Spotlight: Colette Patterns

Clara of Clazzerati prompted this post with her comment on my Sorbetto Surprise. You see, Claz has apparently never heard of Colette Patterns (I know, right!) and was wondering where to look for patterns. For those out there who also don't know Colette Patterns, these are the patterns you've probably been looking for.

Colette Patterns was created by Sarai. She's produced a range of beautifully packaged, easy to follow patterns that allow the user to create gorgeous clothes. The Coletterie, the blog for the site, is stuffed full of tutorials, tips and tricks and lovely pictures. Commercial patterns can be purchased from the shop, however Sarai has also designed some free patterns that are available for download from The Coletterie.

Not content with just some amazing patterns, Sarai has written a book on sewing (complete with patterns) available for pre-order from Amazon in the UK and US and she's currently running a sew-a-long on The Coletterie. She took a few minutes out to answer some questions for me:

Who are you?

My name is Sarai Mitnick, and I'm the creator behind Colette Patterns, an independent sewing pattern company. I live in Portland, Oregon with my husband, who manages the customer service and operations for the company, and my two darling felines.

How would you describe Colette Patterns to someone who doesn't know it?

I'd describe it as a boutique sewing pattern company that specializes in feminine, timeless styles. Style-wise, they definitely have some classic vintage inspiration, but in a very wearable, modern direction. We're also known for having great instructions and lots of additional tutorials and fun stuff on our blog, The Coletterie.

What inspired you to do what you do?

I've been sewing since I was a teen, but I was always disappointed by the offerings from the big pattern companies. It wasn't even necessarily the design choices that were available, but I didn't understand why the instructions had to be so complicated and cheaply produced.

My background is in User Experience; in other words, designing products that are usable and pleasurable. I thought it would be great to create a sewing pattern that would be fun and inspiring to use rather than confusing.

Where do you get your inspiration?

It comes from everywhere, really. I've always loved vintage, and lately I've been especially into the styles of the 1960s. I love a really simple sort of glamour, beautiful without being overdone.

But I also pay attention to modern fashion, and I particularly love seeing what real women are wearing in their daily lives. I love seeing the character of real people shine through in their own personal style. The development of so many street style blogs has been awesome to watch, it's really inspiring.

Finally, I'd say I'm hugely inspired by color. That can come from anywhere: art, nature, fabric, anything. Color ideas really motivate me creatively.

How do you push through design/ sewing fatigue?

I don't really get design fatigue, I don't think. And I'm lucky enough to have my assistant designer, Caitlin. She helps me do a lot of the daily sewing and sample making and tutorial development for the blog.

A bigger problem for me is having too many ideas and not enough time to implement them all. This can feel really discouraging and overwhelming sometimes. Keeping my ideas and projects organized really helps with that. I have a list of projects that I want to work on and try to stick to it, so I don't get overwhelmed with potential project ideas.

What's the most useful sewing tip you've ever been given?

It's not just relevant to sewing, but the adage "go slow to go fast" really applies. Rushing through sewing projects just doesn't suit me at all. I've found so much more enjoyment from sewing since I stopped trying to make things as quickly as possible and skip over the "boring" parts, like making muslins.

What's your favourite thing you've ever made?

It has to be my wedding dress! I bought some imported Italian 4-ply silk in gold, and trimmed it in a pearl-beaded organza. It was such a luscious fabric to work with, and the dress felt just perfect for me. It's a real treat to work with high quality materials like that.

Thank you Sarai! You can follow Sarai on Twitter here, or Colette Patterns here. I highly recommend signing up for the Snippets newsletter on The Coletterie, full of useful tidbits and, of course, the patterns! Lots of fabulous choice, something to suit everyone.

Please note all pictures are (c) Sarai Mitnick/ Colette Patterns.

Thanks for stopping by,

Spotlight: Ulyana Sergeenko A/W 2011

I came cross the fourth picture on Pinterest (oh Pinterest, how I love thee!). If google translate's working properly I believe this is the first Autumn/ Winter collection for photographer/ stylist turned designer Ulyana Sergeenko, but it appears to have gone down well. A little unsurprisingly when you check out the photos below!

{ Source: Etoday }

I love the full length maxi skirts - actually, I just plain love everything. I think the colours and patterns are perfect for the coming Autumn/ Winter, the designs and styling are wonderfully retro, and the blogosphere appears to be sitting up and paying attention. I'll certainly be keeping an eye out for her future collections.

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Spotlight: Chronic Bitchface

I saw this ... erm, well I think it was on the Delightful Dozen blog a while back but I could be wrong. As soon as I saw it I started laughing hysterically and screaming yes, yes, yesyes like a bad Meg Ryan impression. Frankly I'm surprised it wasn't this that sparked the recent #randomshitmyhousematesays that Kay started tweeting this weekend but instead an inane comment followed by excited-by-cheese noises.

Beautifully illustrating a little known condition that affects more people than you'd probably realise, thanks Kristomatic, for making my day(s).

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Inspiration: Pastels & Photographs

Wow, we're barely in to 2011 and my attempts to post twice a week have already failed miserably. Thankfully, as I blog for pleasure and not money I have also decided not to beat myself up over this and just go with the flow, strike when inspiration, erm ... strikes and when TV boyfriends have better things to do than distract me with their siren calls.

When I first started pouring over magazines for decorating ideas for my house one of the many images I keep ripping out to keep were of rooms decorated in candy cane pastels. I love the colours, soft enough to be an impression rather than in your face. I love the timelessness of those colours and the hint of age they offer, perfect for a 19th century house. I keep forgetting those images in the face of so many other wonderful pictures portraying other things, right up until you get smacked in the face with them again and suddenly you're back on track.

Lola's Room on Etsy was that swift, open palmed smack that I can see now I was long overdue. And better yet, it's a British shop, the first I've managed to find on Etsy and a complete coincidence. I was searching for pictures of daffodils and wellington boots for a guest post I'm attempting to put together elsewhere on the interweb* and came across a blog that used photos from other sources to tell the story of their daily activities. As I scrolled down the page this photo caught my eye.

{ Source: Lola's Room }

I fell In Love. I immediately checked out the entire shop and have decided to purchase, well, everything. Once I've saved up, obviously. The above photo will go in my bedroom but I Have A Story To Tell would look great in my kitchen.

{ Source: Lola's Room }

I haven't decided what I'll put in my bathroom, but I'm definitely going to have to choose something. Possibly multiple somethings. For every room. Any suggestions or favourites?

* If it gets published I'll let you know

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Inspiration: Steam Punk

I'm not just a sci-fi geek, I'm also a lover of urban fantasy and steam punk has caught my imagination (and the rest of the world's particularly after Sherlock Holmes) with it's crazy mix of technology and cool Victorian outfits. My lovely friend, Ewa, sent me a link to Dawanda this morning because she's awesome and she knew I'd like it. Dawanda is continental Europe's version of Etsy and has lots of fabulous products available. They're currently running a Take A Trip Through Time promotion to highlight several items and a few caught my fancy.

Velvet Spatz

{ Source: MemiTheRainbow }
Available to purchase here

I just love these, if I could afford them right now I'd be buying myself a pair quick smart. Unfortunately I splashed out on several different fabrics and a new back door, although in fairness the door was off it's hinges so that was more a necessity. Still, a budget is a budget is a budget and all that! There are multiple colours to choose from listed in the shop and if anyone buys some then I want pictures please!

Button-Up Fingerless Gloves

{ Source: Vikki0908 }
Available to purchase here

Aren't these wonderfully feminine and delicate whilst being practical? I am in love with the little buttons and the ruffles. It stands to reason I want a pair of these too. And a pair in green, if she'd do that ....

Victorian Lace Cuff

{ Source: LavenderStudio }
Available to purchase here

I'm not a fan of jewellery, I don't like the way it clunks or restricts (I know, I promise I am a girl really). I have long, thin fingers and a tiny wrist, most rings and bracelets look too big and clumsy on me, even if I could get past the noise. But this, this is pretty and decorative and is fabric, what more could a girl want?

I should mention I'm not getting paid to post about these things, and this will hopefully become a more regular occurrence on the blog (the inspiration posts not the getting paid or the not getting paid as the case may be) as I have reams of links saved that I don't really refer back to often enough. Hopefully this will remind me!

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Spotlight: Twinwood 2010

... otherwise known as the Twinwood Experience.

Oh my, I can't believe it's taken me so long to babble and gush enthusiastically over Twinwood, the vintage festival held over August Bank Holiday weekend. Shame on me, I am such a slack tart!

This is going to be a picture heavy post, peeps, because frankly everyone there looked amazing ... apart from Best Gal Pal Jemma and I who felt decidedly out of place in modern clothing. I'm happy to report, however, that next year we will be dressing up!

Anyway, on to the good stuff!

A little over excited I made Jemma drive us to RAF Twinwood for 11am, in hindsight this was waaaaay too early as we then peaked too soon and ended up leaving at around 4pm. Ideally next year we'll get there just after lunch. Twinwood's all about the dancing, the bands don't kick off until 1pm and head on into the night so as you can plainly tell we missed out on quite a bit.

We found the air field with no trouble, it was quite a pleasant journey through Bedfordshire's rather flat countryside (a marked difference to Wales and felt very strange). We parked up in a big field, already squealing a little excitedly over the vintage bus we'd seen. Tickets in hand we wandered over to the tent at the entrance, following a rather dashing foursome in RAF uniforms and beautiful tea dresses.

We'd just missed the bus to the actual event but it was a short walk away and we decided to just wander over on foot instead. As you can see the bus driver, like all the staff, was very friendly (and a little loopy) and waved madly at us as he drove past.

The main arena was actually a natural arena, part of a hangar made up the stage and a small bowl in the hill formed the base where people were setting up camp chairs and picnic blankets. Around the edges, just before the sides started climbing rather steeply in places to the flat of the airfield, were vendor tents selling marvellous vintage and reproduction clothing, books, hats, shoes and knick knacks. And food, mucho mucho food. Randomly (and rather poetically I thought) our food tent choice turned out to be Welsh who gave us extremely delicious chocolate cake and coffee with a bright bore da and a twinkle.

We had a nose through the vendor tents, I tried on this cloche hat, what do you think?

I picked up a 1940's shirt pattern, Jemma bought a lovely brooch, and we spent an extraordinary amount of time just happily watching people wander past in the beautiful clothes (even the kids!) and pointing out the more fabulously costumed to each other.

I'd been gutted that I hadn't had a chance to make my dress or overalls in time for the festival, but Jemma had been very relieved to hear I wouldn't be dressing up. Thankfully that opinion changed within about two minutes of arriving and we were soon discussing potential costume ideas for next year within about 5 minutes of getting our coffee.

I'm not sure we could ever rival any of the below, but I hope we'll give it a damn good try!

Don't they look dashing?

We then wandered off to the vendor area, above the main arena and to the left of the woodland walk with its vintage armed forces vehicles and fire engine. There were a couple of hangars and sheds, one set up as the women's dorms (I was in love with the whole place).

Jemma and I both fell in love with this lady's dress, almost hidden in the corner of the fire engine hangar. What a fabulous blue! She looked stunning and we were both very envious.

Not finding anything of interest in the vendors tents we toddled off to the dance lessons tent to have a nose. Unfortunately we never managed to remember to get back to the dance lesson tent on time but whenever we did pop our head in it always looked like such amazing fun. And there were some brilliant couples giving it their all on the floor:

Convinced we'd seen everything we headed back to the main arena for another aimless wander and to check out the band that was about to start on the main stage (and get some more yummy food). The dance floors started filling almost as soon as the bands started playing.

It was about this time we realised we'd missed an entire section! Where was the other stage? Where was the Glenn Miller Museum? Where was the Tin Hat and the Officers Mess? Understandably we went wandering to find them.

And find them we did, a little further past the end of the vendors tent. Along with:

The prettiest of the lot! Well, almost. Because whilst rummaging around in one of the hangars displaying general stuff from the 40's a deep thruuum started vibrating through us, so deep you could feel it in your bones. This was what I'd been waiting for and I admit I squealed like a little girl and physically dragged Jemma and her camera outside.

With perfect timing the Lancaster bomber flew over the top of the hangar we'd just been in and circled back, directly overhead and repeated twice more. I love these planes. And when I say love, I mean I cried in happiness to see it. The Lanc is a four engined plane and was the plane that became known as the Dam Buster. It was primarily used in night bombing missions and was the most successful and famous of the WWII night bombers, but was it also a precision day bomber. It's engines are the same as those of the Spitfire (and are probably as big as my car) and the noise is something I'll never forget. This is the only Lancaster in the UK still flying, indeed there are apparently only two left in the world (the other is in Canada). Did I mention how much I love these planes?

The plane flew out of sight and still bouncing, we rounded the corner, following the music and found ourselves the 50's stage.

So that's where all the younger peeps had disappeared to! There were more people our age on this side of the festival than where we'd been hanging out earlier, and we'd been a little stumped over where everyone could possibly have gone. The dance floor here looked amazing, with everyone strolling in time, heads bobbing in perfect synchronicity. I'm going to get lessons so next year I can join in!

We had a wander around the Glenn Miller museum and a final nose through the stalls and then decided to call it a day. A little tired, a lot happy, we headed home. And yes, I dreamed of planes that night.

Please note all photographs are © Jemma Creaser and should not be used or linked to anywhere else. If you see yourself in a photo please let me know and if you'd like it removed drop me an email using the contact page.

Thanks for stopping by,