Category sewing

New make: Linden sweatshirt

bellecitadel 2 Comments

I’m back from Scotland and, boy, do I have a lot of blogging to catch up on. I’m happy to say that the nuptials went swimmingly and I’ll put a little post up in a couple of days, since there were a couple of crafty type things going on for the wedding – but mostly because of the occasion. In the meantime, I’ve been trying to catch up on blog posts on my reader and there have been so many fantastic makes while I’ve been gone. I’m loving the new patterns from Seamwork, out today I think? and also managed to add to my burgeoning sewing book collection with a few new books and mags.

20160508_105306 (3)

Continue reading “New make: Linden sweatshirt” →

New make: Luna pants

bellecitadel 4 Comments

I’ll be honest – this style of trousers/pants are not really my thing and I had kind of disregarded the Luna pants pattern when it came out. That was until I made the Beatrix top, also by Made by Rae and very much enjoyed it; and then saw this pair, which made me pause a little. There’s also no denying that these kinds of trousers are very practical, particularly when you’re running around after small children. I saw Rae was doing a sewalong, so I thought, well, why not? I did skip ahead of the sewalong since after I got to the sewing part I just decided to finish up. I’m sure that’s pretty normal.

20160501_185057 (2)

Continue reading “New make: Luna pants” →

New make: Sorbetto top in plaid

bellecitadel 7 Comments

Hello hello! I almost didn’t post this make since it seems that everyone in the whole wide world has made a Sorbetto top at some point. But obviously not everyone has, and maybe there are even some people yet to discover that its a free pattern from Colette Patterns that you can download any time you like! Plus, of course, this ended up with its own little complications. Bias binding: I’m talking about you.

SONY DSC

Continue reading “New make: Sorbetto top in plaid” →

New make: Fen Dress

bellecitadel 1 Comment
SONY DSC

Pulling a “Jeez, it’s damp” face

Happy Thursday good people! Today I’m posting a few pictures of the Fancy Tiger Crafts’ Fen dress that I finished last week. Please excuse the light on the fabric- you can get a better idea of the fabric close-up in pics further down. I’m afraid there aren’t really any construction pictures, and that’s because I made most of the dress as part of a class, at Drygoods Design, here in Seattle. I did the class as one of three in the “Learn to Sew Apparel Trilogy” series they do, in which you choose between a couple of options for three different projects. This is the 2nd class I chose (I am posting out of order) and the others were the Linden sweatshirt and Sailor Top. As a general note, I thought the classes were fantastic – the small class size means plenty of individual help and attention – and the teacher, Julienne, couldn’t have been nicer, funnier or more encouraging. Nice one, Drygoods! 🙂 PS. They give you wine. Win. Continue reading “New make: Fen Dress” →

6 months in sewing – what have I done?

bellecitadel Leave a comment

I don’t mean that in a “Lawks, what have I done to him??” kind of a way, more in a “What have I actually done“, as in sewn, way. I wrote my first blog post 6 months ago and time has gone FAST. I thought it might be a good idea to take stock of what I’ve achieved so far in the world of sewing as it will no doubt point me in a few specific directions going forwards. Therefore, this post will probably be of interest mainly to… well, ME, but hey, feel free to peruse my summing uppery. Continue reading “6 months in sewing – what have I done?” →

New make: Butterick B6207

bellecitadel 2 Comments

When I was younger, I had this two piece outfit from French Connection that my Mum persuaded me to buy (being 13 or so, I had other ideas). It was a lemon and mint striped cotton top and skirt/culottes outfit that was a lot nicer than it sounds in writing. I still rather like the look of matching tops and bottom outfits and I’ve been thinking about making one for a while. As well as the whole outfit for a more put-together occasion, you’ve also got the option to wear them separately – three outfits in one really! I had been, and am still planning, some sort of cotton circle skirt and vest top affair, but in the meantime, I’ve made up this outfit in a knit. And can I just say…. DRUM ROLL… this is my first Big Four pattern!! Woohoo!

IMG-20160404-WA0003 1

Continue reading “New make: Butterick B6207” →

Monday montage: Spring patterns

bellecitadel Leave a comment

Hello hello!

I don’t know about anywhere else, but the weather in Seattle has been unseasonably warm! I took my little one to the beach last week, which is… crazy! But very welcome. It got me thinking about spring releases in the pattern world as there seems to have been quite the release schedule recently. I’m keeping this post simple today – here are five of my favourite new S/S patterns:

Vogue V1499

V1499_01[1].jpg

I suppose many people will have a dress pattern like this and I must say that the stripey fabric definitely adds to my liking for this garment, but nevertheless, this looks like a classic cap sleeve, fit and flare dress pattern, and I don’t possess one. I really like the pleats too – overall, I think it’s very flattering. Continue reading “Monday montage: Spring patterns” →

Discoveries of a novice: Woven fabrics

bellecitadel 8 Comments

One of the things that is taking me a while is getting to grips with fabric choice. Both which fabric to use and where to buy it. It can be something of a conundrum. You don’t want to spend a ton of money when you’re starting off as you’re fairly sure you’re going to make a mess of at least a couple of pieces. On the other hand, there’s just no point in making something if you don’t really like the fabric. And then there’s the whole “Is it the right fabric?” “How thick is lightweight cotton??” “How stretchy is this knit really?” “Would I need to line this one?” etc. etc. ad infinitum.

20160330_211525

Cotton lawns and poplins

Continue reading “Discoveries of a novice: Woven fabrics” →

Monday Montage: Baby/kid sews

bellecitadel 8 Comments

I love having a little boy and all the fun and hyperactivity it brings. But when I was pregnant, I was more inspired to make crocheted baby blankets and booties than sew him clothes. Now that I’ve delved deeper into the sewing world, I’ve found some gorgeous little things to make him, but the rich spoils of the pattern universe are certainly reserved for little girls. Much like us women, little girls get the majority of the attention, and the same goes for in shops. Little boys clothes seemed (mostly) to comprise blue, nautical and foxes when I was looking for them, and it was one of the reasons I thought about taking up sewing, honestly. Continue reading “Monday Montage: Baby/kid sews” →