Inspiration - Marie Antoinette

I love, love, LOVE Sofia Coppola movies, the few that there are. Visually, they are so soft and feminine and filled with pretty pastels. I took a break from sewing yesterday and watched my favorite Sofia Coppola movie, Marie Antoinette. This one takes the cake, quite literally, as the most lavish and decadently rich in color. From the amazing costumes, hair and make-up, to the incredible, over the top mix of pattern, texture and color of the decor, it's really hard not to get inspired by this film.

Being half way through my first month of sewing projects, I have already started to plan out my next round of patterns based on what's been inspiring me. I obviously haven't finalized anything yet for we are still a few weeks away, but I am thinking it is going to be full of pretty dresses in colors and patterns inspired by Marie Antoinette. I can tell you for sure that I will be doing Ceylon, Peony and Cinnamon, and hopefully I will find some great, feminine fabrics to make them with.

So that's all I have for now, just wanted to share a little of my excitement with you. Please feel free to share what inspires you or any ideas you may have about the way the project is going, the feedback that I have been getting is great, keep it coming. Have a great weekend everyone and I will see you back here Monday for Pastille!

Week Two - Finished Truffle

Ok, so this time I was super good and made a muslin of the bodice and discovered that of course it was to big in the shoulders and armholes. This was the same problem I had with Violet for which I used the pivot method to alter the pattern. I didn't want to go this route this time because the shoulder seams are already pretty narrow and I didn't want to loose any more width to them. Instead, I pinched and pinned about an inch and a quarter down from the shoulder to make a new shoulder seam, I then transferred these changes onto the paper pattern and cut the real dress. This pulled up the armhole and the waist and fixed the fit problem. This was a very simple alteration and resulted in a much better fit for me.

You'll have to forgive my tired eyes and messy hair in this picture, I had just come home from my morning dog walking shift at the Humane Society. I also bought a new camera today and haven't quite worked out all the settings yet, but there will be more pictures to come when I do.

My sewing machine HATED this fabric, I used some sort of poly-blend I got from the thrift store, it has a very slippery and clingy texture. I used the right needle and thread tension but for some reason my stitches kept getting skipped. Most of my seams had to be done twice just to be safe, but that was the only annoying part of the whole project. I also sewed it a bit differently than the pattern instructions, I attached the lining to the bodice and pulled it right side out BEFORE attaching the skirt. I just found this to be a little easier with less fabric to pull through.

I really liked this pattern, I can see this as being a classic dress pattern to build off of. I've already thought of sewing it with different necklines and drapes, establishments and with full linings. The possibilities are really endless with this pattern.

It's starting too get cold here in these parts and the fabric I made my Truffle from is a bit light. I'm now on the lookout for the perfect cardigan to pair it with before I wear it out.

So that's it for this week, two very simple patterns makes for a nice and easy week. Next week will be more challenging, I am working with two dress patterns (Pastille and Licorice) where fit is absolutely crucial. I predict I will spending a lot of time making muslins to get them just right. 

Guess What I Got

Today I got the rest of the Colette Patterns collection that I had ordered. Now I have the Complete Colette!

Yippee!

Week Two - Finished Meringue

I have completed my second project today by finishing up my Meringue. This was a breeze to make, I really enjoyed it and I think the finished skirt looks great. I think I got the scallops near perfect and the fit is great!

I made it from a really silky grey linen so there are some wrinkles in it that just won't come out, but I think it adds to it. I decided to add a small bow at the waist to give the skirt one more point of interest. All I did to create this was sew a tube about 12 inches long by 1.5 inches wide, turned it right side out and pressed the seam to the center. Then I tied a knot at both ends and attached it to the skirt with a straight stitch down the center of the tie. Tie it into a bow and I'm done!

This was the first time I had sewn a catchstitch by hand to complete a hem. I love it! I know it is a very simple thing to do but I love the results and found it to be nearly invisible and very relaxing.

Nobody was around to take a photo of me in my new skirt today, so this picture will have to do for now until later in the week, but you get the idea. This is my new favorite pattern and my new favorite skirt!

I also wanted to let you know that I have decided to sew Pastille this month instead of Taffy. I was at the thrift store this weekend and came across this beautiful, silky green cotton that would be just perfect and I really want to use it for the holidays. So my plan for next week has changed from Taffy and Licorice to Pastille and Licorice, I will do Taffy at a later date.

That's it for now, on to Truffle! See you soon!

Week Two - Meringue and Truffle

We are on the second week of the challenge. The projects to sew are Meringue and truffle. I got a head start   on Meringue on Friday afternoon, cutting out the pieces and doing some of the construction. All I have left to finish it off is installing the zipper and hemming it, and I hope to do that today. Then on to Truffle, which I am hoping to get done by Wednesday. Happy sewing everyone and I will see you back here soon for an update!

Week One - Finished Violet

I am not accustomed to making muslins, I only ever thought they were used for things like coats and wedding dresses, and not for everyday garments like skirts and Violet blouses. I think you know where I am going with this. I made my black silk blouse with lace collar and side pleats only to discover after finishing it that my shoulders are too narrow. Unfortunately for me that was all the silk I had so my new Violet blouse will be graciously donated to a friend of mine with slightly broader shoulders. I still really like it though and think it will look great on her.

However, I wasn't going to let this put a damper on my first project, after all this is a learning process and I've learned my lesson - make muslins.

As I see it, this was really a great excuse to make myself another one in this great maroon, mini polka dot cotton I had lying around. I made a muslin and found my shoulders to be 1.5cm narrower. So, using the slash and pivot technique, I re-traced my pattern and using this helpful video, I narrowed the shoulders of the front and back shirt pieces by 1.5 cm.

The finished Violet is a thousand times better! I love it! I decided with the remake that I would keep it simple with the plain collar and no tucks and now that I have the pattern altered to fit my shape, I can start experimenting with different variations.

The best part of Violet is that is only takes a few hours to make so whenever you have an evening free, it's easy to whip one up for the next morning. All and all, it is a pretty great pattern with lots of room to experiment. I'm already thinking of the fabrics and details to make for my nest one! 

Week One - Violet

Good morning everyone, it is November first and The Complete Colette sewing challenge has begun. We are starting with Violet, this is a beginner pattern so I am hoping to have completed mine by the end of the day. I have decided to do variations to the blouse which were tutorialed on Coletterie - tucks and a lace collar.

Hope you guys are all set to start sewing Violet and I will see you back here later for an update.