Ninni Culottes

It’s always very exciting when a designer you love invites you to collaborate with them and I’ve been lucky enough to work with Atelier Jupe on a few projects now. Eva and Petra got in touch recently to share some sneak peeks of their latest collection (spoiler alert – I loved EVERYTHING) and asked if I would like to sew something up prior to the launch. They design the most stunning prints and it’s always so difficult to choose one, but I picked out this gorgeous large-scale floral print viscose in some of my favourite colours – hello mint and rust!

I wasn’t completely set on what I would make with the fabric at first, so I went back to my trusty (and extensive) ‘things I’d like to sew’ list and had a little think. The Ninni Culottes by Named Clothing have been on my list for a long time and I thought this fabric would make a fabulous pair! Although the pattern is primarily designed for knits, it works perfectly for wovens too and there are lots of gorgeous versions made in viscose on Instagram if you have a scroll through the hashtag. I thought the pattern would show-off the print really nicely and work with a lot of the separates in my wardrobe, so my mind was made up and I popped my fabric in the pre-wash!

The culottes were a super easy sew and I made them in just a couple of short sessions last week. There are front and back leg pieces, pocket bags and front and back waistband pieces and that’s it! I think the pattern would be a great introduction to making trousers if you’re a beginner dressmaker and you could make the construction even simpler by omitting the pockets. I didn’t really use the instructions, but they are very-well written and the accompanying diagrams look clear and easy to follow.

I used my favourite medium weight cotton interfacing for the waistband because I wanted to make sure it was firm enough to prevent it rolling over, but I actually think light weight would have been better as it’s a bit bulky where it meets the leg pieces. For me, the hardest part of construction was stitching through the waistband to secure the elastic. I always love how this looks, but I also always break at least two needles achieving this look and my Ninni culottes were not exception!

My body measurements best-suited the size 10 on the Named size chart, but the pattern has plenty of ease and based on the finished garment measurements I decided to make the size 8. I made no alterations whatsoever and I really like the way they fit and hang. They are super swishy and comfy to wear and I’ve got lots of outfit ideas in mind to try out this autumn. I think boots would work well with the length so I can keep wearing them when the weather gets colder and luckily a really chunky jumper would look cute with them too!

I’d like to end with a big thank you to Eva and Petra at Atelier Jupe for inviting me to collaborate with them again – it really is always a pleasure! Do give them a follow on Instagram to see all of the beautiful shots of their new collection and check out the rest of their gorgeous new fabrics and patterns over on their website!