Do y’all know Isabelle Selak of @southbaybella? Well if you don’t, you need to get to know her. Not only is she one of the sweetest and most genuine people that I’ve met in the past few years, but she’s one of those makers that doesn’t quite know how amazingly talented she is. She’s great with color and prints, is innovative and fearless in her makes. If you don’t follow her, she’s definitely one to follow because I always get excited to see what she’s up to. So when she offered to make these butterfly wings for Helena, I did mental backflips because I knew they would be amazing. Check out these progress photos. Oh em gee to all the details and craftsmanship!
I asked Isabelle to share something about herself and her make and here she is:
Hi, all! I’m Isabelle, aka @southbaybella, and as of this year I also make and share my work at South Bay Bella Studio. I’ve always been crafty, but started sewing more a few years ago, after my family made a long distance move and I made the switch from full time work to stay at home parenting. Sewing was a good way to find a little “me” time and gave me a sense of accomplishment when I finished a project, something that I missed from my old job and had yet to find as a SAHM. This year, I decided to dive into sewing professionally. I’m really excited about the pattern releases I have planned for this year, and I look forward to sharing with you and learning from you on my blog and social media.
One of the things I challenged myself to do more of this year is respond to calls for makers. When Mathew put out the “all call” for Market pieces, I jumped on it. Mathew has been a great mentor and quilty friend, so I was happy to have the chance to give a little back and help him with the release of Loved To Pieces. I used the Wife-made Lacewing Butterfly Wing pattern to make a pair of dress-up wings for Helena. I had so much fun planning out the placement of each piece of the butterfly wings. I tried to use a variety of prints and colors to represent as much of the line as possible. I used foam interfacing, which made them stable, but not too stiff or heavy. I quilted around the edge of each piece with a short, narrow zigzag stitch to secure the appliqué pieces and to give the wings definition. I chose a thread that matched the background fabric to let the appliquéd fabrics shine. The “subtle, but still there”, finishing touch was to use the selvedge for one of the shoulder straps.
I’m so glad I had a chance to work with Mathew on this project, and really happy to connect with all you awesome makers. Happy sewing!
Not only were these butterfly wings displayed prominently in my Spring Market Booth, but they were also modeled by Helena in my Loved to Pieces Look Book.
Thank you so much Isabelle for creating such a masterpiece for both my Look Book and for Helena. Your talent continues to amaze.
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