French Sewing bee

Hi there!
It’s been a while! I must confess that I didn’t do much sewing over the summer as I spent a few weeks travelling in the States. It was incredible!
Anyway, since I’ve come back a month ago, I have watched an interesting TV show called ‘Cousu main’ (“handsewn “). It’s a French programme on amateur sewing and even though I was intrigued by it, I have to say that it’s pretty much like the British Sewing Bee. I still watch it as I enjoy it but I dreamt of a more original approach. If you want to make your own opinion, here is a link to the first episode…it’s in French!
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=djLRE6wJZes
Seeya!

Beach trousers

Hello everybody!
Getting ready for the beach? Here’s a good way to start preparing your trip to the sea/swimming pool/lake: make beach trousers! I used a Vogue pattern 2426.

It is pretty straight forward so it will only take you a few hours to complete it.

I used some of the remaining fabric to make a head band. I expect high temperatures this summer 😉

Have you as well made some summer outfits recently? Please share your projects ☺

Voilà l’été!

It’s officially summer, so today, I’d like to share a very easy and fun project that I’ve made to brighten up my garden: fabric bunting! I actually got the idea from this website http://www.boho-weddings.com/2013/09/23/diy-tutorial-fabric-bunting/ (can’t remember how I ended up there though, as I am not getting married). And here is the result:

      

My advice is to contemplate your bunting with a fresh mojito 😉

 

 

Floral top for the summer

Hello dear readers!

I have been enjoying the sunshine recently and have sewn less 😦 But one of my latest projects was to use the lovely floral fabric purchased at Leon’s and make a summery top out of it. I loved the tropical vibe of the print and thought that the lightweight fabric would be very comfortable in the heat (yes, it can be hot in Manchester 😉

But, what I didn’t realize was the fact that the fabric could be kind of tricky to handle. Luckily, Pauline helped me out  and we managed to tame the slippery fabric. What do you reckon?

Funky project: Owl napkins

Hi there! I don’t know if some of you bought the first edition of Love Sewing magazine but I did and found many sources of inspiration in it.One of the project which caught my attention was the owl napkins.

So, I decided to give it a go and here is the result:

I also made a matching plain table runner.

Which owl is your favourite? Isn’t difficult to pick one?

Spontaneous pencil skirt

Hi there! Today, I’d like to share one of my latest projects that I’ve made using remaining curtain fabric which had been given to me. My original plan was to sew a circle skirt following this tutorial: http://www.brettbara.com/how-to/book-video-how-to-sew-a-one-hour-skirt/But for some reason, the skirt ended up being ‘slightly’ different! (did I mention that I am still a beginner?) To be honest, I actually quite like the result. Of course, it’s not perfect,  like the fact that I used an elastic for the waistband. It’s easy and convenient, but does it look great? One good thing about this project is that you can recycle some fabric and make a skirt out of it! Isn’t that super green? What do you think?

Liebster award

Hi there!

I am so pleased to have been nominated for a Liebster Award by my fellow blogger Navybluethreads! It is such an honour! Thank you so much http://navybluethreads.wordpress.com! Check out her sewing blog and be inspired by her delightful and gorgeous projects.

Navybluethreads asked me a few questions and my aim is to answer those as accurately as possible. I’ll share the answers with you.

1-2. when and why did you catch the sewing bug?

It all happened in September 2013 when after purchasing some African wax print fabric in Paris, I decided to start sewing a skirt for myself. I think it happened quite randomly, I never intended to sew before and it wasn’t my girl’s dream either. But as soon as I started, I really enjoyed the feeling it creates and I loved the peaceful atmosphere while sewing. It also helps to switch off and I realised that  while sewing, I didn’t think about anything else.

3. who infected you?

Pauline my mother-in-law infected me. She is a highly talented sewer and she also trains students to become Design technology teachers. She is very patient with me and explains everything very clearly. I’ve now started to be more autonomous but I still have so much to learn from her! The only thing I fear is that my kitchen (where I sew) gets like her attic (where she sews)!

4. which handmade item are you most proud of?

My first ever handmade item was the skirt I mentioned above. It still remains the sewing project I am the most proud of because I was amazed by the transformation through the sewing process. And I did it! Me!

5. and lastly what’s your favourite sewing soundtrack?

I listen to all kinds of music when I sew but recently, I’ve been listening to William Tyler’s album ‘Impossible truth’ and to Elvis! Nothing in common except the fact that they make me sew!

Now, I’d like to pass the award to fellow bloggers who deserve to be known.I’d like to nominate

http://bellaraeblaze.wordpress.com/ for her creative blog

http://wanderingchickblog.wordpress.com/ for her happy wandering

http://ellerali.wordpress.com/ for her inspiring posts

http://fromoldjeans.wordpress.com/ for all the great projects around old jeans

http://jillybeanjar.wordpress.com/ for the beautiful crafty items she makes

If you’re willing to accept the award, the rules here, are copied from Barbara Jane’s blog:

Thank the person who gave you the award, linking back to that person’s blog. Copy and paste the Liebster award to your own profile.  Answer the 5 questions your nominator asked. Pick 5 blogs you feel deserve to be noticed (they have to have under 200 followers). Ask them 5 questions. Let your nominees know they have been chosen by leaving a comment on their blog.

Here are my 5 questions for the nominees:

1. How did you come to sew?

2. What inspires you?

3. What do you like about sewing?

4. What advice would you give to somebody who wanted to start sewing?

5. What do you like to listen to while sewing?

How I refashioned my Mac

Last week I was starting to put my spring/summer clothes back into my wardrobe when I discovered my old Mac in the middle of the pile of clothes. I must say that it didn’t appeal to me anymore and I thought it was a bit ‘passé’. I used to wear it in my young professional years in Paris (not that I am very old now 😉 ).

So, I decided to give it a funkier style and refashioned it. I had seen examples of a similar revamp on a blog http://entreveilleetserendipite.wordpress.com/2014/04/08/une-floraison-de-bouton-ou-comment-relooker-un-manteau/  and in the fabulous Liberty book – which I can only recommend as it is full of beautiful creative projects with Liberty fabrics.

For this refashion, I needed self cover buttons, some small pieces of fabric (for the buttons) and a bigger piece for the belt (in my case, I needed a 65 inches long/ 4 inches wide piece).

And here is the result:

 

So, what do you think?

African wax prints

    

African wax prints are very appealing to me, I buy them when I am in Paris in the Goutte D’Or area. I love everything about these prints: the patterns, the bright colours. And it’s a very easy fabric to work with. My first ever skirt and my first wrap dress were made out of African wax print fabrics. And you, are you also fond of this fabric?

 

workstation

Here is my current workstation, on the kitchen table. Who said you need an extra room for sewing? I chose this spot because of the light it provides. And the view over the garden.