Cute As a Button! We’re Feeling Sew Inspired by These Belle Shirt Beauties

Have you made your own beautiful Peppermint Belle Shirt yet? 

Created in collaboration with Modern Sewing Co’s marvellous Hetty Adams, this versatile blouse boasts some special features that will keep it a standout star in your wardrobe, from its statement bell sleeves and wide-set placket. You can even lengthen it and wear it as an adorable A-line mini dress! 

To ring the bells in celebration of this glorious pattern and to give you a healthy dose of sewspo to start your own, we asked five fantastic sewing influencers to create their own versions in a Spoonflower fabric of their choosing.

From @TheLadyWhoLunches’s beautiful botanical dress and @Gabby_Sews’s plaid perfection to @TimeToSew’s terrific tiger print and @CaitSnyd_Sews‘s dopamine dressing realness, read on to hear all their secret thoughts on the pattern and get inspired to create your own version!

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Fabric Choice: Cotton Sateen in Primary Pop Botanicals 

Peppermint reached out to me to see if I’d sew this pattern up and provided fabric. I enjoyed a lot of the elements of this pattern — especially the separate collar pieces. I think it was missing instructions for the hem. [Editor’s note: they’re added now!] But I did a nice clean hem technique I usually use for shirts.⁠

I used Spoonflower’s Cotton Sateen in Primary Pop Botanicals from Tara Normal. LOVE! And would you believe, my pattern matching is accidental? My buttons are all mismatched red from my stash!

GABBY SEWS

Fabric Choice: Organic Cotton Sateen in Americana Plaid

I’m always down to try a new button-up shirt! This is the lovely Peppermint Belle Shirt released by Peppermint and designed by Modern Sewing Co who you well know is one of my faves! I had the opportunity to try out some printed fabric from Spoonflower for this make. I chose the Organic Cotton Sateen base with a simple plaid design and it was such a dream to sew and press. Nothing like taking a steamy iron to a crispy cotton! 

I amped up the playful orangey-red plaid with candy-esque yellow buttons and made no mods, but feel that the sleeves are too long for me so I’m not getting the full impact of the gathers and dramatic cuff. Next time I’ll shorten them by 1.5 inches! I’d love to make this again in dark navy cotton for a very smart look.

CAIT SNYD SEWS

Fabric Choice: Cotton Poplin in Abstract Ocean – Electric Blue

Peppermint reached out to me earlier this year, asking if I would be interested in sewing their latest pattern, the Peppermint Belle Shirt. I was excited to work with them as they had such a big influence on me when I first started sewing – they have a library of ‘pay what you what’ patterns from various indie designers! I got to choose my fabric from Spoonflower and went with this graphic abstract print since I was high on the “dopamine sewing” journey. The graphic print goes well with the smock-style blouse. I think it would be lovely in a lightweight linen as well.

TIME TO SEW

Fabric Choice: Organic Cotton Sateen in Leopard Parade Blue on Magenta Fabric

A pink tiger print and shirt pattern proved to be an irresistible combination… Thanks, Peppermint and Spoonflower for making it happen! This is the Peppermint Belle Shirt in organic cotton sateen.

Pattern notes:

• Size 8. The body is slightly A-line shape – worth noting if you’re not someone who likes to wear shirts tucked in. I shortened the body a few centimetres as well.
• I could have shortened the sleeves by four to five centimetres but since I didn’t make a toile, it was too late by the time I realised. I compensated with extra tight cuffs so the sleeve doesn’t slip down onto my hand but the button angle isn’t perfect as a result.
• I used two buttons per sleeve cuff instead of one given the width of the cuff. The side effect of a tight cuff is that it emphasises the puff effect.
• And hurray for being able to use 15mm buttons! I have loads in my stash. And pattern matching across the front of course!

Fabric notes:

• Spoonflower’s Organic Cotton Sateen is quite thick and weighty with a very smooth hand feel thanks to the sateen weave.
• It’s not crispy like poplin and not much drape either so works very well for a long-sleeved button-down shirt – if you’re looking for a light summer shirt I’d give this a miss as it’s too thick.

All in all, a fun make in a print and colour that feels very me!