Exciting news today... Sally from Charity Shop Chic has launched a new range of PDF sewing patterns! I've followed Charity Shop Chic for a few years now and been constantly blown away by Sally's amazing refashioning skills; transforming ginormous men's shirts and sad looking grandma dresses into high fashion garments that look like they've just jumped off the pages of Vogue. She's finally put her impressive pattern drafting skills to good effect and created her first collection: Capital Chic Patterns. The difficulty levels of the patterns ranges from intermediate to advanced, perfect for those looking to move on from sewing beginner styles. Techniques such as using boning, French seams and machine-rolled hems are explained in detail, so they also offer a great way to improve your sewing repertoire.
The six designs in the collection (two skirts, two dresses, one blouse and one sweatshirt) focus on work wear, cocktail wear and day-to-night looks and are inspired by the catwalk, red carpet fashion and London street style. Now I've got to be honest, my default mechanism for clothing inspiration is vintage rather than high fashion inspired. Plus, I don't require a work wardrobe, so a lot of the patterns don't really work for my personal lifestyle. BUT, the pattern designs have lovely clean lines (which I like) and excellent attention to detail (which I also like) and there's one pattern in particular that's taken my fancy - the Bellini blouse.
Bellini is a loose fitting, cap sleeved blouse with either a cutaway or scalloped collar. It features bias-bound armholes, a machine rolled hem and French seams throughout. The thought of making a classic blouse with a beautiful finish really appeals to me. If I choose my fabric carefully (lightweight wovens are recommended) then I can see this being an ideal dressmaking project for autumn. I also have a gap in my wardrobe for smart tops to wear with jeans or slim trousers in the evening and I think Bellini fits the bill perfectly.
The patterns currently come in five sizes, from UK 10 to UK 18 - a wider size range may be available later in the year, depending on demand. Further information and a closer look at all the patterns can be found here. A great deal of time and hard work has gone into developing this new line and I really hope Sally's new venture does well. Cheers! x