Fabric : Fibre : Family
Sadly I’ve not been contacted by Jackien and although I tried to contact her by email, it bounced back to me.
So…I’ve asked Mr Random.org to pick me another winner for the Simplicity pattern giveaway and he said:
Woot!
Chica…send me your address and I’ll get your pattern organised for you.
I’m really thrilled with the response to my review and giveaway on Simplicity 1886.
I’ve been wearing that top to death, and can only recommend it even more after having done so. I LOVE it!
But enough about me…you’re here to find out who one the Simplicity pattern of their choice.
Drumroll please
The winners are:
Jackien
Congratulations ladies. I can’t wait to see your creations.
Could you email me your address details and I’ll arrange for Simplicity to send the patterns directly to you.
The house is quiet.
Both of them are at school.
Button was a little fazed this morning, but as soon as she bumped into her friend at the gates, she was fine and off like a rocket!
Boy has been wired all day waiting to go…he’s only in for half afternoons all this week.
It feels like only the blink of an eye since they were these two tiny people at nursery.
Now they are both school children.
I’m a little bit sad that we don’t have babies in the house any more. But much more proud of the amazing people they are growing up to be.
We are entering a new era, and I have no idea what it will bring. I’m looking forward to finding out.
He used the brakes on his scooter a tad too enthusiastically. Thankfully he’s fine. And we didn’t need A&E!
I’m also pretty glad that the black eye he got the other week at the play centre has faded.
PS…the uber sad face is purely for effect. He’s currently bouncing around the garden like a little boy should.
Ye Gods!
I’m so glad to finally be able to post this review. I’ve been exceptionally tardy with it. Although we’ve had a lovely time, the summer holidays really got in the way of my creative time. On Sunday The Husband whisked the kids away to the park and for ice cream. He’s my hero!
Of course, I’d have been posting this much sooner if I hadn’t had that pesky ironing escapade!
Anyway…back to the patterns. As you know I was approached by Simplicity who very kindly offered me some free patterns in exchange for me making up and reviewing them. I was delighted to accept, but all opinions are my own.
I chose:
and
My third pattern is the one I’ll be reviewing first, although I will get to the other two over the coming months.
As the weather is cooling down a little as we head towards autumn, I decided to shop the stash and make this up in some pretty John Kaldor print that’s been waiting far too long to make it to the sewing table.
John Kaldor floral
Yes it’s poly, but I thought it would be a great little basic to wear with my denim skirt and a little cardigan for slightly cooler days.
I chose this pattern as I’ve been looking for a replacement for Sorbetto. I love Colette’s aesthetic but really had trouble getting the darts right because of the FBA I needed. I’m still a bit hit and miss with FBA’s. I’ll crack them eventually.
With that in mind, this pattern seemed a great option as it’s already drafted for different cup sizes…although I’m a DD/E dependent on who you speak to, so even with the extra cup size options, I knew I’d have some finangling of the fit to do.
So…how did I get on?
It’s a mix of The Good, The Bad and The Ugly!
The Good
Well, despite the discrepancy between my bosom and that of the pattern, it took me a surprisingly small amount of time and effort to to fit this top.
I cut the pattern in the D cup option in the size that fits my high bust measurement at the shoulders and armholes. I cut the side seams at the next size up.
This is the muslin straight off the pattern:
I was really surprised that this worked. Yes, I still had gapping at the armhole and front and back necks…but I always have that gapping. It’s down to the shape I am.
You can see that I’ve already pinned out a dart on one of the armholes. I just replicated that at the front neck and back neck, transferred those darts to the pattern and cut out the fashion fabric.
Voila!
Alterations made and transferred to the pattern within about half an hour. Which is without doubt the quickest turnaround of a muslin in my whole sewing career! It was so easy and I am a very happy camper!
The multi cup size pattern options really do work.
So I was ready to sew, which is when we came to…
The Bad
Perhaps calling them ‘Bad’ is a little harsh. Perhaps ‘Pesky’ would be a better word. Or just a little bit ‘Naughty’.
Semantics aside, the first hiccup came when I was making the ruffle for the front. Let’s just say the instructions for inserting the ruffles are less than clear.
The neck band was a complete and total bear. I’ve lost count of how many times I unpicked the wretched thing.
However, I think it’s most likely that the problems I encountered were created by the fabric being very slippery and fidgety. Because it was very slippery and fidgety indeed. But! I suspect that it would have been easier to draft a simple stand collar than the band and facings used here. It was all a little bit fussy to apply and turned the air in the sewing loft blue on more than one occasion.
Despite it being a slippery customer, once done, it looks really cute, and if I did it again it would be a whole lot easier. That said, I’m grateful for the printed fabric. It hides a multiple of sins! 😉
The Ugly
This is where I’m going to take the opportunity to speak to Simplicity (and the other major pattern houses, to be fair. They’re just as bad) about the styling of their pattern envelopes.
People…you really need to up your game on the envelope styling!
You don’t make it at all easy for us to choose your patterns. I’ve lost count of the times I’ve seen a really cute dress/top/trousers/whatever on a blog only to realise that it’s a pattern that I’d previously totally discounted due to the styling on the envelope.
I can understand that back in the day, before the independent pattern companies flourished, that you could get away with it. But now…not so much. The Cynthia Rowley envelope isn’t all bad but 1606 and 1886…I feel that they really need some work.
I recognise that the big 4 are aiming at a much wider audience than the indie companies, but I’m not sure that’s a strong enough argument. How hard can it be to pitch at multiple markets with the same envelope? Especially as most of the design is sketched. Even Knip Mode magazine, which isn’t always the most fashion forward of the sewing mags, manages to do this on a regular basis.
Yep…same pattern…different fabric and styling!
Although the camel ones could do with a better fit…more whiskers that O’Malley the Alley Cat!
As the sewing market grows, both in the number of customers (due to the resurgence of interest in the craft), and of the range of patterns available (because of the growth of independent houses), I feel that the Big 4 are missing a real opportunity to reach out to sewists and provide them with a well drafted product in a packaging that appeals to a wide range of tastes and styles.
Conclusion
I hope you don’t think this is a negative review because, despite the niggles I had with the neckline on this top, I’m really, really pleased with the result and feel that it really fills a gap in my wardrobe. I know it’s going to get quite a bit of wear over the next few months. It goes with my denim skirt and a pair of cropped RTW trousers.
Please ignore the creases…this was the end of a very busy day of last minute school uniform shopping!
I also think the ruffle, which I’d normally avoid, works very well and is surprisingly flattering thanks to the lovely drape of the fabric.
For me, this pattern works in a way that I couldn’t get Sorbetto to. The darts are great and as a result it’s not too boxy. Lord knows, I need no help in looking boxy!
Happy dart and a lovely snug armhole.
Ignore the wrinkles…they’re just there because I’m pulling my arm back to show the dart.
I can see myself playing with the neckline and hemline to make variations so that I can get some much needed quick and easy tops into my wardrobe. Although, rest assured, next time I’ll be binding the neck and armholes and not faffing with the wretched neckline and facing pieces given in the pattern.
And the scorch…
I just slapped a teeny tiny patch on it…and a matching one on the other side seam. I promise they are much less obtrusive and inelegant in real life. You can hardly see them. And they mean I can happily wear this top. As most of the time I’ll be wearing this with a cardigan, this is a solution I can easily live with.
But most of all I am totally sold on the idea of multiple bust size options, and salute Simplicity for introducing them. Being able to remove/reduce the FBA/SBA makes fitting so much faster and easier. I think we’ll all agree that this is a Very Good Thing. For sure, I’ve never fitted a pattern so quickly and with such a good result.
I can only encourage more/all pattern companies to embrace this feature going forwards. It’s a feature that will definitely influence my pattern purchasing decisions in the future. I suspect I’m not alone in this view.
So I’m patting myself on the back for selecting this pattern, and am patting Simplicity on the back for giving me the opportunity to try it. I’m also looking forward to making up the other two patterns and am hopeful for an equally happy outcome.
But now, if you not asleep at this point, here’s the bit of this post you’ve really been waiting for. It’s time for you to get your hands on a Simplicity pattern of your own!
Actually, it’s time for 3 (yep…three) of you to get a Simplicity pattern of your choice!
Here’s how you can win:
Easy, peasy, lemon squeezy!
I’ll close this giveaway on Friday 6th September at midnight GMT and choose 3 lucky winners to receive the pattern of their choice.
This giveaway is open to international readers as well as those in the UK.
Good luck!
The Simplicity top is finished and the review is written. I just needed pictures to add to the post and I was good to go.
Today we have had glorious sunshine which seemed to present a perfect opportunity to test drive my lovely new top at a local food festival.
Or not!
Blasted iron was too hot (obviously nothing to do with me having it on the wrong setting)!
My immediate reaction was “thank goodness I have enough of this fabric to make another”.
Well, actually, that was my second reaction. My first involved my expletives of choice.
Then I realised that a strategically placed design feature could probably save this top…and several hours work for me too! So I’ve got it all pinned and ready to sew and will get back to you soon with the finished article.
One man’s meat is another man’s poison, or so they say. The same can be said of sewing patterns, no?
Although Simplicity 1609 is not a style I could ever carry off, it’s proved a popular giveaway, and all of you had very stylish plans for this pattern.
Thank you all for entering, but, sadly, on this occasion there can be only one winner, and that, according to Random.org is……
Debby
who is planning to make it up in a lightweight wool for winter. It think it will look gorgeous.
So congratulations Debby. Please let me have your postal details and I’ll get this pattern out to you.
And don’t forget, I’ll have another pattern giveaway very soon.
I was recently thrilled to be approached by Simplicity to try some of their patterns, post a review, and host a giveaway. I think it would have been foolish churlish to refuse.
So I didn’t. Tra la laaaaaaaa!
I’m currently working on the top I’m going to review, so the proper giveaway will come when I’ve finished that and can share it with you.
You know how it is with school holidays…sewing is the last thing you get to do! 😉
However, when I received my patterns I found that I had been sent 1609 by mistake and in the wrong size (it’s a 6 – 14), so the lovely folks at Simplicity are sending me the right pattern (woot!) and have said that I can share 1609 with you.
Thanks, Simplicity. It’s so kind of you.
So, whilst this dress isn’t my thing, it’s certainly an adorable pattern. The wonderful Gertie has made 5, yes five!, versions of this. That’s one hell of an endorsement.
image from www.blogforbettersewing.com
Check out Gertie’s blog for the other versions…they are all really cute. Although you wouldn’t expect anything less, would you?
To win this pattern just leave me a comment on this post before midnight GMT on Sunday 18th August. I’d love to hear what fabric you’d make this up in.
I’ll be happy to post this anywhere in the world.
Bonne chance, mes amies!
I suppose that should be FF0 17 – finally finished object!
I posted the first completed stitcheries for this quilt on 11 July 2010.
We’re now in August 2013…so just over 3 years to finish this quilt.
*hangs head in shame*
But finished it is.
And, having fallen out of love with this project halfway through, I’m thoroughly besotted with the finished object.
The backing is just some inexpensive polycotton sheeting from Abakhan.
I quilted around the edge of each patch and then straight lines around the borders using the edge of the foot as a guide.
Although I suspect I could be pushing the limits of the Trade’s Description Act by calling them ‘straight’ lines as I swear there isn’t a single one of them to be found on this quilt. But that’s OK. It’s turned out far better than I’d envisaged. And I’m just really, really relieved to have it finished and out of the sewing loft.
That said I think it’s only fair to clarify that the my tardiness with this quilt is no reflection on the pattern.
It was purely a case of having started to sew I realised that, whilst I absolutely love machine sewn quilts, they aren’t something I particularly enjoy making. But this was the first quilt I ever attempted so I didn’t know. I also knew nothing at all about quilting in general, but it turns out that didn’t matter…Anni Downs knows plenty and she makes it really easy to cut, embroider, piece and finish this quilt.
I just took it step by step and here I am, so I highly recommend this pattern.
And, after all this time, I’m really happy I made this quilt…I just don’t think I’ll be in a hurry to start another machine sewn quilt.
Back to the hexies I go!
Wow these holidays are flying by.
We are managing not to completely murder each other, although my two are full of beans and yummy treats!
Yesterday they spent the day at their dance class summer school. 2 whole days of activities and dancing. Yay! I think they were as relived as I was for the break! They certainly came home very tired and, after a bit of grumping, they zonked out in bed nice and early.
So, after catching up with necessary chores (apparently they insist on me having food in the house) I got some time in the sewing loft and set to finishing the quilting of Gardener’s Journal.
Of course, as is the way, with only 4 lines of quilting and the binding to sew, I ran out of thread. So I took the time to cut out a toile for a top I’m making as part of the current wave of Simplicity pattern reviews.
Which means that soon I’ll have a new top to share with you and a lovely giveaway too!
And, if I get some thread today, I’ll also have a quilt finished.
Finally!