne delove do potrebne dužine rukava i iscrtajte bočne ivice rukava.

Using the measuring tape, measure the length of the sleeves. Also, measure the width of the sleeves along the wrist. Position the sleeve pattern pieces as displayed on the picture and lengthen them so that the total length matches the measured length of the sleeves. Redraw the sleeves.

Nacrtajte liniju paralelnu sa linijom poruba rukava, udaljenu 12cm (ili manje) od nje. Deo rukava ispod označene linije predstavlja manžetnu.

Draw the line parallel to the bottom sleeve line, distanced 12cm (or less) from it. This will be the sleeve cuff.

U ovom momentu, savetujem vas da napravite test kroj, pošto je veoma bitno da napravite sve potrebne korekcije na kroju pre no što počnete da šijete. Prekopirajte sve korekcije na papirni kroj.

Nakon korekcija kroja, dodatno izmenite šnit tako da uključuje princes šavove na prednjim i zadnjim delovima. Ukoliko volite da vaš papirni kroj ima uključene i dodatke za šavove, sada je vreme da ih dodate. Takođe, imajte na umu da ćete jaknu porubiti koristeći traku materijala, ukoso iskrojenu, tako da vam neće biti potrebni dodatno široki dodaci za šavove duž linije poruba.

I advise you to make a muslin at this stage – it’s essential to test and true the pattern. Trace all the corrections to your pattern.

After making corrections on your pattern, alter it further more so that it incorporates princess seams.

If you like having seam allowances on your pattern, you should add them now. Note that you will hem the jacket using a strip of bias cut fabric, hence you will not need extra wide SAs at the bottom of the peplum pieces.

Potreban materijal i pozamanterija:

Materijal: 1.8m x 1.4m
Paspul traka: oko 8m
Rasferšlus za jaknu: 55cm
Lepljivo platno srednje debljine

Krojenje tkanine:

Gornji prednji srednji panel - 2x
Gornji prednji bočni panel - 2x
Gornji zadnji srednji panel - 1x sa pregibom tkanine
Gornji zadnji bočni panel - 2x
Prednji panel boka - 2x
Zadnji panel boka - 1x sa pregibom tkanine
Prednje kopčanje - 4x
Kragna - 2x sa pregibom tkanine
Prednji rukav - 2x
Zadnji rukac - 2x
Manžetna rukava - 2x sa pregibom tkanine
Kosa traka za porub, širine 5cm (+ dodaci za šavove)
Kosa traka za pojas, širine 5cm (+ dodaci za šavove)

Prilikom krojenja materijala, postavite krojne delove tako da vam ostane dovoljno materijala za krojenje dugih kosih traka.

Fabric and notions

Fashion fabric: 1.8m x 1.4m
Bias band: around 8m
Jacket zipper: 55cm long
Fusible interfacing

Cutting the fabric

Top center front panel – cut 2x

Top side front panel – cut 2x

Top center back panel – cut 1x on fold

Top side bck panel – cut 2x

Front peplum – cut 2x

Back peplum – cut 1x on fold

Front band – cut 4x

Collar – cut 2x on fold

Front sleeve – cut 2x

Back sleeve – cut 2x

Sleeve cuff – cut 2x on fold

Bias band for hemline, 5cm wide (+ SAs)

Bias band for belt, 5cm wide (+ SAs)

When cutting the fabric, arrange the pattern pieces in a manner that leaves you enough leftover fabric for cutting long bias strips.

Pačvork / Patchwork

2012-01-26T16:16:00.001+01:00

Ako čitate ovaj blog, pretpostavljam da ste i sami kreativni i da volite da uposlite svoje ruke praveći najzanimljivije i najmaštovitije stvarčice. Iz ličnog iskustva znam da se kreativni ljudi ne zaustavljaju samo na jednom hobiju, već šire svoj opus gde god da se ukaže prilika.

Primera radi, moja dobra drugarica DIE je talentovana za šivenje, šije sve od garderobe do tašni, a kartonom je toliko fascinirana da pravi fenomenalan nameštaj od njega! Magda će od tkanine napraviti nakit kakav nikad niste imali prilike da vidite. Don pravi nakit koji je jednako intrigantan kao i njegova garderoba. Liza Jane je umetnica, predaje likovno u školi, a ponekad će oslikati i lično sašiti svoju garderobu.

If you read this blog, I assume you're creative as well and that you like to keep your hands busy making the most interesting things. From my own experience, I know that creative people don't limit their opus to a single craft, but they spread their knowledge in every direction they can.

As an example, a good friend of mine, DIE, is a talented seamstress; she sews everything from clothes to bags, and on top of that she's so fascinated with cardboard that she makes an amazing furniture from it! Magda would make an original jewelry from fabric, I'm sure you won't see something like that anywhere. Don's clothes is as intriguing as his jewelry. Liza Jane is an artist, she teaches kids at school, and from time to time she'd paint and make her own clothes.

Moj alternativni hobi (tačnije, jedan od njih) je pačvork. Fascinacija ovom tehnikom se javila pre par godina, kada sam sasvim slučajno na netu našla slike fenomenalnih pokrivača. Budući da sam već imala pozamašno iskustvo sa šivenjem, pravljenje šara od milion delića mi nije delovalo previše komplikovano, ali je izazov bio napraviti zanimljivu šaru. I tako sam počela da se igram sa kvadratićima, trouglićima i rombovima, a evo i rezultata tog igranja: prva dva pačvorka sam napravila u istim tonovima, za našu vikendicu na selu, treći pokrivač je bio poklon za mog dobrog druga, a četvrti je ostao nedovršen, i čak sam ga izgubila tokom selidbe iz jednog u drugi stan, mada mi je najlepši od svih.

My alternative hobby (actually, one of them) is patchwork. A fascination with this technique came few years ago, when I stumbled on photos of incredible quilts on the internet. Since I had quite an experience with sewing at the time, making ornaments out of zillion pieces didn't seem too complicated to me. However, making a nice and interesting pattern was a challenge. And so I started to play with square, triangle and diamond shapes and here are the results: the first two quilts were made in same tones, to use them in our house at the country side; the third quilt was a present for my friend; the fourth one remained unfinished, I even lost it while moving from one flat to another, but I find it the prettiest of all.

Iako već par godina nisam radila na novim pokrivačima (ako izuzmemo jednostavan jastuk koji sam šila za Burda Style), i dalje se jednako oduševljavam njima, i pravim velike planove za pačvork sa šarama koje su nalik na Vasarelijeve slike (OP Art je jedan od mojih omiljenih slikarskih pravaca).

Koji su vaši skriveni talenti?

Even though I haven't made any quilt in the last couple of years (excluding a simple pillow I made for Burda Style), I'm still very fond of them and I make some big plans for making a quilt with Vasarely look alike ornaments (OP Art is one of my favorite paint directions).

So, what are your hidden talents?

P.S. Hvala vam na divnim komentarima na roze kaput i zelenu haljinu!

P.S. Thank you so much for great comments on the pink coat and the green dress!

Februarsko - Martovsko izdanje Sew News magazina / February - March issue of the Sew News magazine

2012-01-24T13:47:00.003+01:00

Pre neki dan sam dobila paket, a u njemu novi broj Sew News časopisa, i moja haljina.

Članak opisuje kako da napravite kroj za klasičnu haljinu sa faltama na poprsju. Mislim da je haljina dodatno interesantna zbog smaragdno zelene boje, koja me oduševila. U pitanju je šantung svila, koju sam kupila sa popustom, pošto je ostalo samo jedno parče od oko 1.20 m dužine. Jedva sam uspela da iskrojim sve delove od tako malo materijala!

A few days ago I received a package with a new issue of the Sew News magazine and my dress in it.

The article describes how to make a pattern for a classic shift dress with pleats on neckline. I think the dress is additionally interesting due to emerald color which fascinated me. It's shantung silk that I bought on a discount since it was a single leftover piece of approximately 1.20 m length. I barely managed to squeeze all the pieces on the fabric!

A evo kako haljina izgleda na meni.

Here's how the dress looks on me.

Haljinu sam postavila lepim satenom u sličnim tonovima. Skoro da izgleda kao da ima dva lica.

I lined the dress with some nice satin in similar tones. It almost looks like the dress is double faced.

Roze kaput sa velikom kragnom, deo 5 / Pink coat with an oversized collar, part 5

2012-01-23T12:38:00.000+01:00

Roze kaput je gotov, i ovih dana sam uživala šetkajući se ulicama u njemu. Ne znam kako vi, ali ja jako volim jarke boje. Verujem da mi dobro stoje, a sem toga, ubeđena sam da mi podižu raspoloženje tokom tmurnih dana. Zato sam ubeđena da će ovaj kaput biti i te kako nošen.

The pink coat is done and I've been enjoying wearing it these days. I don't know about you, but I really like bright colors. I believe I look good in them, and beside that I'm convinced they cheer me up on dark, rainy, days. Hence I believe this coat will be a staple in my wardrobe.

Detalj sa štepovima na kragni.

A detail with top stitching on the collar.

http://stepalica.blogspot.com/2012/01/roze-kaput-sa-velikom-kragnom-deo-4.html

http://stepalica.blogspot.com/2012/01/roze-kaput-sa-velikom-kragnom-deo-3.html

http://stepalica.blogspot.com/2012/01/roze-kaput-sa-velikom-kragnom-deo-2.html

http://stepalica.blogspot.com/2012/01/roze-kapput-sa-velikom-kragnom-deo-1.html

Roze kaput sa velikom kragnom, deo 4 / Pink coat with an oversized collar, part 4

2012-01-11T14:22:00.001+01:00

Sinoć sam još malo radila na kaputu. Prišila sam rukave na postavu, i završila prednje delove. Evo u kakvom je stanju trenutno (primetite da je prednji deo samo špenadlama pričvršćen za postavu, zato izgleda ovako čudno).

I managed to work on the coat last night. I sewed the sleeves to the lining and finished the front panels. Here's how it looks now (please note that the front part is fixed to the lining with pins, thus the weird look).

Detalj na prednjem delu su džepovi u šavu, sa kapnom. Evo kratkih instrukcija kako sam ih šila. Nalepila sam lepljivo platno na naličje kapne i prepeglala materijal uzduž, napravivši ivicu. Zatim sam naslonila lice na lice kapne i prošila bočne ivice. Otsekla sam ćoškove dodataka za šavove, kako bih smanjila debljinu platna na tom delu kapne. Takođe, jedan sloj dodataka za opšivke sam otsekla tik uz šav, kako bi debljina tkaninke postepeno opadala od sava ka unutra. Prevrnula sam kapne na lice i prepeglala bočne šavove. Nakon toga sam dodala dekorativne štepove.

Pockets in seam, with flaps make an interesting detail on the coat. Here are brief instructions on how I made them. I fused an interfacing to the wrong side of the flap and pressed the flap, thus making a sharp edge. Then I pinned the sides of the flap, with right sides together and made a stitch. I cut off the SAs corners, in order to reduce the bulk. I also grades the SAs. I turned the flaps inside out and pressed them well. Then I topstitched them.

Džepovi u šavu se šiju pre nego što su spojeni prednji delovi kaputa. Na prednji srednji panel sam postavila kapnu, i poravnala neobrađene ivice. Pri tom sam vodila računa sa se bočne ivice kapne poklope sa markerima džepa na kaputu. Zatim sam preko kapne postavila panel džepa, i opet poravnala ivice. Prišila sam delove, praveći šav od markera do markera džepa.

In seam pockets are sewed in before sewing the front coat panels. I laid out the pocket flap on the center front panel, and aligned the raw edges. I aligned the flap's edges with the pocket notches on the panel. Then I laid out the pocket over the flap, aligning the raw edges again. I sewed the pieces together, making the stitch from one pocket notch to the other.

Sličan postupak sam ponovila i na prednjem bočnom panelu, sa izuzetkom kapne za džep. Zatim sam džep prepeglala u stranu.

I repeated the process on the side front panel, minus the pocket flap After that, I pressed the pocket to the side.

Nakon ovih koraka, usledilo je šivenje prednjih delova. Bočni panel sam položila preko srednjeg, vodeći računa da su markeri džepa na panelima savršeno poravnati. Zatim sam panele spojila, zaustavljajući šav tik uz marker džepa. Nakon toga sam gornji i donji džep pričvrstila zajedno špenadlama, i proštepala ih.

After these steps I sewed the front panels together. I laid the side panel over the center panel, making sure the pocket notches were perfectly aligned. Then I sewed the panels, stopping the stitch at the pocket notch. After that I fixed together the top and bottom pockets and sewed them.

Džepove volim dodatno da ojačam, jer se tokom nošenja kaputa dosta habaju. Zbog toga su džepovi jedini delovi koje obrađujem cik cak bodom. Takođe, ojačavam ih i tako što šav džepa dva puta prošijem jedan preko drugog. Time se osiguravam da se džep neće oparati, a postava izresati.

I like enforcing the pockets a bit more, since they can wear down. Therefore, they're the only part of the lining I serge. Also, I enforce them by sewing twice along the seamline. This way, I ensure the pocket seam will not rip off and the lining fray out.

I, konačno, sledi prepeglavanje šavova. Kako bi džep lepo legao, volim da zasečem dodatke za šavove u liniji markera za džep, sa obe strane prednjeg dela kaputa. Na žalost, zaboravila sam da uslikam naredni korak - kako bih smanjila debljinu tkanine, otsekla sam dodatak za šavove kapne džepa, i zatim sam kaput prepeglala i sa lica, raspeglavši šav između kapne i prednjeg srednjeg panela.

The final step is pressing the seams. In order to make the pocket lay smoothly, I like cutting the SAs where pocket notches are placed, on both sides of the seam. Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture of the next step - in order to reduce bulk, I cut off the pocket flap's SAs, and then I pressed the pieces from the right side of the fabric, thus pressing the seam between the pocket flap and center front panel.

http://stepalica.blogspot.com/2012/01/roze-kaput-sa-velikom-kragnom-deo-3.html

http://stepalica.blogspot.com/2012/01/roze-kaput-sa-velikom-kragnom-deo-2.html

http://stepalica.blogspot.com/2012/01/roze-kapput-sa-velikom-kragnom-deo-1.html

Roze kaput sa velikom kragnom, deo 3 / Pink coat with an oversized collar, part 3

2012-01-08T19:23:00.000+01:00

Kratak izveštaj o mom napretku na kaputu. Pošto još uvek nemam konac u adekvatnoj boji, rešila sam da prvo radim na postavi kaputa. Evo kako izgleda - i rukavi su gotovi, ali nisam stigla da ih prišijem. Pored postave, spojila sam i zadnje delove kaputa, kao i delove rukava, tako da sam za danas dosta odradila, rekla bih.

A short update on the coat progress. Since I don't have a thread in the right color yet, I've decided to work on the lining first. Here's how it looks - the sleeves are finished, too, but I didn't have enough time to attach them. Beside the lining, I sewed together the back coat pieces and the sleeves, so I think I've done enough today.

http://stepalica.blogspot.com/2012/01/roze-kaput-sa-velikom-kragnom-deo-2.html

http://stepalica.blogspot.com/2012/01/roze-kapput-sa-velikom-kragnom-deo-1.html

Roze kaput sa velikom kragnom, deo 2 / Pink coat with an oversized collar, part 2

2012-01-07T19:12:00.001+01:00

Danas sam nastavila da radim na roze kaputu. Nalepila sam lepljivo platno na sledeće delove:

Prednji srednji panel sa kragnom
Prednji opšivak sa kragnom
Porub prednjih i zadnjih panela, kao i na porub gornjih i donjih rukava, u širini od 5cm
Otvor rukava na prednjem i zadnjem bočnom panelu
Zadnji opšivak

Today I've continued working on the pink coat. I interfaced the following pieces with the medium weight fusible interfacing:

Center front panel with collar
Front facing with collar
Hemline on front and back panels, as well as hemline of top and bottom sleeves, 5cm wide
Armhole on front and back side panels\
Back facing

Odlučila sam se da kombinujem lepljivo platno srednje debljine i platno od konjske dlake na predelu kragne. Iskrojila sam 2 simetrična dela kragne od platna od konjske dlake, bez dodataka za šavove. Delove sam spojila duž centralnog zadnjeg šava, koristeći cik cak bod na mašini. Takođe, obradila sam ivice cik cak bodom, jer se ovo platno veoma lako para. Na platnu sam flomasterom iscrtala mrežu, koja kao šablon služi kako bih uredno rukom prišivala platno za kragnu kaputa.

Takođe, prednje srednje panele sam prišila jedan za drugi, duž šava kragne, a zatim sam šavove raspeglala i odsekla vrhove dodataka za šavove, kako bih smanjila debljinu platna na ivicama. Na prednjim panelima sam označila icive kragne, kako bih znala gde tačno treba da nacentriram platno od konjske dlake.

I decided to combine medium weight fusible interfacing with horsehair canvas on collar. I cut 2 symmetrical collar pieces out of horsehair canvas, without adding SAs. I joined the pieces along the center back seam using a zick zack stitch on my machine. Also, I serged the edges, since the canvas frays like crazy. I drew a grid on the canvas, that helped me hand baste the canvas neatly.

Also, I sewed together the center front panels along the collar seam and pressed the seams open. I cut off SAs' corners in order to reduce bulk. I marked the collar's edged on the shell fabric, so I's know where to lay the horsehair canvas.

Zatim sam platno od konjske dlake postavila na kragnu i poravnala ga sa označenim linijana. Kao što vidite, na nekim delovima se delovi nisu potpuno poklopili, pa sam na konjskom platnu označila potrebne korekcije, koje sam izvršila tek kada je platno potpuno bilo prišiveno za kragnu. Platno sam prvo špenadlama pričvrstila za kragnu, a zatim sam uzdužnim i poprečnim fircanjem osigurala da se platno ne pomera duž kragne.

I laid the canvas on the collar and aligned it with the marked lines. As you can see, some parts didn't match well at first, so I marked corrections on the horsehair canvas. However, I cut off the extra fabric after the hand basting was done. I fixed the canvas to the collar using pins, and then I roughly basted it to the collar with horizontal and vertical lines, thus securing the canvas from moving over the collar.

Bodom riblje kosti sam prišila platno za kragnu, vodeći računa da se konac ne vidi sa lica kragne. Kao što vidite na slici, nisam šila do same ivice platna duž bočnih i gornjih ivica, već sam se zaustavljala na otprilike 1.5cm od njih.

Using the chevron stitch I sewed the horsehair canvas to the collar, making sure the stitch wasn't visible on the right side of the shell. As you can see on the picture, I left the side and top edges of the canvas unsewn - I stopped sewing approximately 1.5cm from them.

Zatim sam htela da korigujem dubinu kragne. Za to sam postavila opšivak preko kragne, i poravnala sve ivice. Delove sam pričvrstila špenadlama.

After that I wanted to correct the collar's width. To do that, I laid the facing over the collar and aligned the edges. I pinned the pieces together.

A onda sam presavila kragnu duž linije pregiba, tako da je opšivak stajao na vrhu a kragna ispod njega. Kao što vidite, donji sloj, tj. kragna je malo šira od opšivka u ovom položaju (a to je položaj u kom će kragna stajati na gotovom kaputu). Više o ovoj tehnici možete pročitati na Šerinom blogu.

Then I folded the collar over the fold line, keeping the facing on the top and collar on the bottom. As you can see, the lower layer is slightly wider than the facing, when put in this position (and this is the position the collar will be in once the coat is finished). You can find more information about this technique on Sherry's blog.

Označila sam razliku na kragni i suzila je koliko je bilo potrebno. Nakon toga sam suzila i platno od konjske dlake, ostavljajući dodatke za šavove široke 1.5cm. Ručnim cik cak bodom sam prišila ivice konjskog platna za kragnu.

I marked the difference on the collar and narrowed it down. After that I narrowed down the horsehair canvas, leaving the 1.5cm vide SAs. I finished up the edges hand sewing the zick zack stitcth.

http://stepalica.blogspot.com/2012/01/roze-kapput-sa-velikom-kragnom-deo-1.html

Roze kaput sa velikom kragnom, deo 1 / Pink coat with an oversized collar, part 1

2012-01-06T21:42:00.002+01:00

Posle mesec dana odmaranja, vreme je da se nešto i sašije. Trenutno radim na kaputu, čiju skicu sam već pokazivala na blogu. U pitanju je varijacija koju sam slala za Burda Style knjigu. Ipak, ne koristim kroj iz knjige kao osnov, već isprobani model, na kome samo treba da docrtam kragnu.

After taking a one month break from sewing, it's time to make something new. I'm working on a coat, whose sketch I posted on the blog before. It's a coat variation I sent to Burda Style for their Sewing Handbook. However, I'm not using the pattern from the book - instead, I'm using a tried and trued model on which I only have to draw a collar.

Evo kako test kroj izgleda (i evo koliko umorno ja izgledam u bež tonovima). Kaput će, naravno, biti duži - dužine malo ispod kolena. Jako sam zadovoljna kako je kragna ispala. Još moram da razmislim o tome kako ću šiti kaput - da li da koristim ojačanje od konjske dlake, ili samo lepljivo platno, ili oba.

Here's how the muslin looks (and here's how washed and tired I look in nude tones). The coat will be longer - somewhere bellow the knees. I'm very pleased with how the collar looks. I still have to think about how I'm gonna sew this coat - whether I should use a horsehair canvas or just a fusible interfacing, or both of them.

A evo i materijala: prelepa vuna u boji fuksije, u kojoj izgledam mnogo zdravije i odmornije, odgovarajuća postava i lepi, prozirni dugmići.

And here's the fabric: a gorgeous wool in fuchsia color, in which I look much healthier; the lining and nice transparent buttons.

Do sada sam isekla vunu, ostaje mi još da iskrojim postavu i lepljivo platno, i da ga zalepim na tkaninu - moj najomraženiji deo posla :)

So far, I've cut the wool. I still have to cut the lining and the interfacing, and then to fuse it to the fabric - the least interesting part of the work :)

2012-01-03T22:40:00.000+01:00

Hehe, pogledajte profile sliku zvanične Facebook stranice Burda Style sajta. Da li vam izgleda poznato?

Haha, take a look at the profile picture on the official Bursda Style's Facebook page. Does it look familiar?

Godina za nama / The year behind us

2012-01-02T09:25:00.003+01:00

Dragi čitaoci, nadam se da ste se sjajno proveli u novogodišnjoj noći i da ste sa osmehom započeli 2012.

2011. godina je prošla munjevitom brzinom. Emotivno, nije bila mnogo uzbudljiva; profesionalno je bila vrlo turbulentna; ali krojački gledano - bila je savršena!

Dear readers, I hope you had a great time in the new year's eve, and that you started the 2012 with a smile.

2011 has gone faster than I could have imagined. Emotionally, it wasn't very exciting; professionally, it was rather turbulent; however, looking at it from the sewing point of view - it was perfect!

U Januaru je pokrenuta moja kolumna, Pattern Play, u časopisu Sew News. Do sada je objavljeno šest mojih članaka, a još šest, planiranih za 2012. godinu, je u pripremi. Posebno sam ponosna na Junsko - Julski broj, koji je nosio moju haljinu na naslovnoj strani.

My column, Pattern Play, was published in January, in Sew News magazine. Until now, six of my articles have been published, and six more are being prepared for 2012. I am especially proud of June - July issue, which carried my dress on the front page.

U Maju sam pohađala kurs modnog dizajna, tokom kog sam naučila mnogo novih stvari, dobila neverovatnu inspiraciju, i kreirala najneobičnije stvari. Takođe, sa ovog kursa sam izašla bogatija za jedno sjajno prijateljstvo sa profesorkom koja je vodila kurs, Milenom Kovačević.

During May I attended a course for fashion design, where I learned a lot of new stuff, got an incredible inspiration and designed the most unusual garments. I ended the course enriched by a great friendship with the teacher, Milena Kovačević.

U Novembru je izdata knjiga Burda Style Sewing Handbook, u kojoj je objavljena moja bluza.

Burda Style Sewing Handbook, which featured my blouse was published in November.

U Novembru sam, takođe, stažirala u Burda Style, boravila u Njujorku ceo mesec, i upoznala mnogo sjajnih ljudi. Takođe, bila sam i na žurci povodom promocije pomenute knjige, na kojoj sam se sjajno provela.

During November, I also worked as an intern at Burda Style, stayed the whole month in New York, and met a lot of great people. I also attended the book promotion party, where I had the best time ever.

Krajem Novembra je na Burda Style sajtu objavljena moja haljina - rezultat mog stažiranja, sa tutorijalom za pravljenje iste.

A ono o čemu vam još nisam pisala je da sam u Decembru upisala školu modelovanja krojeva, pri italijanskom modnom institutu SITAM. O tome tek treba opširnije da pišem, za sada ću vam reći samo da je jako zanimljivo i neočekivano teško!

Pored toga, 2011. sam učestvovala u čak tri Me-Made / Self-Stitched izazova, koje organizuje Zoe: u Martu, Junu i Septembru. Sada nestrpljivo iščekujem novi izazov u tekućoj godini.

At the end of November Burda Style website featured my dress - the result of my internship, along with the tutorial for sewing it.

What I haven't written about yet is that during December I enrolled the pattern making course at the Italian fashion institute SITAM. I have to write about it more in detail, but for now I'll tell you it's really interesting and unexpectedly difficult!

Along with these, I participated in three Me-Made / Self-Stitched Zoe's challenges during 2011: in March, June and September. Now I'm impatiently waiting for the next challenge.

Moram da priznam, prošle godine sam sašila manje komada garderobe nego inače, ali sam zato napravila par stvarčica koje su, po mom mišljenju, fenomenalne. Ovo je moja lista omiljenih stvari koje sam sašila, sortirana po hronološkom redu:

I have to admit last year I made less garments than I usually do, but the ones I did make were, in my opinion, fantastic. This is the list of my favorite self made garments, sorted in chronological order:

S kaput, koji sam napravila u Januaru, i od onda sam tražila svaku zgodnu priliku da ga obučem. Sama sam dizajnirala kaput, a kroj sam napravila prepravljajući kroj drugog (potpuno drugačijeg) kaputa.

The S coat, made back in January. Since then I've been using every opportunity to wear it. I designed the coat myself, and made the pattern by altering a different coat's pattern.

http://stepalica.blogspot.com/2011/03/s-kaput-deo-11-s-coat-part-11.html

http://stepalica.blogspot.com/2011/02/s-kaput-deo-10-s-coat-part-10.html

http://stepalica.blogspot.com/2011/01/s-kaput-deo-9-s-coat-part-9.html

http://stepalica.blogspot.com/2011/01/s-kaput-deo-8-s-coat-part-8.html

http://stepalica.blogspot.com/2011/01/s-kaput-deo-7-s-coat-part-7.html

http://stepalica.blogspot.com/2011/01/s-kaput-deo-6-s-coat-part-6.html

http://stepalica.blogspot.com/2011/01/s-kaput-deo-5-s-coat-part-5.html

http://stepalica.blogspot.com/2011/01/s-kaput-deo-4-s-coat-part-4.html

http://stepalica.blogspot.com/2011/01/s-kaput-deo-3-s-coat-part-3.html

http://stepalica.blogspot.com/2011/01/s-kaput-deo-2-s-coat-part-2.html

http://stepalica.blogspot.com/2011/01/s-kaput-deo-1-s-coat-part-1.html

Nora haljina, napravljena u Februaru. Osnov za kroj je gornji deo Nora haljine sa Burda Style sajta, dosta izmenjen kako bih napravila zanimljiv izrez oko vrata. Kroj za suknju sam sama pravila. Haljina je univerzalna, jer je prikladna i za svakodnevne i za svečane prilike. Zapravo, sinoć sam je nosila na proslavi nove godine.

The Nora dress, made back in February. The bodice is based on the Nora pattern from Burda Style, but it was heavily altered in order to get that interesting neckline. The skirt part was self drafted. The dress is rather universal and convenient for both daily and formal occasions. In fact, I wore this very dress for the NYE party two nights ago.

http://stepalica.blogspot.com/2011/03/mmm-11-dan-12-day-12.html

http://stepalica.blogspot.com/2011/02/nora-deo-3-nora-part-3.html

http://stepalica.blogspot.com/2011/02/nora-deo-2-nora-part-2.html

http://stepalica.blogspot.com/2011/02/nora-deo-1-nora-part-1.html

http://stepalica.blogspot.com/2011/02/inspiracija-inspiration.html

Kineska haljina, napravljena u Aprilu. Još jedna kombinacija komercijalnog kroja iz Burde i mog modelovanja.

Qipao, made in April. Another combination of a commercial pattern and my drafting.

http://stepalica.blogspot.com/2011/04/kineska-haljina-qipao.html

http://stepalica.blogspot.com/2011/04/kineska-haljina-je-skoro-gotova-qipao.html

http://stepalica.blogspot.com/2011/04/kineska-haljina-na-moj-nacin-quipao-my.html

Paunova suknja - ova suknjica ima ponajmanje mog udela u dizajnu, od svih prikazanih stvari, budući da je napravljena po kroju iz Burde. Ipak, veoma je volim, i nosila sam je do besvesti tokom godine.

The peacock's skirt - this skirt does not have any sort of my design built into it, since it was made using a commercial pattern. However, I love it very much and I've been wearing it a lot during the year.

Pantalone sa reverima - moj originalan dizajn, a napravljene prepravljanjem Bella kroja za pantalone sa Burda Style sajta.

Pants with collar - my original design, made by altering the Bella pants pattern from Burda Style website.

http://stepalica.blogspot.com/2011/10/pantalone-sa-reverima-deo-3-pants-with.html

http://stepalica.blogspot.com/2011/10/pantalone-sa-reverima-deo-2-pants-with.html

http://stepalica.blogspot.com/2011/10/pantalone-sa-reverima-pants-with-collar.html

Sirena haljina, koju sam šila dok sam bila u Njujorku, specijalno za Burda Style sajt. Kroj je iz Burda časopisa, ali je dosta izmenjen, dok je detalj sa faltama duže prednjeg panela moj originalan dizajn. Osim modela haljine, kod nje mi se sviđa i pertolej boja, koja me ovih dana veoma fascinira.

The mermaid dress, which I made while staying at NYC, specially for the Burda Style website. The pattern was from the Burda magazine, but it was altered a lot. The front pleating detail is my original design. Besides the dress' model, I love the petrol color. In fact I've been fascinated by this color recently.

Suma sumarum, mogu se pohvaliti da je minula godina bila i te kako uzbudljiva, dinamična i, rekla bih, veoma uspešna. Ne znam da li će mi se ukazati prilika da ponovim ovakvo iskustvo, osećam se kao da sam ove godine na krojačkom planu postigla onakav uspeh kakav je Novak Đoković ostvario u tenisu.

All in all, I can say the last year was very exciting, dynamic and successful. I don't know if I'll ever have a chance to repeat this sort of experience - I feel like I made, in the sewing world, a success equal to the one Novak Djokovic did in tennis.

Srećna nova godina / Happy new year

2011-12-31T20:02:00.000+01:00

Srećnu i uspešnu Novu 2012. godinu želi vam Štepalica!

Štepalica wishes you a happy and successful year 2012!

Moj pačvork jastuk na Burda Style sajtu / My patchwork pillow on the Burda Style website

2011-12-29T12:06:00.002+01:00

Juče je na Burda Style sajtu osvanuo (a zatim i misteriozno nestao!) moj jastuk rađen pačvork tehnikom. Pravila sam ga dok sam stažirala u Burda Style, a tema je bila - napraviti predmet koji je prikladan za poklon, i koji ne zahteva previše vremena niti veština za izradu. Koristila sam ostatke pamuka koje sam našla u kancelarijskom ormanu, što je odličan način da se utroše krpice koje više ničemu ne služe. ~~Na sajtu se nalaze~~ Za sajt sam pisala i instrukcije za pravljenje ove jednostavne pačvork šare.

Iz nekog razloga, Burda Style nije objavio sliku gotovog jastuka, već samo prednju polovinu nedovršene jastučnice. No, ako mi verujete na reč, jastuk sam zaista kompletirala i ostavila u Njujorku, u kancelariji. Ne znam šta se dalje zbilo s njim kada sam otišla...

Burda Style website featured yesterday (and now it has mysteriously disappeared) a pillow I made using the patchwork technique. I sewed it while interning at Burda Style, and the project theme was - make a simple item, suitable for a holiday gift, that does not require a lot of time nor technical skills for making. I used fabric scraps I found in the office stash; an ideal way to use fabric remnants. ~~You can find~~ I wrote the instructions for making this simple patchwork ornament on for the website.

For some reason Burda Style didn't publish a picture of the finished pillow, but only the front side of an unfinished pillowcase. However, I DID finish it, if you trust my words, but left it in NYC, at the office. I don't know what happened with it once I left...

Fitbot robotizovana lutka / Fitbot Mannequin

2011-12-24T21:04:00.001+01:00

Nauka u službi mode. Volela bih da imam ovakvu krojačku lutku!

Science in service of fashion. I wish I had this mannequin!

Srećan Božić svima koji ga danas slave!

Merry Christmas to all of you who celebrate it today! (Orthodox Serbs celebrate it on January 7th.)

Moja bluza u Burda Style knjizi / My blouse in the Burda Style book

2011-12-10T15:46:00.001+01:00

Posle toliko priče o Burda Style knjizi, mislim da vam dugujem par slika koje dokumentuju moj rad za knjigu, kao i slike bluze koja je prikazana u njoj. Već sam pominjala kako je tekao proces rada na knjizi, i kako smo pravili predloge izmene kroja. Imala sam nekoliko skica - tri za bluzu i dve za kaput, od kojih je izabrana leva skica sa slike ispod. Ironično, baš ta skica mi je bila ponajmanje zanimljiva :). No, sve ideje su imale svoje interesantne elemente, od kojih sam neke već realizovala, nevezano za knjigu.

After all the talk about the Burda Style book, I think I owe you at least a few images that document my work for the book, as well as pictures of my blouse that is featured in it. I already mentioned how we (the book contributors) worked for the book, and how we suggested pattern alterations. I had a few sketches - three for ta blouse and two for a coat. The left sketch from the picture bellow was chosen for the book. Ironically, it was the least interesting one to me :). However, each idea had its features, some of them have been materialized meanwhile.

Ovaj kaput sa ogromnom kragnom je bio moj favorit, i planiram da uskoro sašijem nešto slično.

This coat with oversized collar was my favorite one, and I plan to make something similar soon.

Ideja za ovaj kaput je vrlo brzo evoluirala u S kaput, o kome sam detaljno pisala prošle godine.

An idea for this coat quickly evolved into the S coat, which I wrote a lot about last year.

A evo kako izgleda moja bluza. Nemojte se zbuniti - ovo nije haljina, već komplet. Nakon što sam sašila bluzu, ostalo mi je još dosta materijala da napravim ovu divnu suknju, možda jednu od omiljenih iz mog ormana.

Izmene kroja nisu bile drastične, tako da nisu ni prikazane u knjizi. Na žalost, svi modeli čije izmene nisu objavljene, prikazani su u knjizi na tako sitnim fotografijama, da se detalji koji ih krase ni ne vide. Čini mi se da sam ja jedina koja je imala sreće da mi je bluza prikazana i na manekenki.

And here's how my blouse looks. Don't get confused - it's not a dress, but an ensemble. After I made the blouse, I was left with enough fabric remnants to make this beautiful skirt, perhaps one of my favorites.

The pattern alterations for the blouse were not drastic, hence they were not published in the book. Unfortunately, all models which didn't have their alterations published, were displayed in the book in tiny format, which made the details almost invisible. I think I was the only one of those people who was lucky enough to have the garment displayed on a live model.

Stranica iz knjige: moja bluza i bluza rađena prema originalnom kroju.

A page from the book: my blouse and a blouse made after the original pattern.

I evo prve stranice knjige, gde su mi se potpisali svi članovi tima, kao i oni članovi sajta koji su radili na knjizi, a koje sam imala prilike da upoznam. Nema lepše uspomene na moj put, od pogleda na ovu knjižicu!

And here's the first page of the book, signed by all the team members and the book contributors I had a chance to meet. There's no better memory of a NYC trip, than looking at this book!

Novo izdanje Sew News časopisa / A new issue of the Sew News magazine

2011-12-06T14:46:00.000+01:00

Dok sam bila u Njujorku, dobila sam paket iz Kolorada, sa novim brojem Sew News časopisa. U ovom izdanju je prikazana moja AMC haljina (nerado priznajem da je haljina nastala po uzoru na haljinu koju sam videla u AMC butiku, te otuda naziv), kao i kompletne instrukcije za pravljenje kroja za istu. Haljina je relativno svečana, mada, zavisno od izbora materijala, može se napraviti i za svakodnevne potrebe. Kroj za ovu haljinu možete skinuti sa Downoad taba bloga, u veličini 38/40.

While I was in New York, I received a package from Colorado, containing a new issue of the Sew News magazine. This issue features my AMC dress (I have to admit - the dress was made after a dress I saw in a local AMC boutique, hence the dress' name), along with detailed instructions for drafting the dress pattern. The dress is rather formal, though it can be made as a casual dress, depending on a fabric choice. You can download a pattern for this dress, in size 38/40, from the Download tab of the blog.

Zamislite, iako mi je ova haljina jako draga, obukla sam je samo jednom! Napravila sam je za posebnu priliku, i nosila na svadbi moje drugarice. Od onda nisam našla adekvatnu priliku da je ponovo obučem...

Can you imagine, even though I like the dress very much, I wore it only once! I made it for a special occasion and wore it on my friend's wedding. But since then I haven't found an appropriate opportunity to wear it again.

Haljina Sirena na Burda Style sajtu / The Mermaid dress on Burda Style website

2011-12-05T22:11:00.000+01:00

Danas je moja haljina, koju sam radila za Burda Style sajt, objavljena na naslovnoj strani istog, u okviru rubrike Projekat nedelje. U pitanju je varijacija kroja za haljinu iz Burda časopisa 10/2011, #116. Haljinu sam šila tokom stažiranja u Burda Style, prošlog meseca. Napravljena je od divne vune u petrolej boji, a izmene kroja koje sam napravila su poveće - menjala sam i prednje i zadnje panele, okovratnik i rukave, a centralni prednji panel sam ukrasila neobičnim kosim faltama, koje me podsećaju na rep sirene. Na sajtu možete pogledati tutorijal koji detaljno opisuje sve izmene kroja.

The dress I made for Burda Style website is featured on the site's homepage today, within the section Project of the week. The dress is a variation of the Burda Style magazine pattern 10/2011, #116. I sewed it during my internship at Burda Style last month. It's made of gorgeous wool in petrol, having numerous pattern alterations: I changed the front and back panels, neckline and sleeves, and I trimmed the center front panel with unusual bias pleats that remind me of a mermaid tale. You can see a tutorial that describes the pattern alteration in detail on the website.

Kako sam haljinu napravila prema svojim merama, imala sam čast da budem i model za istu :). Najbolja stvar od svega je što sam haljinu mogla da zadržim po kraju stažiranja, i sada čekam odgovarajuću priliku da je obučem.

Since I made the dress according to my measurements, I modeled for it :). The best thing of all was that I kept the dress for myself when my internship was over. Now I can't wait for the right opportunity to wear it.

Povratak kući / Going home

2011-11-30T20:12:00.000+01:00

Dragi čitaoci, moj put se bliži kraju, i ne znam da li mi je drago ili krivo zbog toga. Osećam blagu nostalgiju za domom, nedostaju mi moja porodica i društvo, a istovremeno sam se prilično privikla na grad i stekla nove prijatelje u ovoj dalekoj zemlji. Povratak kući će biti velika promena u ritmu; neverovatno je koliko vas Njujork forsira da ubrzate korak, priču, izlazak, večeru. To je ponekad iscrpljujuće, ali na kraju dana, kada vidite šta ste sve uspeli da uradite za tako kratko vreme, shvatite da je bilo vredno dodatnog truda. Pre neki dan sam toliko bila umorna od obilaženja i pešačenja gradom, da sam zaspala već oko 9h uveče. Ne pamtim kada mi se nešto slično desilo.

Dear readers, my journey has come to an end, and I don't know if I'm glad or sad about that. I feel a bit homesick, I miss my family and friends, while I've got used to the city and I made some new friends in this distant country. Going home will cause a big change in rhythm - it's unbelievable how New York pushes you to speed up whatever you've been doing. Sometimes it's exhausting, but by the end of the day, when you think of all the things you managed to complete, you realize it was worth the effort. Few days ago I was so tired I went to bed at 9pm. I can't remember when was the last time it happened to me.

Prošla nedelja je bila sjajna. U četvrtak je bio Dan zahvalnosti, pa sam tim povodom išla kod Klodin na večeru. Zaista sam se divno provela, i uživala u svim delikatesima koji simbolišu ovaj praznik (poput ćuretine, sosa od brusnica i americke pite od jabuka). Takođe, videla sam uživo neke od Klodininih legendarnih kreacija. I moram da vam kažem da sam ljubomorna: žena ima zasebnu sobu za šivenje! Maštam o tome da imam svoj kutak, gde nikome ne bih bila na smetnji, i gde mene niko ne bi ometao (trenutno šijem u trpezariji, peglam u dnevnoj sobi, a sve materijale držim u bratovljevoj sobi, što nije ni malo zgodno!). Upoznala sam i njenu porodicu, koja je zaista bila sjajna prema meni, i želim da im se svima zahvalim na gostoprimstvu i ljubaznosti.
Takođe, srela sam se i sa Elizabet, koja ima sjajan blog o svojim krojačkim poduhvatima. Bilo mi je jako zanimljivo da ćaskam sa njom (ne biste poverovali koliko tema za priču može da iznedri kovrdžava kosa!), jedino mi je krivo što nismo imale još malo vremena za druženje. No, nadam se da ćemo pre ili kasnije imati još prilika da se sretnemo i da nastavimo druženje.

The last week was great. Thanksgiving was on Thursday, so I went to Claudine's for a dinner. I really had a great time, and I enjoyed all the delicacies that symbolize the holiday (like turkey, cranberry sauce and the American apple pie). Also, I got to see some of the Claudine's famous creations. I have to tell you I was jealous - the woman has a sewing room! I've been dreaming of having my own sewing space, where I wouldn't be in a way and where nobody would interfere with me (I sew in a dining room, press in the living room and I keep my fabric stash in my brother's room, which is not convenient at all!). I also met Claudine's family, who was very nice to me, and I'd like to thank them all for their hospitality.
I also met Elizabeth of Sewn. It was really interesting chatting with her (you wouldn't believe how many talk topics a curly hair can provoke!), I only wish we had more time for hanging out together. Well, I hope sooner or later we'll have more opportunities to meet and continue our friendship.

Juče sam se fotografisala u svojoj novoj haljini za Burda Style. Ako sve bude po planu, moći ćete da je vidite na naslovnoj strani sajta u ponedeljak. No, bez brige, neću propustiti priliku da se pohvalim i da vas podsetim na to kada dođe vreme ;). Jako sam zadovoljna kako je haljina ispala, i još sam zadovoljnija jer sam mogla da zadržim haljinu za sebe! Narednih nedelja će verovatno osvanuti na sajtu i haljina koju sam šila za Noru, tako da ćete moći da vidite sve detalje vezane za nju i izmene kroja koje sam napriavila. Osim haljina, radila sam i na manjem projektu (ne volim ovu reč, ali mi trenutno ne pada ni jedna bolja na pamet!), koji je inspirisan Božićem i poklonima, tako da će i o njemu biti reči na sajtu.

Yesterday I had a photoshoot with Burda Style wearing my new dress. If everything goes according to the plan, you'll see it on Monday on the website's homepage. But have no worries, I won't miss an opportunity to brag around and remind you of it when the time comes ;). I'm very pleased with how the dress turned out, and I'm even more satisfied that I kept the dress for myself! In the following weeks, the dress I made for Nora will probably appear on the website too, so you'll be able to see more details and the pattern alterations I made. Besides the dresses, I worked on a small craft project that's inspired with Christmas and gifts, so it will be featured on the website as well.

Vikend sam iskoristila za kulturno uzdizanje i obišla Metropoliten muzej, kao i Muzej savremene umetnosti (poznatiji kao MoMA). Ostala sam bez daha! Ljudi koji me dobro poznaju znaju da umem da zaplačem od uzbuđenja kada sam na koncertu ili na baletu (ja sam strastveni ljubitelj baleta, džez baleta i modernog plesa), ali mislim da me niko nije video kako plačem pred slikama. E pa, upravo to mi se desilo sada - osetila sam ekstazu dok sam gledala originalna dela nekih od umetnika, a onda su mi se oči napunile suzama.
Da budem iskrena, prvi put sam shvatila veličinu Van Goga. Ranije, dok sam gledala reprodukcije njegovih slika, nisam bila fascinirana pejzažima, mrtvom prirodom niti autoportretima za koje svi znamo. Jednostavno, ti motivi nisu odgovarali mojoj estetici. Međutim, kada sam uživo videla njegove slike, ostala sam bez teksta. Ako niste znali, njegove slike su prilično trodimenzionalne. Ne mislim na 3D efekat i optičke iluzije, već na teksturu i reljef koji čine motiv koji je krasi opipljivim. A tek boje koje je koristio! Koliko su jarke, žive i nesvakidašnje. Mislim da sam se najduže zadržala ispred slike Wheat Field with Cypresses (namerno neću da prevodim naziv, jer ne znam zvaničan prevod na srpski); slika je ostavljala utisak da se krošnja drveta pomera na vertu.
No, nisam samo cmizdrila po muzejima, neki radovi su me nasmejali. Raspametila me je postavka karikatura i komičnih crteža koji datiraju iz XVI veka i kasnije. Nisam se trudila da zapamtim imena svih umetnika, ali sam se slatko nasmejala nad mnogim crtežima koji veoma duhovito ilustruju ljudske mane i karakter.

I used weekend for more cultural experience and visited Metropolitan Museum of Art and MoMA. I was speechless! Those who know me well know that I sometimes cry out of excitement when I'm on a concert or a ballet play (I'm a passionate fun of ballet, jazz ballet and modern dance), but I think I've never been seen crying in front of the paintings. Well, that's exactly what happened this time - I felt an excitement while looking at original paintings of some of the artists, and then tears came to my eyes.
To be honest, this was the first time I saw the magnificence of the Van Gogh's paintings. Earlier, while I was looking at reproductions of his works, I wasn't particularly fascinated by his landscapes, still nature and self-portraits that he had. These motifs didn't appeal to my aesthetics. However, when I saw his works in person, I was speechless. If you didn't know, his works are quite three-dimensional. I don't mean by that the 3D effects and optical illusions, but the texture and the relief that make the motif almost touchable. And the colors he used! They're so bright, vivid and unusual. I think I spent most time in front of the Wheat Field with Cypresses painting - I could almost see the leaves moving in the wind on the tree.
But, I didn't just cry in the museums, some of the works really made me smile. I was amazed by the exposition of the caricatures and comic drawings that date from the 16th century and later. I didn't bother remembering the names of all the artists, but I had a good laugh while watching some of the drawings that illustrated human flaws and character in such a humorous manner.

I, na kraju puta, mogu da se pohvalim da sam se zaista sjajno provela, da sam upoznala mnogo divnih ljudi, stekla nova prijateljstva i iskustvo koje nikad neću zaboraviti.

At the end of my trip, I can say that I had a great time, I met a lot of really nice people and made some new friendships. It was an experience I'll never forget.

I, kao epilog, evo još jedne pesme koja opisuje moje trenutno raspoloženje.

As an epilogue, here's another song that describes how I feel at the moment.

Vidimo se u Beogradu!

See you in Belgrade!

Zanimljivosti iz Njujorka / Fun time in New York

2011-11-20T20:03:00.002+01:00

Dragi čitaoci, izvinite što se ne javljam češće, ali prosto ne stižem da pišem blog od svih zanimljivosti koje proživljavam u Njujorku.

Dear readers, I'm sorry I don't write more often, but I just can't manage to write a blog with all the interesting happenings I've been through in New York.

Kao što sam već pisala, prošlog ponedeljka sam počela da stažiram u Burda Style, i konačno shvatila koliko mnogo posla podrazumeva vođenje sajta, priprema proslave i promocija knjige! Burda Style tim je veoma mali, broji svega desetak ljudi, a posla ima za bar još toliko.

Prvi dan stažiranja je prošao prilično lagano, međutim, pravi posao sam osetila na svojim leđima već narednog dana. Kao što već znate, promocija je bila zakazana za četvrtak, a tim je, sasvim simbolično, nosio garderobu koja je zapravo bila varijacija krojeva predstavljenih u knjizi. Čak je i Dejvid, koordinator sajta i jedini momak u timu, imao majicu koja je bila inspirisana krojem iz knjige (svi su se zaista potrudili da promovišu knjigu delima, a ne samo rečima!).

Ono što sam ja trebala da uradim je da sašijem haljinu koju je Nora, osnivač sajta, nosila na žurci. Varijacija je bila prilično jednostavna, ali sam imala veoma malo vremena na raspolaganju, a uz Norin raspored prepun obaveza, bilo je teško ugrabiti momenat za probu. Na moje iznenađenje, kancelarije u kojima tim radi u veoma male, i nema sobe ya šivenje! Morala sam da se snađem i organizujem sebi prostor, pa sam jedan dan sedela u kancelariji za računovodstvo i šila rame uz rame sa damama koje vode knjige! No, dala sam sve od sebe, i haljina je bila gotova bukvalno jedan sat pre početka žurke.

As I wrote before, I started working as an intern at Burda Style last Monday, and I finally realized how much work it takes to run a website, prepare the book promotion and the party! The Burda Style team is a very small one, it counts around ten people, but there's enough work for ten more of them.

The first internship day ran smoothly, but the following day I realized how it really feels to work there. As you know, the book party was scheduled for Thursday, and team, quite symbolically, wore the variations from the book patterns. Even David, the website coordinator, and the only guy in the team had a tee that was inspired by the pattern from the book (everyone tried to promote the book not only with words but with deeds!).
My task was to sew a dress for Nora, the website co-founder, to wear it on the party. The dress variation was a very simple one, but I had such a short time for sewing, and with Nora's busy schedule, it was almost impossible to grab a moment for fitting. Additionally, I was very surprised to see that the offices the team works at were very small and there was no sewing room! I had to be very practical and super organized so one day I was sitting in an accountant office and sewed side by side with the Burda Style accountants! However, I did my best and finished the dress an hour before the party started.

No, nećemo još o žurci... U proslu sredu sam prvi put u životu išla na kuglanje (ovaj sport je tek nedavno počeo da se praktikuje u Srbiji, ali nisam imala prilike da se oprobam u njemu): članovi sajta, koji su kao i ja radili na knjizi, su bili pozvani na druženje, što je ispalo sjajno. Zaključila sam da kuglanje definitivno nije sport za mene, ali sam se svejedno sjajno provela. Upoznala sam Dženifer, koja je i moderator foruma na sajtu, zatim Grejs i Elen, a Džodi sam znala još od ranije (upoznale smo se u Februaru, kada je posetila Beograd). Na žalost, nisam imala fotoaparat pri ruci, ali se nadam da ću dobiti fotografije koje su drugi uslikati te večeri.

Sama žurka je bila fenomenalna! Neverovatan je osećaj biti deo tako kreativnog društva, i učestvovati u izradi knjige kakva je ova. Kao da smo svi poznate filmske zvezde, prilazili smo jedni drugima i uzajamno se divili veštinama i kreacijama onog drugog. Potpuno nesvakidašnje iskustvo, koje se pamti doveka! Mala družina na slici ispod se prilično ludirala tokom fotografisanja, sjajno se provodeći pri tom.

But, we'll talk about the party later... last Wednesday I played bowling for the first time (this sport appeared in Serbia recently, but I haven't had an opportunity to try it out) - I was invited, along with other bok contributors, to hang out together, which turned out great. I realized the bowling was not my type of sport but I still had a great time there. I met Jennifer, who's a website moderator, then Grace and Helene, and I knew Jodi from before (we met in February, when she visited Belgrade). Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera with me that night, but I hope I'll get the photos from that night from other people's cameras.

The party itself was fantastic! It feels amazing to be in such a creative company and to participate in making a book like this one. As if we all were some super famous movie stars, we'd approach to each other on the party and praise each other's work. It's one of a kind experience that we all will remember as long as we live! The small band from the photo bellow had such a great time while posing for the photo shoot.

Gornji red / Top row: Sew4my3, Nettie, wzrdreams, Jodika

Donji red red / Bottom row: CarotteSauvage, David, jem1022, moja malenkost / myself

Od žurke pa do početka prosle nedelje, cunjala sam gradom i provodila se sa Elen i Džodi, koje su kao i ja došle čak iz Evrope da bi prisustvovale promociji (Elen je Francuskinja, ali živi u Lonodnu, dok je Džodi Novozelanđanka, ali živi u Budimpešti). Moram da priznam da je Elen bila pravo iznenađenje: dok sam gledala njene fotografije na Burda Style sajtu, uvek sam je doživljavala kao mirnu, romantično setnu osobu. Zapravo, ona je poput energetske bombe, koja skakuće svuda i priča u rafalu, zabavljajući sve oko sebe :).

U ponedeljak mi se Džodi pridružila kao stažista u Burda Style, tako da mi je još zanimljivije! Nikada ranije nisam imala priliku da šijem u grupi, i zaista je sjajno gledati kako drugi ljudi rade, i razmenjivati mišljenje i ideje na licu mesta.

From the party to the beginning of the last week, I wandered through the city and spent my time with Helene and Jodi, who came all the way from Europe (Helene is French but she lives in London, UK, while Jodi is New Zelander living in Budapest, Hungary) for the promotion party. I have to say - Helene was quite a surprise to me: While looking at ther photos from the website, I had an impression she was rather quiet and romantic-sad kind of person. Actually, she's like some sort of an energy bomb, that jumps around and talks in a heartbit, entertaining everyone around herself :).

On Monday Jodi joined me as an intern at Burda Style, and I had so much fun with her around! I've never han an oportunity to sew in a group before, and I can say it's amazing to watch other people while they work and to exchange opinions and ideas right on spot.

Osim Burda Style drugarica, imala sam još par zanimljivih društvenih momenata. Najveći i meni najdirljiviji bio je poziv da odem na proslavu Dana zahvalnosti (24. Novembar), koji mi je uputila Klodin. Moram da napomenem: u trenutku kada mi je poslala pozivnicu, Klodin me znala samo u našem malom virtuelnom krojačkom društvu. Njen gest me oduševio, više nego što mogu da opišem. S moje strane sveta, u Srbiji, Dan zahvalnosti je praznik za koji znamo sa filmova, i o kome učimo na časovima engleskog jezika, ali malo ko ima priliku da ga lično iskusi, i zaista sam počastvovana što ću ga proslaviti u krugu njene porodice.

U međuvremenu sam i lično upoznala svoju buduću domaćicu, i zaista uživala u našem ćaskanju. Zamislite nas četiri, Klodin, Elen, Džodi i mene, kako čavrljamo o šivenju, pisanju bloga, ličnim iskuistvima i problemima; situacija kakvu nisam ni sanjala da ću doživeti (iskreno, oduvek sam potajno zavidela autorkama blogova koje pratim, koje su se redovno okupljale, išle zajedno u kupovinu materijala, čavrljale o svom hobiju, i posle još i pisale o tome!). Ujedno, dobila sam par odličnih saveta i preporuka gde da potražim materijale i knjige koje sam želela da kupim.

Along with my Burda Stylr friends, I had few more interesting social moments. The one that striked out was an invitation for Thanksgiving dinner that came from Claudine. I have to say - at the moment when she invited me, she only knew me via our small virtual society of sewists. I was stunned by her gesture more than I could describe. On my side of the world, in Serbia, we've been introduced to Thanksgiving holiday only via American movies and English lessons, but not many had the opportunity to experience the joy of the holiday in person. That's why I'm especially flattered to be invited to celebrate it with Claudine's family.

Meanwhile, I met my future hostess, and I really enjoyed our chatting. Can you imagine four of us - Claudine, Helene, Jodi and me chatting about sewing, blogging, personal experiences and problems; a situation I've never even dreamed of experiencing (to be honest, I always secterly envied those bloggers, who had their regular meetings and fabric shopping, while chatting about their hobby. And, as if that wasn't enough, they would post about it on their blogs afterwards!). I was given a lot of tips and advice on where to buy fabrics and books I wanted to buy.

Kad smo već kod knjiga, kupila sam sebi dve, koje priželjkujem već duže vreme. U pitanju su knjige iz serije Pattern Magic, vol 1 i vol 2, koje sadrže uputstva za šivenje veoma zanimljivih kreacija, koje više podsećaju na skulpture nego na garderobu. Od kako se knjiga pojavila na tržištu, videla sam brojne varijacije koje su kreativci širom sveta pravili, i divila se neverovatnim krojevima. Sada jedva čekam da i sama isprobam neke od njih!

Speaking of books, I bought myself two books I've been wanting for a while - Pattern Magic vol 1 and vol 2. Ever since they appeared on the internet, I've seen numerous variations from the books made by creative people from around the world and I've admired the amazing construction the garments had. Now I can't wait to try some of the ideas myself!

Nadam se da ću stići da napišem još jedan post pre kraja puta. Do tada, puno pozdrava iz Njujorka!

I hope I'll manage to write one more post before I end my trip. Until then, I'm sending you greetings from New York!

Pozdrav iz Njujorka / Greetings from New York

2011-11-08T05:33:00.001+01:00

Dragi čitaoci, kada biste samo znali kakvu nedelju sam proživela! Prepuna sam utisaka, ne znam šta pre da vam pišem. Možda je najbolje da se držim hronologije.

Stigoh u Veliku jabuku pre nedelju dana, posle 12 sati leta: baš je daleko ova Amerika! Njujork je potpuno fascinantno iskustvo za mene, grad koji nije ni nalik ni jednom gradu koji sam imala prilike do sada da vidim. Od utorka do danas sam se našetala koliko nisam u poslednjih godinu dana, a imam utisak da sam tek zagrebala po površini. Kako sam se dogovorila sa Burda Style timom da svoje stažiranje otpočnem od ponedeljka, 7. Novembra (što znači danas! ali, o tome ću malo kasnije), imala sam par dana na raspolaganju da cunjam po gradu. Srećom. poslužilo me lepo, sunčano, vreme, sa temperaturom od 15C, pa sam uspela dosta stvari da vidim, i lepe slike da uslikam. Kompletan album možete videti ovde.

Grad je ogroman, a prosto vas mami da ga obilazite peške. Zgrade su toliko visoke i gusto raspoređene, da se povremeno osećate kao da ste u nekoj šumi. Ujedno, fascinantni prizori vas teraju da sve vreme hodate otovrenih usta i sa pogledom uvis. Osećam se kao da sam pod svojevrsnom hipnozom ili u nekom snoviđenju, jer sve izgleda nestvarno. Mislim da imam sreće što ću provesti mesec dana ovde, jer ima toliko toga da se vidi. Verujem da lokalnim ljudima izgledam kao pomahnitali turista, jer neprestano škljocam fotoaparatom, a slikam potpuno neočekivane prizore (kao što su izlozi robnih kuća).

Dear readers, you wouldn't believe what a week I've had! I'm overwhelmed (in a positive way) with impressions, and I don't know where to start. Perhaps it's the best to stick to the chronology.

I arrived to the Big Apple a week ago, after 12 hours of flight - America is so far away from Serbia! New York is a fascinating experience to me, the city unlike any other I've seen so far. I've never walked as much as I've had during the last six days; yet I feel as if I have only scratched the surface. Since I arranged with the Burda Style team to start my internship on Monday, Novemebr 7th (which is today! but more on that later), I had a couple of days to stroll along the city. Luckily, I had a warm, sunny weather with temperature around 15C, so I managed to see a lot and to take some really nice photos. You can see the whole photo album here.

The city is huge, yet it tempts you to cross it on foot. The buildings are so dense and are so high, that one might feel as if he's in some kind of woods. At the same time, fascinating sights make you walk with your mouth opened and with your eyes up high. I feel as if I'm hypnotized or as if I'm daydreaming, because everything looks unreal. I believe I'm lucky to stay here for a month, because there are so many things to see. I must look like a crazy tourist to the locals, because I don't stop taking photos, and I photograph some unusual stuff (like shop windows).

Još jedan snažan utisak je na mene ostavila robna kuća Berdgdorf Goodman, gde sam imala prilike da uživo vidim i osetim kvalitet visoke mode. Dok sam razgledala originalne komade iz kolekcija Diora, Armanija, McQueena, Chanela, osećala sam se kao dete u prodavnici slatkiša. Ujedno, po prvi put sam shvatila zašto je visoka moda toliko skupa: kvalitet izrade i tkanina su dovedeni do savršenstva, što masovnu proizvodnju čini bezmalo smešnom.

Ali, kako je moj džep previše plitak spram zahteva visoke mode, zadovoljila sam se malo skromnijim, ali opet fascinantnim, izborom koji nude Daffy's prodavnice. Ovde sam našla fenomenalne stvari poznatih kreatora, koje su bile na velikom sniženju cena. Po ko zna koji put se zapitah zašto u Srbiji ne postoje outleti ovog tipa (no, to je tema o kojoj ne želim ovom prilikom da razglabam).

Another strong impression left the Berdgdorf Goodman store, where I saw and felt the quality of the haute couture. While I was looking at the garments from Dior, Armani, McQueen, Chanel, I felt like a child in a candy store. It was there and then that I understood for the first time why high fashion was so expensive - the quality of the fabrics and the sewing is absolutely perfect, which makes the mass production almost ridiculous.

However, since my budget is too small for the high fashion, I had to satisfy myself with a more modest, yet very interesting stuff the Daffy's stores offer. I found there some really nice garments by famous designers on a discount. I couldn't help no to wonder why Serbia didn't have some similar outlets.

Takođe, obišla sam i Garment District: gradsku četvrt koja je cela posvećena modi, i koja je opremljena prodavnicama u kojima možete naći svu potrebnu opremu za šivenje, počev od materijala, preko pozamanterije, do prateće šivaće opreme. Ovde sam spoznala prednosti prave metropole: bukvalno nema stvari koju ovde ne možete pronaći. Provela sam sate u prodavnici tkanine Mood, i uzdisala nad prelepim materijalima koje sam tamo našla. Pošto ne mogu da preopteretim kofer, jer sam ograničena sa skromna 23kg ptrljaga, morala sam da se obuzdam od kupovine, inače bih vrlo rado potrošila podosta novca tamo!

I visited the Garment District, too, where one can find all kinds of fabric and notions stores. I saw all the advantages of the metropolis over there: literally there are no thing one can't find there. I spent hours in the Mood fabric store, and was fascinated by all the gorgeous fabrics I saw there. However, I had to restrain myself from buying, since my luggage is limited to 23kg. Otherwise, I'd be happy to spend a lot of money over there!

I konačno, danas počeh da stažiram u Burda Style! Upoznala sam Noru, koja je osnovala sajt, kao i Alison, kreativnu direktorku sajta, zatim Dejvida, koordinatora sajta, kao i mnoge druge ljude koji vode ovu firmu iza kulisa. Moj deo posla podrazumeva saradnju sa Alison, radeći na sekciji Project of the week, što znači da ćete u narednim nedeljama, kada dođe red na njih, viđati moje kreacije u ovoj sekciji.

Takođe, videla sam i prelistala knjigu zbog koje sam i prevalila ovoliki put! Moram da kažem da odlično izgleda! Naravno, prvo sam nestrpljivo prevrnula sve stranice ne bih li došla do slike svoje bluze, pa tek onda uzela da listam knjigu redom. Oduševljena sam fenomenalnim idejama koje sam videla i nadam se da ću imati prilike da upoznam ostale članove sajta, koji su isto pravili svoje varijacije za knjigu.

U sredu ćemo imati prilike da se družimo svi zajedno, na večeri i kuglanju koje organizuje Burda Style tim, a u četvrtak idemo na žurku povodom promocije knjige. Biće uzbudljivo!

And last, but not the least, I've started my internship at Burda Style today! I met Nora, the website cofounder, Alison, the creative director, then Dadid, the website coordinator, as well as many other people who run the firm behind the scenes. My part of the job will include collaboration with Alison, on the section Project of the week, meaning that you'll see my creations in the section in the weeks to come.

Also, I saw the book I came here for! I have to say it looks amazing! Of course, I skipped to the pages with pictures of my blouse first, and later on browsed through it page by page. I'm thrilled with all the great ideas I saw there, and I'm looking forward to meeting all the contributors in person.

We'll have a chance to meet up all on Wednesday night, on a dinner and a bowling, and we're having a promotion party on Thursday night. It's gonna be exciting!

Do tada, šaljem vam pozdrave iz besanog grada!

Until then, I'm sending you greetings from the city that doesn't sleep!

New York, New York!

2011-10-31T00:33:00.000+01:00

Dragi čitaoci, dan D se približio - sutra putujem za Njujork povodom promocije knjige The Burda Style Sewing Handbook, za koju sam imala čast da sašijem bluzu. Promocija je zakazana za 10. Novembar, a ja ću provesti ceo mesec kao stažista u Burda Style-u. Iskrena da budem, veoma sam uzbuđena, čak mogu da kažem da imam i tremu! Jedva čekam da vidim knjigu, kao i da upoznam članove Burda Style tima i brojne članove sajta, sa kojima sam se do sada samo dopisivala.

Potrudiću se da vas obaveštavam o zbivanjima i da vam prenesem svoje utiske o knjizi, sajtu iza kulisa, i naravno - Njujorku. Do tada, ostavljam vas da uživate u pesmi koja tačno opisuje kako se trenutno osećam...

Dear readers, the D day has gotten very close - I'm leaving tomorrow to New York City, to the promotion of The Burda Style Sewing Handbook, for which I had the honor to sew a blouse. The book promotion party is scheduled for November 10th, but I'll work as an intern at Burda Style for a month. To be honest, I am very excited about it, and I think I'm a bit nervous too! I can't wait to see the book, as well as to meet in person all the team members and the website members with whom I've had a correspondence.

I'll try to keep you posted about all the happenings and to share with you my impressions about the book, about the website from another point of view, and of course - about NYC. Until then, enjoy the song which describes exactly how I feel at the moment...

Blog nagrada / Blog award

2011-10-25T17:53:00.000+02:00

Kerolin mi je pre neki dan prosledila blog nagradu. Istu nagradu sam davno dobila i od Raki, ali kako sam u to vreme već bila dobila istu nagradu, mislila sam da je previše da dva puta u kratkom periodu pišem isti post. U svakom slučaju, želim da se zahvalim obema na divnom gestu!

Carolyn passed me a blog award a few days ago. I received the same award ages ago from Raki, but since I had received the same award at the time, I felt it would be too much to write a same post twice. Either way, I'd like to thank them both for the lovely gesture!

Pravila nagrade kažu da treba da napišem 7 proizvoljnih detalja o sebi. Pošto sam već pisala na tu temu, danas ću podeliti sa vama samo jednu zanimljivost, inspirisana postom koji je Lavender pisala pre neki dan, u kome je opisivala sve svoje frizure tokom poslednjih 5 godina.

Za razliku od nje, ja nisam mnogo menjla izgled u poslednjih 10 godina. Malo mi je varirala dužina kose, par puta sam probala da se ofarbam u crvenkastu nijansu (što mi je, na moju žalost, užasno stajalo!), ali sam izgledala manje-više isto kao sada. Međutim, kada sam imala 19 godina drastično sam promenila frizuru i kompletni izgled. Ošišala sam se skroz na kratko i počela da se šminkam. Iznenadila sam se koliko mi je frizura uticala na imidž. Međutim, promena stila je bila pozitivna, i mislim da sam tada počela da shvatam u kom pravcu treba da idem.

Nosila sam kratku kosu godinu i po dana, a onda sam je pustila, na nagovor tadašnjeg dečka. Trebalo joj je 2 godine da poraste do neke normalne dužine, i u tom periodu sam prošla kroz mnoge faze, koje nisu sve bile baš sjajne :-). Mnogi moji prijatelji su kategorični da mi duga kosa lepše stoji, ali ja sam neopredeljena. Povremeno se razmišljam da se opet ošišam, ali često nemam dovoljno hrabrosti. Najviše me pokoleba pomisao na period koji joj je potreban da bi porasla. Sa 20 godina, lude frizure ne izgledaju totalno kretenski. Sa 32 već nisam sigurna...

Inače, slika ispod je uslikana 1998. Rekla bih da mi se lice nije mnogo promenilo od tada.

The award rules say I have to write down 7 random facts about me. Since I already have a post on the subject, I'll share with you just one interesting detail about me. I was very inspired by Lavender's post she wrote the other day, where she described her haircuts in the last 5 years.

Unlike her, I haven't changed my looks a lot in the past 10 years. I had some slight length differences, I even tried dyeing it in some reddish shade (which, unfortunately, looked awful!), but I looked more or less the same as I do now. However, when I was 19, I had a drastic haircut and overall looks change. I cut my hair really short and I started doing makeup. I was surprised by how the haircut affected my image. But the style change was positive and I think it was then that I realized what direction I should follow.

I had this look for a year and a half, and then let the hair grow, being influenced by my boyfriend at the time. It took 2 years to grow, and I went through all the silly phases in that period :-). Many of my friends are categorical in the attitude that I look better with a long hair. However, I'm undefined. From time to time I think of cutting it again, but I don't have enough courage to do it. What freaks me the most is the time it needs to grow. When you're 20, wacky hair does not make you look like an idiot. I'm not so sure it's the same when you're 32...

The picture below was taken back in 1998. I think my face hasn't changed much since then.

I, na kraju, evo liste blogova kojima prosleđujem nagradu:

Finally, here is a list of blogs I am passing the award to:

Još jedna košulja / Another shirt

2011-10-22T21:51:00.000+02:00

I, još jedna košulja je gotova. Kao što Dragica reče, postaju moj zaštitni znak. Zanimljivo je da ih ranije nikako nisam volela na sebi - bila sam ubeđena da mi loše stoje. Možda sam u međuvremenu naučila da ih nosim?

Opet je u pitanju varijacija bluze iz Burde 1/2008. #108. Materijal je prugast, gde se smenjuju teget pruge sa prugama u različitim bojama. Aranžirala sam ih tako da na prednjem delu budu žute i roze, na zadnjem zelene, a na rukavima su ljubičaste i narandžaste. I ova košulja ima duplo kopčanje.

Another shirt is finished. As Dragica has said, they're becoming my trade mark. An interesting thing is that I used to dislike the shirts - I was sure they didn't suit me. Perhaps I've learned how to style them in the meanwhile?

Again, it's a variation on the BWOF 1/2008, #108 blouse pattern. The fabric is striped, where navy stripes are followed by stripes in various colors. I arranged them so that the yellow and pink stripes are on the front, green stripes on the back and purple and orange ones on the sleeves. This shirt has double button closure too.

Ujedno, ovo je jedna od retkih prilika da me vidite sa isfeniranom kosom. Povremeno, obično kada se šišam, ispravim kosu čisto da razbijem monotoniju. Frizura potraje par dana, ako imam sreće da je suvo vreme.

Also, this is one of the rare opportunities to see me with a straight hair. Occasionally, usually when I do my haircut, I straighten it, just to break the monotony. The hair-do lasts for few days, if I'm lucky to have a dry weather.

Crvena prugasta košulja / A red striped shirt

2011-10-18T04:15:00.000+02:00

Poslednja u nizu košulja koje šijem ovih dana. Ovaj put, koristila sam prugasti materijal, čiji se dezen pruga menja na polovini platna: jedna polovina je sa uskim, a druga sa širokim crvenim prugama. Zajedno kombinovane, pruge daju zanimljiv efekat.

Koristila sam kroj iz španskog časopisa Patrones, koji sam ranije već isprobala (i imala malo problema sa veličinom, ali sam to uspela da sredim). Široke pruge sam postavljala vodoravno, a uske uspravno, što se da primetiti na slikama.

The last in the series of shirts I've been sewing. This time I used a striped fabric whose stripes change in the center: one half of the fabric has thin, and the other half has thick red stripes. Combined together, the stripes make an interesting effect.
I used a tried and trued pattern from the Spanish Patrones (which had some sizing issues I managed to fix). The thick stripes are laid horizontally, while the thin ones are laid vertically, as you can see on the pictures.

Još jedna košulja je iskrojena i spremna za šivenje. Verovatno sam vam već dosadila sa njima, ali trenutno sam jako rasapoložena za šivenje istih.

Another shirt is cut and ready to be sewed. You might be bored with all these shirts, but I'm currently in the mood for sewing them.