A few days ago, Coralie Bijasson honored us with a visit to the shop and what a joy to welcome her! 

Coralie is truly an outstanding designer and she is didactic, kind, sensitive to different body shapes... in short, she is great!

During this interview, we talked about her new model: Pélia which looked so comfortable! Céline and I fell for it! 

So this week, we take you on our sewing experience! 

The model

The Pelia set is a two-in-one pattern that combines comfort, femininity, and style, consisting of shorts or trapeze pants with Italian pockets and a cropped top with spaghetti straps. The waist is held by a wide ribbing belt (minimum 40% elasticity), ensuring optimal comfort. The top is highlighted under the bust by a ribbing band, with a pretty V-neckline in front and an elasticated back. 
It can be worn with a bra.

Whether you are in cocooning mode or looking for a relaxed summer look, Pélia is a stylish and feminine pattern to adapt to your desires.

Practical information for sewing this model

Pélia has been graded from size 34 to size 56, so it is available in a wide range of sizes and that's great! 

To choose your size, mainly consider the hip measurement for the pants and the bust measurement for the top. 

In the seamstress's basket

Coralie planned a fluid fabric to sew Pélia; notably a viscose crepe, a double gauze, or a light jersey, but it can be sewn in many fabrics as long as it is slightly fluid... your turn! 

For the required yardage, I am attaching the table below. 

We will add to the supply list:
the ribbing for the waistbands 
- a small elastic
- fusible stay tape
- matching thread

Technical skills

Pélia is classified as beginner level 1 but this outfit will teach you quite a few technical skills including:
- sewing Italian pockets
- assembling ribbing bands
- making spaghetti straps
- making a lined bodice
- the insertion of an elastic
- not forgetting the application of fusible stay tape. 

Well, I think it’s a great program! 

Our sewing supplies and experiences

Céline
When Eugénie suggested I sew the Pélia pattern, I was initially a bit skeptical before seeing the photos. She had presented it to me as jogging wear, and I wasn’t really keen on spending time sewing that kind of project. But when I saw Coralie’s photos, I was thrilled: an ultra-comfortable outfit, but also elegant and versatile, depending on the fabrics chosen. I immediately wanted comfort and nothing is more comfortable in my opinion than double gauze. Since I had literally been raving for months about the magnificent Nani Iro double gauze (of which I already had two coupons at home for other projects), my choice for the top fell on the green one.  

For the pants, I wanted comfort and freshness but with a bit more structure, so washed linen was the ideal choice. Especially since it’s a linen-cotton blend, so softer than pure linen and not too prone to wrinkling. The whole outfit is quite quick to make due to the simplicity of the pieces. No clips, no pleats, just a few gathers on the top, and the pants pockets (but pants without pockets are really not practical), which makes it a very accessible pattern. I didn't encounter any difficulties, the instructions are clear, I added an elastic in the ribbing of the pants because, as usual, I made them a bit too big and they were sitting a bit too low. I am delighted with the result, I already want to make more and in my opinion I will give in to some lyocell. It’s a very useful pattern to have in your pattern collection if you’re looking for a simple, comfortable, and customizable outfit. I recommend it to beginners who want to start with a coordinated set (or not) without any hassle. 

Eugénie 
For my part, I chose a graphic viscose twill that caught my eye with fawn ribbing that matched the pattern perfectly. I took a 9mm piece of elastic to sew the back of the top. 

I chose to sew Pélia in size 36 with a widening to size 38 at the hips.
I was right to make this adjustment, otherwise I would have been a bit tight around the hips.
Be sure to carefully select your size accordingly. 

Note that I also shortened the straps by 5cm and the back elastic by 2cm because I’m petite. 

I really enjoyed sewing Pélia, which gave me a nice sewing break during my busy schedule preparing for the opening of our second store. I sewed it in a good afternoon; I find it great to have a complete outfit in such a short time!

Once again, Coralie provided a very detailed and easy-to-follow explanatory booklet. In short, it’s clear and very effective! I encountered no difficulties during assembly; everything flows smoothly.  I found that using the straight grain support was really well thought out and effective for this sewing project, so I recommend not skipping this essential step to ensure your pants and top hold their shape well. 

I’m thrilled I dared to choose this pattern that fills me with joy for this summer, I feel like a bird of paradise under the tropics! Plus, this outfit is super comfortable! I feel like I’m going to sew more... and why not even in a pajama version?

So, what do you think of our matching outfits?

In any case, Céline and I are won over by the design and especially by its comfort! 

Thank you Coralie for creating such lovely patterns and don’t hesitate to come visit us again in Brussels 😊

Find all of Coralie's patterns in printed and PDF versions here.

Come on girls, come on boys, all that's left is to get started!

Get your needles ready!