New name

Hello!

I have decided to change my blog's name. To be honest, it was a long time that I wanted to do so... I've realised that "Citrouille Melba" was too difficult for non-French speaking to understand and to spell!!!

I chose Bagatelles because it makes me think about the beautiful Jardins de Bagatelles in the Bois de Boulogne, near Paris; but in french, it also means a "trifle", a decorative thing, a bit as in frivolous. It always reminds me of French paintings of the 18th century, such as Fragonard's and Watteau's...

It is also a musical term to designate a "short piece of music, typically for the piano, and usually of a light, mellow character. The name bagatelle literally means a "trifle", as a reference to the innocent character of the piece" ( in Wikipedia). A very famous example is Letter to Elise by Beethoven.

I think that bagatelles makes sense in the context of fashion accessories, isn't it?...:))

And as a bonus, a new background for my header title!

J’ai décidé de changer le nom de mon blog. J’ai réalisé qu’en fait, « Citrouille Melba » était trop compliqué pour les non-francophones, oups !  Du coup, j’ai choisi Bagatelles&co, un peu en hommage au beau Jardin de Bagatelles, dans le Bois de Boulogne.  J’aime le son de ce mot, et il m’évoque les tableaux de Fragonard et de Watteau… Saviez-vous qu’en musique classique, “une bagatelle est une courte composition sans prétention, dans un style badin et léger, destinée le plus souvent au clavier” (source wikipedia). Une des plus connues  est la “Lettre a Elise” de Beethoven.

Je trouve que Bagatelles s'adapte bien dans le contexte d'accessoires de mode, non?...:))

Et en prime, un nouveau design pour mon titre!

Oh Dear! Oh Dear! I shall be too late!

Even though I haven't been here very often, I have been working a lot on my project.

After a phase of discouragement, I realised that I should still believe in my project and here I am again! I have to say, it is not always easy to work on one's own; sometimes, motivation just isn't there... It is not always easy to find the right balance between trying to design and make my own range with working for others. And the fear is there too: what if doesn't work?

But taratata as the French say ("nonsense"), and if I really enjoy what I do, it should work in a way or another!

So, I decided to go ahead and to open an  Etsy shop. Yes sir!  It is a very nice sort of "web boutique platform"; a place where artists, crafters, designers, photographers, can sell their work. The one condition is that products must be handmade. As they say themselves, "Etsy shoppers are looking for handmade goods, vintage items and craft supplies."

I have fixed the launch date to beginning of May ( just on time for summer, eh:))

It should let me just enough time to make a decent amount of things to put in my shop and properly done too, with cute labels, nice packaging, etc...

I have already started preparing myself for that, but it takes quite a while to get everything ready... So still quite a lot to do for I shall not be too late!!

Of course, I will regularly report on how I get on...

Non non, je n'ai pas disparu!! J'ai passé beaucoup de temps à travailler sur mon projet d'accessoires ces temps-ci...

Même si je me suis parfois sentie découragée, j'ai décidé d'aller de l'avant... Et donc, je vais ouvrir une boutique sur Etsy. C'est une sorte de boutique en ligne qui agit en tant que plateforme pour artisans et artistes de tout genre. Tout le monde peut y vendre des choses du moment que ce soit du fait main. Si tout va bien, tout sera prêt début mai. En attendant, au boulot!!!

Bien entendu, j'écrirais régulièrement sur mes progrès...

London Fashion Week!

London Fashion Week is over!

This means the end of a collaboration with a Designer for me, and looking forward next season... And good news, it also means more time for my bag collections, great!!!

Anyway, I have been working the past few months with a young British Designer, Olivia Rubin, whose designs combine "graphic prints and bold use of colour". For this collection, she was inspired by New York, "the Art Deco period and the portraits of Tamara de Lempicka".

It was her first catwalk show, and everything went very well, I must say...

It was really nice to work on that collection, and it is also the first time I'm responsible over half of a collection, so I feel quite pride:))!!!

As you might have guessed, the video is the one from the show!!! I really like the music!

En Français:

Ça y est, London Fashion Week est terminée!

Ça veut dire la fin pour moi d’une collaboration avec un styliste, jusqu’à la saison prochaine… Mais bonne nouvelle, c’est aussi synonyme de plus de temps pour consacrer à ma collection de sacs, super!!!

Ces derniers mois, j’ai travaillé avec une jeune styliste Britannique, Olivia Rubin, dont les modèles combinent imprimés graphiques et un usage audacieux de la couleur. Pour cette collection, elle s’est inspirée de New York, le mouvement Arts Décos et les portraits de Tamara de Lempicka. C’était son premier défilé, et je dois dire que tout s’est vraiment bien passé…

C’était vraiment agréable de travailler sur cette collection, et en plus, c’est aussi la première fois que je suis responsable d’environ la moitié de la collection… J’en suis toute fièreJ)!!!

La vidéo est celle du défilé; j’en aime beaucoup la musique !

Paperland

The Chanel Couture show inspired me to search from more objects made with paper...

Here is what I found:

• This cute Chinese Horoscope

• Another interesting blog dedicated to the arts of papercuts is The Heart of Papercuts, created by Cuban-born artist Elsita.

• Rob Ryan's blog is a papercuts treasure box. I have just discovered his work thanks to Sketchbook and I already love it. He has collaborated with Paul Smith, Vogue Japan, Vogue Uk, among others... and realised window displays for department stores such as Liberty in London.

                                         Robert Ryan for Vogue Japan

                                            Robert Ryan for Vogue Uk

                                           Robert Ryan, Minotaur

                                 Robert Ryan, Liberty Xmas window 2005

• Zoe Bradley is an artist whose work covers interior design, window display, lighting, and also fashion. She has collaborated with prestigious stores such as Smythson, Liberty, Donna Karan, and designers like Alexander McQueen.

                              Window Display for Smythson, London, 2007

                                       Wallpaper magazine

                             On/Off, London Fashion Week, 2006

                     For Alexander McQueen S/S 1999

You can find more photos of her work in  Zoe Bradley wallpaper gallery, and also a Q&A realised by Wallpaper magazine.

• Also, thanks to katy elliott's blog, I discovered the work of graphic designer Yulia Brodskaya who realises beautiful illustrations "paper graphics".

Katy Elliott has an interesting section in her lovely blog dedicated to paper.

Here are some examples:

Su Blackwell

Nava Lubelski

Window display at Anthropologie

•  I discovered through Design*Sponge the work of artist Hannah Nunn, based in Northern England. She creates beautiful and poetics luminaries, using both hand cutting techniques and laser cutting.

• And finally, this video from Paris-based artist Marion Bataille. What a fun pop-up book!

Abc3D - video powered by Metacafe

Chanel Couture Spring 09

 

Photos from Style.com

Ok, I am a bit late... Paris Couture Week was already two weeks ago!!!

But better too late than never, as the French would say.

This time, I particularly like the Chanel collection. It looked very simple, however with a closer look, we could distinguish all those beautiful details: sequins, embroidered flowers, delicate lace, feathers... and amazing paper-cut tiaras. All that in a unique palette of black&white. I found the collection very subtle, and full of charm, and the proof that Fashion doesn't have to be gloomy right now...

I also really liked the strong shoulder line, and also the contrast of neat, clean lines with the intricacy of the embellishments.

This collection has an air of delicate charm and romance while being very modern.

Apparently, it is a japanese hairdresser, Kamo, who realized these beautiful headpieces.

You can see more photos here and there.

By the way, the last photo ( the bride) reminds me the roses of the Garden of Live Flowers in Through The Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll ( De l'autre cote du miroir)! Don't you think so?!

 

Dashing through the snow...!

Waw! There was so much snow yesterday in London! That was amazing! When I woke up, everything was all so white and soft and quiet...

But the city is apparently not prepared for that kind of weather as almost all the transports were suspended: no bus, almost no trains, very few taxis, slippery pavements, almost all the shops closed, even in the usually very busy Oxford street...It was as if the time had been suspended for the day! I like winter this way...

Waw! Il a tellement neigé hier à Londres! C’était super! Quand je me suis réveillée, tout était couvert de neige, tout blanc, doux et calme… Apparemment, Londres n’est pas vraiment équipée pour ce genre de temps car pratiquement aucun transport ne fonctionnait… Et presque tous les magasins ont fermes pour la journée, même sur la d’habitude trépidante Oxford Street… C’était un peu comme si le temps s’était arrêté! J’aime l’hiver comme ça...

New Year!

Hello! Happy New Year!

Eventually back to blogging after all this time! In November I decided to participate in a Handcraft Tailoring competition, ( Tailoring was one of my specialisation at College) and it took me so much more time than what I expected...! Every seam (or almost) had to be handstitched, even the buttonholes!...It was a bit of a nightmare! I felt like one of these "petites mains" (literally little hands) who sew all day long in the Parisian Couture ateliers... It was a bit of a challenge for me as I had never done it that way...I learnt production Tailoring at College, which means everything is sewn with a sewing machine, and that's a completely different approach to garment construction.  But as I had always been fascinated by the Tailors of Savile Row or the art of Haute Couture, it was a good occasion for me to learn more about it. 

The world stopped for me all that time, but now it is over, I finished it, just have to wait for the results. I'll post pictures of my work as soon as I can. 

Even if I didn't have a minute  for bag making, blogging or anything else really, I still found a few hours for some cute little make-up pochettes that I gave as Christmas presents.

Here are some pictures. I am sorry for the picture quality, my camera is definitely not the best and I didn't manage to capture the colours properly. One of my next investment will have to be a good camera...

My "treasure cave"

My girly treasures... with my little fringed bag

When flowers become fringes

Bloom: Ron Van Dongen

 I recently purchased this amazing book: Bloom: Ron Van Dongen , and it has been such a pleasure for the eyes! He is a very talented photograph and those beautiful photos inspired me for this bag. The shapes and textures of the petals became a multitude of little fringes...

More colors, more pictures!

This is my latest additions to my accessory range... Pfffiou, I have been working a lot these days!...

I would like to have as much done as possible before I go to France beggining of November (aargh, it's pretty soon!...)

My new vintage style bag (2) and piping tutorial

It can be worn as a shoulder bag or as a pochette for a trendy cocktail!

I am happy: I got good reactions from My new vintage style bag so I decided to design another version of it. This time, no metallic frame to make it more simple but instead a cute little flap. The fabric I used is silk, so that it can be a cool evening bag! I also used a contrasting peacock green (mmm I love this colour...) for the lining. And last but not least, my favourite detail: piping!!! 

Once again, it was too difficult finding interesting varieties (I think I give up for now...), so I decided to make my own with the same fabric as the lining. I had the instructions of this sewing bible on how to make tubing and after a few modifications, I came up with my own piping tutorial. It is great fun to make!

I mean the piping tape, because the tutorial was a bit of a disaster!!!! I am really not an internet (or a computer) geek; I thought that to do a tutorial on a pdf file, I could do it first on Illustrator and then convert it on pdf. But of course, after having spent a few hours making a nice presentation, my Illustrator application decided to bug and refused saving my document. So, as naive as I am, I copied everything on a Word document, thinking/hoping that I could just paste it on my blog... But no no no, it would work with the text but not with the photos! At the end, I had to download my photos one by one and re-organise them directly on the blog...

pfffiou, what an adventure!!! So,no French version for the moment for my French friends I am afraid ! I will try to make one very soon.

Anyway, after all those emotions, here is my tutorial, tataaam:

How to make your own piping tape:

1. Cut bias strips in your chosen fabric. To find the true bias, fold fabric at a 45 degree angle to selvage.

2.  I find it easier to trace a pattern, it avoids me to struggle with the fabric later:) You know how silky fabrics and lining have a mean tendency to slip in your hands when you’re trying to cut into them!!! In any case, measure the diameter of you piping cord (any cord you like, can be found in any haberdashery).  Then, add 1 cm on each side for the seam allowance.

It will make your life much more simple for when you sew!

3. Pin pattern on fabric and cut as much as you need.  Because bias stretches; cut your cord twice as long. If you don’t have enough fabric, cut two stripes and sew them together as in the photos. If you iron well and seams open, it won’t show once it is around the cord.

4. Place the bias strip around cord, wrong sides together (right side facing up). Pin the fabric to have it lay flat and nice…

5. Now for the fun bit, if you have a zipper foot, which I strongly recommend!(I tried with a normal foot and it is really a nightmare).The best is to get a double-sided zipper foot, so that you can use it either way! (if you live in the UK, check out this website). So, using a super zipper foot, stitch down the bias, as close as possible to cord.

Et voila, you get your nice personalised piping tape!!!

6. Now for the sewing: it’s going to be so easy... Just pin piping tape on your sewing project, matching seam allowances and, again using zipper foot, stitch along cord. 

Finally, add second layer on top (your piping will be then “sandwiched” in between, and follow the previous sewing lines.

The Lilou scarf

Some time ago I made a foulard (scarf) for my sister, who really liked it (huhu:)), so I decided to remake some more! It consists of layers of satin, voile, and soft silk. I also made a version with velvet, and one with chiffon... It's pretty with the chiffon but the problem is that it is a very fragile material.

En français:

Il y a quelque temps, j'ai fabrique un foulard pour ma soeur, qui l'avait beaucoup aime d'ailleurs (hi hi:)). Du coup, j'ai décidé d'en refaire plus! Chaque foulard est fait de couches de satin, voile et soie peau de pêche. J'ai aussi fait une version avec du velours, et une avec de la mousseline de soie... C'est joli avec la mousseline, mais le problème est que c'est très fragile.

The scarf with different fabric variations:

voile layer and lined with silk, lined with velvet and with a silk chiffon layer

Barcelona

I had always wanted to go to Barcelona, so when M. proposed me to go there last weekend I didn't hesitate a second. I wasn't disappointed... It is full of beautiful patterns and colors, from the pavements to the walls! The weather was great, warm and sunny, perfect to enjoy this city.

So here are some visual souvenirs from Barcelona...

En Français

J'ai toujours eu très envie d'aller à Barcelone, alors quand M. m'a proposé d'y passe le week-end, je n'ai pas hésité une seconde. Je n'ai pas été déçue… La ville est pleine de belles couleurs et de motifs intéressants, que ce soit sur les dalles de trottoirs ou parcourant les murs! Il a fait très beau, chaud et avec du soleil, c’était parfait pour bien en profiter. Alors du coup, voila quelques souvenirs visuels…

Another little bag...

I used a lovely jacquard that I had found last year and bought (thinking I'd use it later...).

The lining is again a two-tone fabric. I've added some piping as an interesting feature. I couldn't find nice colors in the shops so I painted it myself!

On top of the zipped pocket, I've added three more small on the other side, plus a bigger one at the back of the bag. The bag closes with a magnetic fastening. I found a great tutorial here explaining how to do.

En Francais:

J'ai utilise un joli tissu jacquard que j'avais trouve l'annee derniere et que j'avai achete 

(pensant que je l'utiliserais bien un jour!). La doublure est encore en tissu a reflets. J'ai aussi rajoute une cordelette comme detail. Comme je n'en ai pas trouve avec de jolies couleurs dans les magasins, je l'ai peinte moi-meme!

En plus de la poche avec zip, j'ai rajoute trois autres petites poches de l'autre cote, plus une grand au dos du sac. Le sac se ferme avec un bouton magnetique. J'ai trouve un super tuto ici qui expliquait comment faire.

My new vintage style bag

The production process has started! First on my list was an adaptation of a really cool vintage bag I had spotted in New York a few years ago. I made my version with a nice purple and black silk fabric traditionally used for the making of ties and lined with a two-tone fabric. I love it when fabric shines and shows different colours following the way you move it!

I also put a nice little pocket with a zip, big enough to put a few things like a mobile phone and a lipstick for example... Knowing myself, I will quickly put too much in it! Also, it is possible to wear it across the shoulder with the chain handle, or as clutch with the chain  simply tucked inside the bag.

I bought the frame here again and I used this great tutorial to insert it to the bag.

En Francais:

Ca y est, l'etape production a commence! J'avais en tete de liste une adaptation d'un super sac vintage que j'avais rapporte de New York il y a quelques annees. J'en ai fait ma version, avec un joli tissu en soie, violet et noir, un tissu qui est generalement utilise pour l confection de cravates. Pour la doublure, un tissu a reflet. J'aime beaucoup quand le tissu brille et montre des reflets differents selon son mouvement! J'ai aussi mis une mignonne petite poche a l'interieur du sac, assez grande pour pouvoir y glisser un portable et un rouge a levre par exemple... Cela dit, me connaissant, je vais en mettre trop vite fait! 

Ah, aussi pratique car il peut se porter en bandouliere avec la chaine, ou en pochette du soir avec la chaine rentree a l'interieur du sac, tout simplement.

J'ai achete la fermeture metallique encore ici et j'ai suivi ce tutorial pour l'inserer au sac.

My colour and fabric ranges for this winter

Today has been a good day as I went early to several fabric markets and brought back some gorgeous textiles that I will use to make bags... I just love looking at colours and textures and playing around with them, organizing them in beautiful ranges, don't you?

Aujourd'hui a ete un jour fructueux, car je suis allee tot dans plusieurs magasins de tissus. 

J'ai ramene de beaux tissus dont je ferais des sacs...  J'aime beaucoup juste regarder de differentes couleurs et textures, et m'amuser a en faire des gammes, pas vous?