Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Colette Patterns: The Sencha Blouse and the Beignet Skirt

One look at the beautifully styled website and you too will want to try a Colette pattern. Well-designed, lovely instruction books that are helpful for the most novice sewer, and easy to fit (lots of seams in convenient places).

First I sewed up the Sencha blouse. I quickly took it off, though, to carve out a deeper neckline. No high necks here, can't take them. But it was an easy alteration, and I ditched the facing for a simple bias binding on the edge. I used a vintage cotton fabric with big dots in great colors--I suspect it dates from the 1940s, found it in the thrift shop. It's a little crisp for this pattern and does stand away from my back in a blousy way, but oh well!


Vintage turquoise buttons, of course. If you do make this in the soft fabric the patterns calls for, you should interface the button area for sure.


Next up: the Beignet skirt. Big success! I wanted a sleeker skirt line than the actual pattern design, so I decided not to do the many buttons down the front (not that they're not cute. They're cute). Instead I subtracted the overlap in the front and made the two front centers into one piece, then split the center back piece and added in a seam allowance for an invisible zipper.


The skirt is made from a medium-weight linen purchased at the thrift store in the form of an extra-large muumuu! Lucky me. And lined with a quilting cotton. So there's a lot of heft there, which makes it hang very nicely.


Though this skirt goes together sensibly and smoothly, it is heavily engineered, and I mean that as a compliment. The waist is high and fitted, the belt loops add further structure, and so does the belt. The result is the most comfortable, posture-enhancing skirt I've ever put on--and though it has such a slim line, without a slit, it doesn't constrict my stride. How is that? Snaps to Colette!

15 comments:

Xenia Kathryn said...

Who knew muumuus had such potential? :) Looks great!!

~katie~ said...

Beautiful!! And again ~ love the polka dots! :-)

Trudy said...

It turned out beautifully.

Hana - Marmota said...

I love that site. And I wish I could sew up at least one of her patterns (probably the Oolong dress!), but I don't have means for buying online. So I only covet the site, and now your creations.

JMS said...

I love this outfit especially the skirt. The colour and shape are gorgeous.

Julie in Australia

Anonymous said...

My goodness, you're so talented with the fabric and alterations that it seems like you could put out your own line of patterns with the idea in mind that we all need to tweak them a bit.

Rain said...

Very cute! I love them both. Those polka dots are great.

Anonymous said...

I do not sew. I have absolutely NO idea what you're talking about most the time. But I still just.love.your.blog. I really do.

Shelley said...

I wonder, given that you can sew this well, did you actually need the skirt pattern at all? Looks great.

Jenny said...

I love your new outfit! I've had my eye on the Macaron pattern by Colette, but since I'm losing weight now, I sort of hate to put a lot of time into something that won't fit for long.
~Jenny~

Beth said...

How cute! I'm starting to think about warm-weather clothing, since I'm moving to a very, very warm location for a year. I'll tuck this in the back of my head for inspiration later...

Hana - Marmota said...

And, by the way... has anyone here ever complimented you on your hairstyle? Because I love your hairstyle. On you. It goes perfectly well together with the light and cheery feeling this blog always gives me.

Anna said...

Thanks, Hana!

kristen said...

Lovely! A Garnet Hill catalog came in the mail today, and one dress made me think of you and the older girls: the Voile Jardin dress. I bet you look lovely in plum-colored things... and your dress (if you made one like that) would be less expensive, and more modest!

Anonymous said...

Thanks for sharing this lovely pattern company with us!! Just lovely!

- Krystle

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