pauline alice sewing patterns

I think that amongst all my patterns, my favourite is the Lliria dress pattern. I feel pretty every time I wear one, I believe it’s the romantic look of the dress with its crossed neckline and soft gathers. I wanted to make a new version for the summer and this time, to make it a classic wrap dress. The Lliria pattern is already a wrap dress but with buttons instead of the classic ties. It was quite easy to modify the original pattern to accommodate ties. Let’s see how to do it:

inspiration for Lliria. source : Black Crane / pinterest

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VARIATION

1/ As the new neckline isn’t buttoned, I decided to make it straight instead of curved to make sure it stays close to the body. I traced a straight line from the top of the neckline to the waist (remember to do the same for the front facing pieces).

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2/ We’ll need to cut the waistband in 3 pieces in order to create an opening for the ties. On the waistband piece, you will find notches indicating where the side seams should match. Trace a line between the top and bottom notches. You now have one left side front waistband, one right side front waistband and one back waistband. Add seam allowances to the new side edges (1,5 cm or 5/8” like the rest of the pattern). Remember to cut these new pieces twice (one for the exterior waistband and one for the interior one).

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3/ Cut 2 rectangles of 1m x 11 cm (1 yd x 4 ½ “) (with 1 yd, I’m able to wrap and tie the dress on the back and at the front). If you want longer or shorter ties, you just need to adapt the length of the rectangles.

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CONSTRUCTION AND SEWING INSTRUCTIONS

WAISTBAND

Choose if you want to wrap your dress on the left or right side. If like me, you want to wrap the right side over the left, you’ll need to make an opening for the ties on the right side of the waistband.
Stitch the back piece and the right front piece together, leaving a 4 cm (1 ½ ») opening at the center. Press the seam allowances open. Stitch the back and left pieces together all the way. Do the same for the interior waistband but leaving the opening on the left side instead.

TIES

With right sides together, fold the ties in two lengthwise and stitch together (seam allowances are included and are 1,5 cm – 5/8 ») leaving one small side open. You can sew a straight edge at the end or a diagonal one if you prefer. Trim the seam allowances and turn right side out. Press and baste the ties to the right side of the front waistband, matching raw edges.
When you’ll stitch the facing to the dress, the ties will be sandwiched between the exterior and interior waistbands.
For the rest of the construction, you just need to follow the instructions.

FINISHINGS

You can handstitch the edges of the tie opening together.
I didn’t have enough fabric for the sleeves so instead, I used self-fabric bias binding to finish the armholes. I love this sleeveless version for summer.

I’m very happy about this Lliria dress variation! It’s easy to make, elegant and easy to wear as well. I chose an ochre linen from Activa textil, which makes it a light dress perfect for summer. If you want to make a Lliria dress and don’t know which fabric to use, we made a post for fabric inspiration, check it here.

While waiting for September and the new patterns release (maximum excitement!), I wish you a great end of summer!

Here is our new pattern, the Serra jacket. Does it ring a bell with its double pockets? It’s an adult version of our kid’s coat, designed for our first Mini collection last February. Many of you asked for an adult version of the jacket, so we made it! We have taken the shape and details of the Mini coat to develop the first “version” of Serra (view A): an unstructured, unisex jacket – we wanted it to be perfect for you and your man as well! – raglan sleeves, fully lined, with all the Mini coat details… But we didn’t stop there! We’ve been talking about making new patterns with multiple possibilities for a while, like the Aldaia dress you love so much (all the variations have make it our best-seller!).

The Serra jacket was the perfect example to try the multi-purpose versions: with its simple shape, we have worked on different lengths and details to propose a 3-in-1 pattern. Three views for three different styles and uses. We are delighted to show you the result of long months of work!

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Serra jacket, view A

A mid-thigh jacket inspired by the Pauline Alice Mini coat and the traditionnal breton raincoat.

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Serra jacket, view B

A short jacket with hood, athletic style.

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Serra jacket, view C

A knee-length jacket with trench coat details.

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More than three versions of the same pattern, these are three unique jackets designed from the same base with lots of possibilities. In the next post, we’ll talk more about the details of each view. In the meanwhile, I hope you’ll like the Serra jacket pattern (or at least one of the view!). My favourite is the athletic View B whereas Lucile is in love with the city version of View C. What about you? We are curious, let us know which one is your favourite!

– You can find the Serra Jacket pattern in printed copy or PDF (A4 print-at-home and A0 copyshop included) on the shop. –

Technical details

Difficulty: The Serra jacket pattern is designed for an advanced seamstress. Some details like the welt pockets or collar Pauline Alice Sewing Pattercan be a difficult for a beginner. But if you want to tackle this project, we’ve made some photo and video tutorials to guide you through the construction of the most complex steps.

Size chart: For Serra, we’ve worked with a different size chart than usual. The pattern was graded using a half-size scale from XS (34-36) to XXL (50-52) to get the ease and fit we wanted for a unisex jacket. Even if you are accustomed to our patterns, we recommand you to make a muslin, even a partial one, to choose the best fit. I’m wearing the jacket in XS in the pictures (for my usual 36).

Pattern and instructions: The Serra jacket pattern includes an instructions booklet in french and spanish. Each view has its own step-by-step illustrated instructions. Besides, there are seven pattern sheets (yes, seven!). Because of the number and size of the pattern pieces, you’ll find that some of the smaller pieces are included inside a bigger one, so you won’t be able to cut diretly into your pattern.

A NEW VERSION OF THE LLIRIA DRESS