So this morning my twitter feed went mad! Little did I expect when I was wishing Sally good luck for the day as she shared that today was a big day for her that she was launching her own pattern company Capital Chic Patterns

So I was gobsmacked when she announced to the world she is launching her new pattern company.

Capital Chic is a new, independent sewing pattern company based in London and focused on work wear, cocktail wear and day-to-night looks.
The patterns come in sizes UK10-18 and are designed for the intermediate to advanced sewer.

The Summer 2014 collection of six patterns, each with multiple options, is available now as print-at-home and print-at-copy shop PDF files. No waiting at all hit print and with a little bit of puzzle making and you are ready to go.

And each pattern is named after  a cocktail. How original and cool is that!  I will finally learn the names of more cocktails now

This is the first time for me when I got so excited about a pattern (well more than one ) that made me hit the add to cart button within 5 seconds of seeing it. I did not even read the description, or checked if they are made for my size.

Here are my first Capital Chic patterns. And since I love the versatility  and style of the patterns Sally creates I have the feeling they will not be the last ones.

White Russian is a fairly close fitting sweatshirt, intended for pre-quilted jersey or sweatshirt fabrics or for quilting your own design. View A is a long sleeved raglan sweatshirt with cuffs, and View B is a quilted T-shirt with turn ups instead of cuffs. The pattern comes with templates for the lion and fox designs and instructions for quilting or applique-ing these designs onto the sweatshirt. Equally, the pieces could be quilted in the traditional diamond pattern.

This design is suitable for loop-backed or fleece-backed sweatshirt fabrics but could be made in most heavy knit fabrics with a slight stretch.The quilted designs are quilted onto batting. Rib knit can be used for the hem, neck band and cuffs, or self fabric bands can be used.

Champagne is a basic, versatile pencil skirt design that’s perfect for taking you from the office to after-hours drinks.

There are two options, both with a coordinating or contrasting hem band. The band for View A is straight at the front but party in the back with a small flounce taking the place of a vent.View B has more of a trumpet shape with a circular flounce front and back for a flirty feel. Both versions lend themselves to colour blocking, or to fabrics with two good sides/two different textures, such as satin backed crepe.

The skirt closes with an invisible zip plus either a button or a trouser hook and bar. Suitable fabrics include any medium-weight woven skirt fabrics with some drape.

The Manhattan skirt is based on a pencil silhouette with a curved side panel for added interest. Choose View A with its sexy, jagged hemline for a night on the town, or View B for a skirt that’s boardroom-appropriate with a chance to showcase special fabrics in the curved side panel. This dartless skirt sits at the waist and fits snugly with minimal ease.

View A is a miniskirt with an interesting jagged hemline and a slight upward curve in the back hem. It features an exposed zip with grosgrain ribbon detail at the centre back. View B has a longer, straight hemline, but features the same curved side panel.

This skirt is designed for woven skirt fabrics such as wool crepe, boucle or brocade, but you could use anything from upholstery fabric to leather/pleather. The curved side panel is great for showcasing interesting or unusual fabrics, and as it’s such a small panel, it would even suit a scrap of special fabric left over from a bigger project. Or, why not go with the same fabric in different colourways to get some colour blocking going on?

I already printed and cut the fabric for version A of the Manhattan while on my lunch break today! (joys of working from home )

Other than White Russian, Manhattan and Champagne there are also Bellini, Martini and Cosmopolitan

Go have a look! I am sure you’ll love the new patterns as much as I do!