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sewing patterns

NEW PATTERN : THE ARENAS BAG

by Pauline Alice 23 May, 2019

written by Pauline Alice

Today, I’m not releasing a new garment pattern but an accessory. Welcome to the Arenas bag!

I’m not a purse kind of girl but I love a good backpack! I find them so practical to carry all your essentials and still have free hands. But it’s not always easy to find the perfect backpack for me: I might like the shape but not the colour, or the contrary, it might lack some inside compartments, the opening might not be easily accessible… Well, I can just draft one myself!

The Arenas bag checks all my requirements: not too small nor too big, it has the right dimensions for a day bag (or even for a week-end trip if you’re a light packer like me). On the front, you’ll find a long pocket (for your newspaper or your baguette) and a zippered pocket for your bus card, your headphones or your keys. There are also two water bottles pockets on the sides, perfect for a water bottle (hence the name!) or a book.

And the best feature for me is the tote bag shape that can be worn over the shoulders or as a backpack. The back strap is adjustable in length so it can transform from tote to backpack. With its top loader with drawcord closure, you’ll have easy access the bag’s inside compartments. The back panel is padded for more comfort. The Arenas bag is fully lined. Inside, you’ll find a big patch pocket on the front, a big pocket on the back that can fit most 15” laptops and a small zippered pocket for your valuable belongings.

When planning our photoshoot, we have thought of showing two different bags so that you can see the multiple possibilities of styling the Arenas bag. The one I’m wearing is made with a heavy duty coton canvas from Stragier and lined with a medium weigh cotton – that the fabric I use for my toiles. Vanessa is wearing a more athlectic version, made from Acier Cordura® , a technical fabric made from nylon, in olive and black colours and lined with black Tactel® Santorin , a waterproof fabric. All these fabrics come from activa textil.

In a few days, we’ll share a post we have written on fabric and material inspiration to give you more ideas. If you don’t want to wait to sew your Arenas bag, medium weight and heavy duty are the keys.

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The Arenas bag pattern is available as a PDF download with detailed instructions, an A4 print-at-home pattern and A0 copy shop version as well. You can find it now on the shop!

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23 May, 2019 0 comments

Blog Pauline alice patterns Serra

NEW PATTERN: THE SERRA JACKET

by Pauline Alice 21 February, 2019

written by Pauline Alice

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.

21 February, 2019 6 comments

Blog Pauline alice patterns Romero

Zoom in: the Romero trousers

by Pauline Alice 5 July, 2018

written by Pauline Alice

I’ve been dreaming of a pair of sailor trousers for quite some time now. I even made one of few years ago, using a pattern from Burda, and I really liked it. But some details were bugging me: there was a zipper behind the button closure and the pockets were closed by the buttons and therefore not usable. The first thing I did when I started to design this pattern was to find a way to have only button closures and to have fully functional pockets. With Lucile, we tried different techniques and finally, we were quite happy with this result:

Romero is a pair of sailor trousers, with a high waistline, fitted from the waist to the hips. There are two different lenghts: a short version for summer and cropped ankle length. This is THE trousers length this year and I have to say that I really love it: this is a great way to show pretty shoes and I find it very elegant and flattering.

Romero is closed by buttons on the sides and waitband. We have made a video tutorial to walk you through the pockets/buttonband construction. The pockets are fully functional and nicely finished with french seams.

In terms of fabric, we recommend you to use medium weight fabrics with some body such as denim, linen, gabardine, cotton twill, woolens or corduroy for a winter version. You’ll also need lining for the pockets (a great way to use scraps from leftover cotton for example) and some interfacing for the waistband and buttonbands.

Don’t hesitate to choose pretty buttons for Romero. In matching colours or contarsting ones, they will be your trousers’ focus point!

– You can find the Romero trousers pattern in our shop in printed copy or PDF downloadable. –

Fabric credits: ochre linen from Cousette – white gabardine from les Trouvailles d’Amandine

5 July, 2018 6 comments