The La Bella Donna…. The Beautiful Woman. One of Love notions most beloved patterns and its no wonder why. You’re gonna feel Beautiful if this figure flattering top. I have made this top so many times. I love the easy construction of it. It uses the same pattern piece for both the front and back and has a simple dolman sleeve to make it very beginner friendly. Check out the line drawings below for all the options.. Plus, there’s a girls pattern too! So you and your mini can match.

Love Notions recently updated their size range for the LBD and I was fortunate enough to be a tester for that. I made two long sleeve tunic versions and a short sleeve one for fun. I love them every bit as much as I did the original pattern before the update. Maybe even more. It’s the perfect transitional piece for your me-made wardrobe. Keep scrolling to see all the different ways I’ve made the La Bella Donna plus a couple tips.

I’ve made this pattern is various ways several times. The above one is made from a lovely DBP form Cali Fabrics. I was curious to see just how fast this project could be made once it was cut out.  I made this long sleeve tunic version using my serger in 39 min flat. It was so fast that I made two more. This leaopard one is made with a lovely ribbed knit from Joann Fabrics. Now I just need it to cool down here in the desert so I can wear these comfy long sleeve tunics.

Good thing I have a couple short sleeved ones to wear until the weather changes. I’ll probably make a couple more just because they are so simple. I still need to make one in the updated shirt length. This tunic length is so cute tho and super good at hiding the Covid 19lbs I’ve gained.

I love sewing and hacking this pattern! It’s very seldom that I actually just sew a pattern as is. I always like to change it up a bit. One of my favorite hacks is adding a sleeve flounce. I’ve added various length of flounces to my makes and it’s such a simple thing to do! These are three of the ways I added a flounce ruffle to the LBD sleeve. It’s a flounce for every season and occasion.

I wrote a whole blog post for Love Notions on how I achieved these two different looks. If you want to read more about how to add a simple flounce ruffle as well as how to lengthen it to a dress go here. Or I have another post here where I show you how to make a flounce ruffle to fit ANY pattern. The below looks were inspired by a Ready To Wear garment I saw on social media and fell in love with. I knew I could copy it using the LBD pattern. It’s really a great pattern to add your own flare to.

My Favorite LBD make of all time has to be My Spider Gwen Costume though. My husband, 3 boys and I all LOVE dressing up for Halloween. We do it every year and take a pic that becomes our Christmas card. I knew I could use the LBD to make a simple yet awesome Spider Gwen costume. I will probably eventually write a blog post on how I did it, but for now I’ll just share these pics.

Ok, now for a couple tips.

I don’t know about you but I don’t like reprinting and assembling my pdf patterns over and over. For this reason I need them to stay as intact as possible. The LBD uses the same pattern piece for both the front and back. The only difference is the neckline cutout. Here’s how I keep both necklines intact on the pattern.

 First I put some packing tape over it to make it more stable. Then I make a one inch mark on the front neckline. Next, I cut the front neckline on either side of the mark leaving that one inch spot uncut.

Once I’ve cut out the back and I’m ready to cut out the front, I just fold up that part of the pattern. The packing tape helps to keep it from tearing over repeated use.

 

Another thing I do is write the size of the neck binding on the pattern as well. The LBD had a cowl neck and hooded option pattern pieces. The binding is just a simple rectangle so there isn’t a pattern piece to print. Measurements to make the binding are included in the instructions however I don’t want to have to refer back to the instructions every time I make it. Writing it on the pattern piece really saves me time from looking for it in the directions.

I hope you Love the La Bella Donna pattern as much as I do. It’s beginner friendly and as you can see, great for ALL seasons and occasions. Every me-made wardrobe needs a pattern like this. One you can hack and embellish to your liking.  If you make the LBD make sure and tag #labelladonnatop and #lovenotionspatterns so I can see them and love them too!

Happy Sewing!

Koe