sencha blouse

Continuing my Colette addiction, I made the Sencha blouse. The only alteration I made was to take it in a bit at the waist. I wish these pictures were better, the fabric actually has a pale green in it that is hard to see here. This was a nice, simple pattern and I look forward to wearing the blouse. (When it's a bit warmer!)

colette beignet skirt

I finally made another Colette pattern, this lovely high-waisted skirt called beignet. I had some sizing problems again, had to take it in a bit. Other than that, I really enjoyed making it. I took the pattern's suggestion to make bound buttonholes, with the help of this great tutorial. The fabric is Heather Ross for Kokka, I believe. It is a lightweight canvas, which is a little stiff but works ok for this pattern. The sweet vintage buttons I found at Soutache suit the skirt well, I think. Might make another in a smaller size and a lighter fabric a well.

colette chantilly #2

This is the second version of the Colette Chantilly dress that I made. I went 2 sizes down this time, but it was still too big! I think I have to take it in around the bust a little more, but I still think it is a very nice pattern and a pretty dress. I just wish the sizes worked better for me.

horsie dress

Finished the Colette Chantilly dress with the horsie cotton lawn, yay! I did find it somewhat frustrating however, as the size I made was WAY too big, even though the measurements listed for that size matched mine. I had to take it in quite a bit, which was annoying because it is fully lined. I think it would have looked better if I had just made a smaller size to begin with. Next time I try this pattern I think I will go down 2 sizes. Also, I think the lining I used was a little too bulky, will go with the thinnest possible next time. I did find a couple of mistakes in the pattern. First, you need to make sure you leave the seam open for the zipper on the same side for the top and skirt of the dress...the illustration on p. 12 is misleading. Also, Step 2 on p. 6 seems to be superfluous. Other than that, I liked the way the pattern was made into a little book. It was clear to read, well-illustrated, and even had an index in the back. I would definitely try another Colette pattern, keeping in mind the sizing issue.

dresses

I just finished this little purple silk dress. I originally intended to wear it to a wedding until I found out the bridesmaids were wearing purple. Oops! Opted for red instead. It aint perfect, but it has been a long time since I made a dress (half-assed Halloween costumes aside), so I'm somewhat proud of its completion. Now I want to make more dresses!

Have been eying these gorgeous Colette patterns online for a while, and yesterday I finally picked one; "Chantilly." I couldn't choose between two fabrics at The Needle Shop, so I bought both! The tiny horsey one was a bit cheaper (due to a misprint), so I'll do that one first.

Both are lightweight cotton lawn, perfect for summer. I'd better get sewing before it gets cold again!