Hello Capital Chic

I stumbled across a new indie pattern.

Ya know, one of those that lets you download the pdf and print it while 'out' to lunch at your office.
These days it seem like every blogger on the planet is starting their own downloadable pattern co and very few of them get my attention, much less excite me enough to put down the Marfy catalog.
I resisted, for a few hours.  Yes, a few hours.

Maybe its the shades, but I fell hard for the Bellini

I totally trust Handmade by Heather, and she highly recommends them. She totally rocks the martini dress and the Bellini blouse (notice a trend?)  How can you not love chic clothes named after sip-worthy drinks.

Capital Chic is based in London and I'm quite a sucker for everything British!

Check out her stuff here.  Talk about getting in on the ground floor, she's been online since like June 26th.  I can tell you, this is a lady who didn't walk into this blindly, she's done her homework *for the most part*. I fell in love with this scrumptious navy silk charmeuse with white polka dots, and the simplicity of the Bellini is just perfect.

I heard the gasp, "silk charmeuse? new pattern company? NO MUSLIN?"  What a skeptic…

OK, I'm ever the analyst…
Measure twice, cut once

Finished Marfy 3512 and Bellini front

You certainly don't walk into this blindly.  Her size chart is quite clearly state here, and she provides the actual garment measurements in the pdf that you download.  According to her size chart, I'm a 16.  OK, I can take it, I'm a 16 (in the top).  Nobodies fault but mine, I can accept it.

The silhouette relatively matches Marfy 3512, so you simply compare.

Oh, you compare the finished garment, front to front, back to back.
As you can see, the shoulders which looked slopey at first follow the lines of one of my fave new silk blouses.

Note:  Capital Chic patterns come WITH seam allowance of 1.5 cm (or 5/8")


Look how close that shoulder line is.

Marfy 3512 and Bellini back

The waist follows closely, even the length seems to match closely. The Bust and waist measurement are stated on the pattern.  Size 16 is 40 1/2" Bust and 39" waist.

Hmmmh.

This looks so simple.  No sleeve cap to over-ease, collar can always be worn open if its too small.

Oh, and for those of you who are skeptics about the whole pdf pattern thing…

Capital Chic

I LOVE bias cut silk, but it requires either a whole pattern piece (not for cutting on the fold) or that you cut on the fold.  Cutting on the fold it a total PITA on the bias. (what's the French word for that?  it sounds like something that should be referred to in French)  It isn't very fabric efficient to begin with and when you have to piece and fold and double back its easy to run out of fabric before you run out of pattern.

Pdf patterns that can be printed twice solves this.  Just tape the two halves together t the fold line you you are free to layout single layer.  This would also help with matching stripes, plaids or border prints.

I did a quick read through of the pattern instructions and I like the fact that they include french seams.

Stay tuned, I think I'm going to like this.