I got a gorgeous new book thanks to an Amazon gift certificate that recently came my way. Simple Sewing with a French Twist by Celine Dupuy. Gorgeous. The book design and photography are enough to stop me in my tracks, but of course the projects are quite lovely too. She has photos and recipes for about 30 or 40 projects ranging from home dec to a couple simple clothing projects. And the projects really are simple to make (she's not joking).
I sewed up this adorable little beret in about 30 minutes last night. Now, you might ask, why is your teddy bear wearing it and not you? Well, because apparently Celine Dupuy has a dainty French-sized head, whereas I have a freakishly large American head. But my bear does look tres chic, does he not?
What I find most inspiring and valuable about this book is her perfect use of fabrics and materials. Simple, quality materials perfectly chosen for each project. And such flawless style. Feminine but not precious, modern but not severe, delicate but made to become heirlooms. I'm inspired.
I almost pre-ordered Amy Angry Chicken's book, but decided to go for instant gratification as it's not out until June. I also almost ordered the new sewing book by Lotta Jansdotter (oooh! aahhh!--hadn't heard about this one yet) but ditto on that because it doesn't come out until March. All in good time.
And speaking of hats, my mummy is a little hat-knitting factory. Check out this beauty. And cozy, oh cozy—made from Debbie Bliss Cashmerino. Can't remember now where she got the pattern. (mom do you have a link for it?) I love the cable brim, I feel quite as chic as my teddy bear.
Who enjoys reading Camus while I am away at work. In a flawless french accent, of course.
i see your bear must indeed be french with that cigarette in hand! julie...tisk tisk. blair has the same book and i have been eying it for a while now. that camisole/top that you gave us a peek at looks lovely!
ReplyDeletei love the beret.... thanks so much for sharing about the books. i love hearing about whats out there that i may have missed.
ReplyDeleteI was trying to cut back on my book buying this year, but I already put Amy + Lotta's books on my shopping list. And shoot, now I need this French little book. Please don't post about any more cute sewing books, k? =)
ReplyDeleteLove the beret. I'm thinking matching ones for the boys? =)
Ooh, your teddy in the beret is cracking me up. Teeny tiny delicate french head, that author has, eh?
ReplyDeleteHow did you learn to sew? I look at the projects on your site and am amazed. I have a pretty good grasp of sewing, but yours blows me out of the water.
the bear smokes? i missed that, hannah...
ReplyDeletelove the beret, sad it's bear-sized. I think i have the same freakish sized head, here too.
oh, and you can bet i've got lotta and amy's books on the list, too. saving money, saving money...
Thanks for the great review, I've been wondering about that book. It's on my wish list.
ReplyDeletei have been eyeing that book since blair posted about it....i think i am going to return the duplicate ina garten i got for christmas and get this instead. ditto on wanting the other two....i can wait since i have to. crafter's companion is also on my list, but it looks like it won't be stateside until april.
ReplyDeleteand your beret is super cute even if it's only bear-sized!
oh oh oh... he's smoking a cigarette... love it. he must be 'le tired' after all that reading. go home now and put him to bed.
ReplyDeletepuits fait. le béret est superbe. mais pas pour pips.
I've been reading so much great stuff about this book, but yours is the first project from it that I've seen posted. And, of course, it's just adorable. I may just get this book myself - since you say the projects are easy and all...
ReplyDeleteyour mention of the celine dupuy book is the second time I've heard about it recently. I may just have to look into that...it looks tempting.
ReplyDeleteGot the link for the hat from my mama--it's called the Twister Sister hat and you can find it here.
ReplyDeletethat link totally didn't work. here try this:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.keepitsimpledesigns.net/chemo_hats.htm
;)
you make that book sound like a must have.
ReplyDeleteSo delightful! The book, the beret and the knitted cap for the freakishly large american head! Thank you for the smile today!
ReplyDeletei do like that hat! i like how its a more modern take on a beret, which i feel can sometimes look floppy. i like that wide brim. can't wait to see your other creations
ReplyDeleteI just found you through the Amy Butler sewalong. Isn't that a beautiful book? I have been resisting it for now...but my willpower is shrinking. Nice beret!
ReplyDeletelove your blog, so very inspiring, you make me wish I had more time for more hobbies. I dabble in sewing, knitting, crocheting, reading, cooking, baking, blogging...enought to start things, to buy the supplies only to put them aside to attend to some other project/person/commitment. You still make me feel that I can do it all.
ReplyDeleteNow I need to buy a book on French sewing...enabler!!! tee hee
Hi, Can someone tell me why the duvet cover in "..French Twist" have what appears to be whole in the bottom? How do you close it? I forget what page it is on, but it is an off white fabric with sparse flower design. I am just a beginner and am likely to just be missing something. Thanks!
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