Highlights of the week

1. Patty shared some very good tips on photography. I know I need them!

2. Scalloped collar + bow? Yes, please! Charlotte, I'm jealous of this blouse!

3. Not only this dress by Oona is beautiful, but it's also inspired by an awesome Tv show.

4. An adorable bow tutorial by Mathilde... genius!

Sorry for the lack of posts, but uni is consuming all of my time. Next week I'll have my last lessons and a couple tests, after that I'll be able to get some serious sewing time. I miss it so much :'(

I wish you all the best weekend!

p.s. Yes, I changed the title for this weekly post. I really didn't like the other one. :)

The best of the week

Oops, late weekend roundup post!

We celebrated my boyfriend's birthday on thursday night and that resulted in too much alcohol and going to bed very late, so yesterday I was too busy licking my wounds to write a decent post. Sorry!

Anyway, here are my favorites:

1. This wedding gown by Leanne Marshall is pure art. Wow!

2. How cool are these cross-stitched Vogue magazine covers?

3. These fabric bucket by noodlehead are a grat idea for spring cleaning. You can find a link to the tutorial in her post.

Also, two new Colette patterns were released and I'm SO excited! You all know by know how much I love these patterns,  I think I'll buy them as soon as they'll be available in European shops.

Happy Easter to all!

Inspiration: Maryy

Yesterday I received Burdastyle's newsletter and I was so happy to read that Mari Koppanen is becoming a designer and that she's on the Finnish version of Project Runway. She's maryy on Burdastyle and you might have seen her creations already. I find them all stunning!

I remember seeing her clothes the first times I browsed through the site, about a couple years ago. Her use of lace and cute trims, peter pan collars, very high waisted skirts and her incredible sense of style, evident in each of her photos, have always inspired me a lot and made me wish to become a better sewist.

I'm really glad that such a talented girl is having what she deserves!

And now I'll leave you to the photos of her creations that I love the most. Enjoy!

Guest post at Vivat Veritas

This is an awesome way for me to start my week: there's a guest post written by yours truly at Vivat Veritas. It was such an honour for me to be on one of my favourite blogs!

Chie, thank you so much for having me!

Petite Fraise giveaway

Just a quick post to let you know about a giveaway at Petite Fraise Handmade. Head over to her blog to discover how to win this adorable necklace!
Good luck!

The best of the week + Stylish Blogger Award

This week I thought to change things up a bit, so here are three non-sewing related links:

1. A hair tutorial for a cute braided half-updo at Vivat Veritas.

2. Want to learn how to do fishtail braid? Here's a tutorial at Grosgrain.

3. How many talents does Casey have? I really wish I could make jewellery as nice as this necklace!

Lorena from Elloh Handmade has kindly nominated me for the Stylish Blogger Awards... Thanks!

So here are 7 facts about me:

1. I'm in a relationship and I live with my boyfriend, Alessandro. 

2. I used to play the piano. I hated my teacher so much that I lost all my love for this instrument after 5 years of study.

3. Being a translation student makes it impossible for me to go to the cinema. Movies are dubbed here and I always manage to find translation mistakes when I watch a film, so I can't focus on anything else. Terrible.

4. Last year I started growing my hair after a horrible haircut and I've since used only natural products on it. I also regularly dye it with henna, which makes it a lot stronger.

5. If I'd ever decided to live abroad, my first two choices would be Edinburgh and Paris. I ADORE those cities.

6. I spend way too much money on makeup. Last year, I started to be more interested in it and now I'm kind of obsessed.

7. Although I have a girly taste in clothes, I like rough music. I like metal, hard rock and melodic hardcore. Not many people expect this from me!

I nominate Sarah, Merylu, Ai and Fer to do the same! :)

Happy weekend, guys!

Burda 05/2011

Gosh, time is really flying by... It's mid-April and I feel like March just passed in a heartbeat.

Anyway, time for a new Burda: I promise this time I won't complain as much as the last one, also because I spotted something that is already on my to do list:

I just can't resist a peter pan collar! I'll try to find a good fabric for it before the beginning of May, so that I'll be able to start this dress as soon as the issue gets in my mail.

The fact that I'm attracted to this is yet another comfirmation that I really want a shirt dress. I need to choose a pattern and a fabric and get this desire off my chest.

I'm also drawn to these pants, but after trying a couple RTW pleated pants, I'm almost ready to resign to the fact that they're just not right for my figure. I have wide hips and drawing more attention to them is not the best idea... Maybe I'll make a muslin before giving up the idea forever.

All the three pattern that I chose are from the Retro issue. Did you notice too that Burda is putting one in almost every single issue now? Why do you think they do?

Let me know if you are looking for something in particular in this issue!

Pay it Forward 2011 Follow Up

Look what I got this weekend in the mail! It's nette's package and it was full of goodies: an adorable small bag (the handstitched cording detail is so sweet), a brooch (which arrived in one piece, YAY!), a stunning embroidered mirror, chocolate and an hello kitty charm. I also get to keep the cute metallic box (I collect them).

Can we do this every month? It felt like Christmas when I opened the package!

Fun fact: my mother is now officially your fan, Nette! She doesn't know any girl about my age who sew, so when I explained her where this bag came from, she was amazed (the cording really conquered her).

As far as my gifts are concerned, I have Ai's address (and your package will be sent soon, I promise!), but Emily, lathelize and Jollypaper still haven't sent me their addresses. Please get in touch with me using the email listed in my profile!

The best of the week

1. Patty nevers stops amazing me. Check the details on this skirt!
2. Esther's photos are always as beautiful as her garments.
3. Oona's dress is so cute!
4. You know I have a soft spot for vintage, so I had to include this beauty made by Jessica.

Spring is here! Actually, there's a heat wave going on and it feels like summer. It's too hot for April, hopefully the weather will calm down soon.
Have a great weekend! I'm preparing something quite nice for my blog...

Evan Rachel Wood in L.A. Magazine

I am eagerly watching (and making Italian subtitles for) the HBO miniseries Mildred Pierce, and I'm impatient for Evan Rachel Wood to enter the story. I like her very much and these photos are stunning. I love the vintage feel of this shoot and I think she was born for this kind of look.

You can read her interview here.

 

Little blue riding hood

How original: I made another dress from one of Colette Patterns! This time I used the Macaron pattern and it wasn't my first time, so I managed to whip it up in about three-four hours.

This time I used a black knit and a lightweight blue cotton which is supposed to be, once again, a Valentino fabric (that's what I was told by the lovely lady who sold it to me for a very good price).

Anyway, designer fabric or not, I love it! I think I could make a dozen dresses from this pattern and wear them all year long. They are extremely comfortable to wear, yet very feminine and flattering.

A big thank you to my friend Ilaria, who told me that these photos have a Little Red Rigind Hood feel to them... I liked her comment so much that it became the title of this post.

Lately, I feel very inspired by these woods that surround my parents' house, so you'll probably see them often!

I probably shouldn't post this last photo because I look very silly, but while I was shooting, my dog was running around acting funny... For those of you who have dogs, do they ever slide on their ass? Mine does it a lot and every time I can't stop laughing!

The best of the week

Hello there!

What a nice week it was for me! I was on the front page of both Etsy and Burdastyle for the first time this week. It was a thrill! Seeing some love for my creations feels really rewarding.

Now, for links:

1. A beautiful vintage playset at Sew I Thought.

2. A cute and easy idea for a spring dress at Adventures in Dressmaking.

3. A beautiful version of the Lady Grey pattern at Boo Dogg and Me. This pattern still intimidates me a bit, but I keep seeing it turning up beautifully, so I'll definitely tackle it some day!

4. Félicie knitted this sweater and made the skirt as well... Great job!

Happy weekend everyone!