Laptop sleeve for my little brother

*Uitgebreide Nederlandstalige versie hier*

Tomorrow, my little brother will have his first day at the university of Leuven, where I study as well. For his birthday, he got a new laptop to be used while studying, and I made a sleeve to protect it during transportation.

The pattern comes from the Belgian sewing book Zo Geknipt 2, a beautiful book with a lovely layout and perfect explanations.  

I cut the pattern pieces in two and played a little with the right and the wrong side of the dark blue fabric. It gave a special touch, which I accentuated even more by topstitching randomly with light blue thread.

My dear brother, I wish you some beautiful years in Leuven! Find new friends, enjoy the freedom, and everything will be alright. I'm sure you will do it brilliantly. Enjoy!

Pattern: Meneer de Directeur, Zo Geknipt!2

Outer fabric: dark blue canvas

Inner fabric: Triangularity Topaz, Art Gallery

Jaanu for Liv

*Uitgebreidere Nederlandstalige versie hier*

Liv is my little babysitting child. She has turned seven this summer, but we have been best friends (her words!) ever since she was two. If we would live in India, I'd call her Jaanu -which is Hindi for 'sweetheart'- the girl who makes my heart smile just by looking at me.

When I heard about StraightGrain's most recent dress pattern, I immediately knew I had to sew one for Liv. Not only because it's name suits Liv perfectly, but also because I knew the fit would be lovely on her!

 

I opted for the Elena version, and secured the pleats with a hand stitched golden cross.

I chose size 7yo for the lady who is 7 in age, but who has the waist circumference of a 6-year-old and measures 129 cm (almost 60 inches). It is still a little big on her,  but this way it will fit until the end of winter!

The fabric is a cotton by FinchFabrics, a Belgian textile brand. I had the opportunity to test this beautiful robin fabric, and both Liv and I are in love. It is softer than the regular quilting cotton but still very easy to sew with. The fabric will soon be launched. Follow their Facebook page to keep posted!

We took pictures on the same spot as we did here. Look how much she has grown in just one year!

Oh, how do I love my little Jaanu!

Nina Culottes

** Dutch version here **

Belgium is a small country, which means all (sewing) bloggers live quite close to each other. A few weeks ago, I had a sewing date with lovely An. It was a very nice day, and I managed to finish a pair of Nina culottes, Compagnie M.'s most recent ladies pattern.

My sizes were between XXS and XS, so I chose the largest size. But when I tried them on for the first time, they were way too big! I cut away 8 centimeters, and now the fit is perfect.

The pictures were taken during our holidays, on Burano Island.

Pattern: Nina culottes - Compagnie M
Fabric: dark blue gabardine with a little stretch
T-shirt: Marco Polo

Mambo!

There are lots of talented pattern designers, but most of their patterns are designed for children. Although I have my little friend Liv to sew for, I sometimes feel a twinge of jealousy when I see your kids pictured in the most beautiful handmade clothing. Not scared of a challenge from time to time, I decided to grade some children's patterns up to my size!

This dress is named Mambo, and it comes from a Belgian sewing book called Homemade Mini Couture. The pattern comes in sizes 3yo to 10yo, so I took de largest size and modified the pattern until it would fit me.

Concerning fabrics, I chose a voile by Anna Maria Horner. It is just lovely to wear, especially when the weather is hot.

My little sister took the pictures during our holidays in Italy. The owner's dog liked us very much and kept running through the photos!

fabric: Forest Hills Sweet voile - Anna Maria Horner

pattern: modified Mambo - Homemade Mini Couture

Tra gli Italiani

I spent the last three weeks with my family in Italy. One week near a lake, where we swam, visited the island and took wake boarding lessons (which does not seem to be a talent of mine).

During the second week, we rented an old farmers house in the green hills. 

Last but definitely not least, we visited Venice. We started off with the typical tourist attractions like Piazza San Marco, the Grand Canal and the palace. After that, we took the boat to the fishermen's island Burano, with it's beautifully colored houses. The last day was reserved for the Contemporary Art Biennale, where artists from all over the world exhibited their most recent work. It gave me tons of inspiration!