Pattern Overview

Cat's Cradle (+ give away)


SewingPortfolios.com gave me the opportunity to work with gorgeous Michael Miller fabric from the Cat's Cradle line.
The whole line has been fairy dusted with golden metallic details. 
Can you already see those stars reflected in the eyes of a little girl?

The Team members got to sew a few projects with full creative freedom. The only true limit to my creativity was my daughter's taste. She loved both Starbrites right away, but the Love Lines don't feature her favorite colors. 
That means I got to keep that one for myself: YAY!

I chose to work with free patterns. With these, you can make totally free projects if you are the lucky winner of the fabric give-away!
(at the end of this post)

Starbrite navy: fancy gathered skirt



I used a Dutch tutorial by Seija to make this gathered skirt. The pattern for a gathered skirt like this is pretty simple.
Cut one or 2 rectangles with the desired length (+ seam and hem allowance) and you're done! If you choose to get a full skirt like the one 1 made, you need 2 times the fabric width. All that's left is gathering, stitching it together and hemming. A very easy project, but fabric like this does not ask for fancy patterns. There is enough star quality in there to let even the most simple projects shine!


I'll posting on fancy gathered skirts in a few days, to explain how to get a non itching seam at the elastic and nicely finished hem. I finished this skirt with bias binding on the inside. My test skirt had a less prominent fabric, so I worked with piping on that one.

With all the golden bling, the skirt fits in any starlet's closet. 
My daughter is no fan of woven tops, so I added a little wink to the Love Lines on a plain white T-shirt.

I got one more starbrite sample (aqua). I'll be making a dress with that one, so stay tuned if you want to get a look at more Cat's Cradle fun. With the weather being so rainy the last few days, it looks like I missed my window for a summer dress though.


Love Lines: Fynn bag


Cat's Cradle has 2 versions of Love Lines. I got lucky and got my favorite: the blue and gold one.
I love it. My daughter did not like it, so it was ALL MINE!
Those fragile lines are pretty just the way they are, but they were challenging me to step beyond that.
I saw a chevron in my mind and looked for a pattern to match that vision.

I chose another free pattern by Fynn. She's a Belgian sewing book author (Mijn Tas & Mijn Designertas). As far as I know the books have not been translated in English, but the pictures are so detailed you probably won't even need a translation. Check out her free tutorial and pattern here for a sample of the detail.

The original Fynn-bag has a flap with rounded corners that didn't go well with the chevron, so i tweaked it a little. Cutting the chevron was more challenging than I had anticipated. Those narrow lines between the gold and the navy broad ones are the same on both sides. So it's not just mirroring the pattern piece. I took me a quite a while to figure out how to make the lines match. I went with the very scientific  methode of "trial and error". Basically you draw the line pattern on one of the paper pattern pieces and try different directions until you get the match you are looking for.
Making the incisions for the magnetic snap button in the finished flap was pretty terrifying.

I used Vilene H640 on the outer fabric for softness and Decovil light on the lining for a firmly standing purse. I added a zipper pouch on the inside to hold my phone and little lanyard for my keys.
This bag is definitely an addition to my GUTA challenge.

Did you notice the little bright stars hiding in the pocket?

Do you want to get opportunities like this one too?
Visit SewingPortfolios.com !
The website is completely free and you get so many opportunities there to show your sewing skills.

Are you more interested in this line of fabric in particular?
Hurry up and get some entries in the Rafflecopter giveaway (hosted by SewingPortofolios.com)
One lucky winner will get every print in this collection!

EDIT: I moderate the comments on this blog to filter out spam. I may also be asleep on the other end of the ocean, not moderating, so be patient if your comment does not show right away ;-) If you experience any other problems in commenting, please just inbox me on FB/instagram. I'll see what I can do to help.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

As always:
If you want to have a look at what I'm working on or want to be kept in the loop for new blogposts, please like my facebookpage or follow me with instagram /bloglovin.

45 comments:

Ilse said...

Love your creations!

Shelby said...

So great! I especially love the bag with the hidden print in the pocket. It's the little details that make things special.

Unknown said...

I love the gold contrast on the skirt! So cute!

Michelle Zeedyk said...

That bag is amazing!!!

Michelle Zeedyk said...

That bag!!!!

Bomblesandmookin said...

I love the bag!

Katie said...

Nathalie I really enjoyed reading your post and I love your daughters skirt in the blue, I am thinking of making on for my niece for her birthday!

quilter said...

Very pretty, thanks for sharing and the giveaway!
cork@pa.rr.com

Unknown said...

mooooi! Toch maar eens een tas maken! De jouwe is prachtig!

JUstmIE said...

Ooh wauw, heel mooie naaisels en wat een leuke stofjes. Zou fijn zijn om hier mee aan de slag te gaan!

Moriah said...

Very pretty stars. ❤️ That bag!

Jodi said...

Oh Nathalie you must have felt like you won the lotto when you found out you'd be receiving this Michael Miller fabric. The Cat's Cradle range looks fantastic for the tweens who are getting a bit old for overly feminine florals. I adore the love lines design and I can't believe you made that bag from a free pattern, it looks great!

TheCraftingFiend said...

TOTALLY gorgeous work!I'm really loving that little metallic shimmer in the fabric!

Rhonda said...

Love the Starbrite skirt!

Chaney said...

The bag is fantastic!

Unknown said...

Such gorgeous fabric, but Wow....that bag is amazing and your daughter is so amazing too!

Luks said...

Love the skirt on your girl and that bag is fantastic!

GranChris said...

I love the bag and the skirt. Jmikebalou (at) aol (dot) com

She Who Sews said...

Oh the bag is just to die for! You're inspiring me to sew for myself more often :)

Kendra said...

LOVE this fabric.

SGT said...

Oh I love this fabric! I want a skirt like that for ME! Beautiful!

Lene said...

Nice bag!

Melinda said...

Everything is Gorgeous! Love the fabric, Love the bag Love the skirt!!

Noortje said...

Wow!! I Love what you've done with this fabric! ❤️

Anonymous said...

I just love the chevron on the purse. Thank you for a new resource of the Belgium designer. Love your Blog am now following you. Michelle Brown

Elizabeth said...

Beautiful fabric and skirt ❤️❤️

Nathalie V said...

cool!

SienV said...

I love the bag and these fabrics are truly amazing!

fenna said...

the bag looks fantastic!

Ellen said...

I love this bag!!!

Unknown said...

Allebei prachtig!!

granny said...

love that skirt! and all the little stars!

Unknown said...

Die tas is leuk! Je hebt de stof mooi door laten lopen op de flap ��

Crystal A said...

What a stellar fabric collection - I NEED this in my life!

Sew Rumba said...

Wooooo!!!!

Kerri said...

Really loving the skirt!!!

Neil and Lorelei said...

Love the blue fabrics and the bag!!Nice work!

Anonymous said...

That bag is the bee's knees!

Marica said...

LOVE IT!! Can't wait to see the tutorial as I will be sewing a few fall skirts for my daughter!

Unknown said...

I love your bag!

Unknown said...

Would love to win the fabric, as I neeeeeed to make this bag.

Nathalie V said...

It will be hard for you to win if you don't leave a name ...

a said...

o supermooi, zowel de tas als het rokje. Prachtige stofjes

Unknown said...

Super cute! Love the gold elastic! Perfect :)

Unknown said...

Love all of these makes, especially the bag!

Post a Comment