patterns Archives - Page 8 of 10

Lekela 5098 – the finished blouse

April 18, 2014

A couple of weeks ago we had a family gathering for Chinese food and I was determined to finish this blouse to wear for it. Armed with lots of tea, plenty of episodes of The Archers on download, and the spirit of the Great British Sewing Bee, I set to.

I made it and despite my reservations about the pattern, I’m really delighted with the finished blouse.

We’ll ignore the fact that I’m larger than the average bear at the moment, and the hedge is in dire need of a trim, shall we?!

Oh, and the creases…I’ve been wearing this all day, including a couple of hours in the car driving to and fro!

The Fabric

This fabric was a lucky find in one of the offcuts bins at Abakhan. It’s polyester but if you don’t look to closely it could just about pass for silk. It’s got a great drape and because they sold it by weight, it cost me about £3. So the whole blouse, including the pattern, came in at under a fiver.

On the subject of polyester…I know it gets a bad rap, but some of my favourite RTW blouse are lightweight poly, and I have to say they suit my lifestyle perfectly. So whilst I’m still always going to love a good quality cotton, I’m not going to turn my nose up at a cute poly, especially when the result is this good.

So, what do I think of the pattern?

Well, I covered this in some detail in my previous post, but, despite the issues I had with the actual pattern, I’m really rather pleased with the results.

The instructions are hilarious. They’ve obviously been run through an online translation and as such make Burda instructions look like War & Peace. I had no idea what they intended me to do with the sleeves and initially sewed both marked pleats in place, only to find that I couldn’t move my arm.

10 minutes with a stitch-unpick and that issue was solved!

I should also point out that I straightened the seam-line of the sleeve to reduce some of the fullness at the cuff.

You can see where the second pleat has been released.

These patterns have the direct opposite of the clear and lovely instructions of such independents as Cake, Colette or Oliver + S. So I pretty much made it up as I went along.

Bias binding for the neck opening and neckline. A bit rough and ready but I was up against the clock and not completely convinced this blouse was going to be wearable. You only notice when you get really, really up close and personal, and The Husband is never going to criticise my stitching 😉

And a quick bias cuff with the bottom of the sleeve gathered slightly to fit.

Would I make this again?

It might surprise you, but absolutely yes! I got many compliments on our night out, most along the line of “wow…love your blouse…where did you buy it”. I’ll take those, thank you very much!

I really need to learn some new poses!

I’ve some beautiful lightweight cotton with a divine polka dot that I’ve been hoarding since November last year (6 metres of it…an anniversary gift from The Husband. Reason to love him #762!)

I’m planning to add some shirring to the centre back to add a little more shaping, and to the bottom of the sleeve instead of a cuff. I’ll probably just gather the sleeve next time although I do like the pleat, but I’m contemplating adding some pintucks to the front and moving the opening to the back with a wee button.

It’ll have to wait a little bit though. A certain young lady has commandeered some red denim in my stash and dragged me to the sewing shop today to buy lining and notions for her own version of the Spring Showers Jacket. Hey…it’s cheaper than a bike!

Elegance & Elephants Spring Showers Jacket – Pattern Review

April 4, 2014

I had the good fortune this week to be asked to test again for Elegance & Elephants.

You already know how much I love Heidi’s patterns. You’ve seen them often enough here.

This time it was Boy’s turn to be my muse for Heidi’s latest delightful offering, the Spring Showers Jacket.

The Pattern

This is a really cute unisex jacket in sizes 2 – 12. I made the size 4/5. The PDF comes together really quickly and easily and each size is nicely nested to enable you to cut or trace your required size without having to squint! The instructions are well written with clear photos holding your hand every step of the way. The pattern has some sweet touches like the patch pockets with flaps:

and a cute visor on the hood!

The Fabric

I chose this fabulous navy camo cotton drill from Minerva Fabrics for the outer shell and a plain cotton, also from Minerva for the lining. I lined the sleeves in a matching poly to make the jacket easier to slip on and off.

What do I think?

No surprises… I love this pattern. Heidi has done it again. This is going to be a firm favourite Chez Stitches.

I’m thrilled with this jacket. This is the sort of garment I’d happily spend good money on, but am even happier to have made myself.

My little man is 5 but small for his age.

This means he’s got lots of room to put a sweater underneath on cooler days, and will also get lots of wear out of this.

He loves it too.

Bonus!

The pattern is available now. If you’ve got small people I can really recommend this pattern. I’ve got a feeling it won’t be too long before I’m making a pink or red version for a certain little lady. She’s dropping huge hints to that effect. And who am I to argue?

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this pattern in return for my testing of the pattern and subsequent feedback. All opinions are, however, entirely my own.

Lekela blouse – pattern review and toile

March 24, 2014

Have you heard of Lekela patterns?

I’ve been aware of them for quite some time but I’ve never taken the plunge and tried them out. Originally their website was more than a little messy and their ordering system the same, and although I liked the look of some of their patterns, I really couldn’t be bothered faffing around with it all.

However they’ve recently upped their game and the site it much cleaner, more easily navigable, and the prices are super low.

I paid $2.69 for pattern 5098, which is this blouse pattern:

I chose this pattern because it’s very similar in style to a RTW blouse I’m wearing to death, that I’d like to replicate, and that I’d like to become part of my planned suite of Wardrobe Architect inspired TNT patterns.

And, frankly, at $2.69 I can afford to take a punt on this…other than a bit of time and some muslin fabric, I’ve nothing to lose.

Buying the pattern

Obviously it’s really easy to buy a PDF pattern. 5 minutes and the thing is in your inbox and waiting to be printed.

Lekela is that simple but you also get the opportunity to choose whether you’d like your pattern with or without seam allowances, which is pretty cool. Also you get to input your own measurements so that the pattern can be adjusted accordingly.

In theory this is just bloody marvellous. But don’t get all excited just yet…you’ll see why in a moment.

The PDF

As I’ve mentioned before, I really don’t mind the whole process of print/stick/trace that is your lot if you order a PDF pattern. Even adult patterns. I pour a glass of wine, arm myself with scissors, magic tape and a bit of space at the table and crack on. It’s especially fun if I’ve got episodes of The Archers to listen too.

So that’s what I did.

And I wished I’d had more wine.

I’ve had experience of poorly tiled PDFs before but nothing on this scale. Firstly there are only guidelines at the side margins to show where you need to trim the paper to fit together….nothing at the top or bottom margins.

Secondly there are no guide marks to show where the tiled pages should connect to the one next to it. So you’re trying to match the actual cutting/sewing lines of the pattern piece.

That wouldn’t be so bad if they actually line up…but I had to do some serious jiggery pokery to make that happen.

I know you get what you pay for but, seriously, this was ridiculous. If you were a newbie sewer, or new to the whole PDF malarky, this could really be problematic for you.

The instructions

Think Burda. ‘Nuff said.

The Toile

Having thrown the pattern in the corner to teach it some manners, I came back to it refreshed the next day to cut and fit the toile.

This pattern should be used as a teaching tool in every sewing class to show the reason why you make a toile.

Here’s a spectacularly hideous photo of me wearing the toile cut straight from the pattern with no alterations. Bear in mind that I input my measurements for this:

It’s just awful. It’s waaaaaaaaay to big, I know I’m starting to lose weight but I’ve not lost that much overnight! (Oh, I wish!) Also, the neckline doesn’t reflect the illustration, and overall it’s too long.

This is the second toile after some adjustments:

Toiles are so flattering…but this is so much better…and I’ve tweaked the pattern a little more after looking at this picture.

My alterations:

Removed 2″ from the centre front and centre back. I crossed checked this against the inspiration blouse and it was clear that all the excess fabric was in that area.
Widened the neckline, again using my RTW blouse to check the sizes.
Dropped the neckline by about an inch.
Lowered the bust dart by about 1/2 inch.
1/2 inch forward shoulder adjustment.
Hollow chest adjustment
Rounded back adjustment
1″ removed from the hem

The forward shoulder/rounded back/hollow chest adjustments are standard fare for me, but I’ll admit to being disappointed that, having given specific measurements, the overall size of this blouse was so far off the mark.

I didn’t fit the sleeve for this muslin as there is a lot of volume to allow for mobility and I’m really pleased with the fit of the armhole. However I will ‘walk’ the armscye and sleeve head before I cut any fabric…just to be sure one will fit the other!

So…what do I think of Lekela patterns?

I think in principle this is a great idea. The model for this website is obviously low price/high volume. $2.69 is a ridiculously low price to pay for a sewing pattern, but they’ve cut right back on the instructions and everything is obviously generated by the software. Once you’ve done the basic pattern in one size, and an illustration, I’m making a fairly educated guess that everything else is automated.

However, and it’s a big however, there are still a lot of kinks to iron out. The fit is way off and the PDF tiling is atrocious…the worst I’ve ever experienced.

I wouldn’t recommend these for novice sewists, but if you’re comfortable hacking a pattern around to get the fit, then go for it. These patterns cost less that a small takeaway coffee so it’s a tiny investment.

I’m hoping to get a sewing day tomorrow and start actually cutting out the fashion fabric. I’ll be using a super cheap, but really pretty poly from Abakhan for this pattern’s first proper outing. I’ll let you know how I get on.

Wish me luck!

ps…please ignore the absolute tip that is the sewing loft at the moment. We keep saying “let’s go and finish packing the loft up” and then settling down with a glass of wine and a movie. It’s just such a miserable job that The Husband would rather lift tiled floors than do it, and I need him to dismantle the heavy stuff before I can do any more. So it sits, like an albatross atop the house. And we drink wine and ignore it!

Larry

March 20, 2014

The Sweater of Doom is finished.

Hurrah!

I sewed the final seam on Saturday afternoon so it was ready just in time for the Mr’s birthday on Sunday. This was a result…but more good luck than good judgement 😉

He is delighted with the sweater and promptly pronounced it to be cosy and warm, which is a blessing here at the moment because although Spring has sprung, it’s still cold and wet (though nothing like our Canadian and North American cousins have been experiencing, so I’ll shut up). He also declared that it’s his favourite knitted-by-me sweater, which makes all my cursing worth while.

But enough of my waffling…here’s what Larry looks like on him:

Pattern:

Larry by Berrocco Design Team – available free on Ravelry

Yarn:

Twilleys of Stamford Freedom Spirit Chunky in colourway Dignity.

Pattern review:

This is a super, simple pattern that could be knitted by any adventurous beginner. If you can cast on and off, knit, purl, do simple decreases and pick up stitches, you can knit this sweater.

It’s also the perfect thing to knit in front of the TV because of it’s simplicity.

The end result is a rugged, casual sweater that is a great wardrobe basic.

Things I’d do differently next time:

Make sure I had enough yarn! Having to alternate between old and new yarns because they were different dye lots really slowed me down.
Not sit on one of my lovely wooden needles halfway through, snapping it and ending up having to dig an old pair of metal needles out of the needle jar so I could crack on and get this finished.
Realise sooner that this needle change would affect the tension and that was why, even though I’d counted the rows on the sleeves, the second sleeve was shorter than the first. Doh!
Not use recycled yarn. As this is a loosely spun yarn it was quite keen to stick to itself which made the knitting process less fun.

Would I recommend this pattern:

Absolutely. I can definitely see another one of these being knitted next winter simply because he loves it so much.

Now, here’s a little story about some pants named Jed!

March 13, 2014

This is a tale of three parts.

One good…one less so…one really fun.

Let’s start with the good. The Jedediah toile.

I rustled that up earlier in the week from an old sheet. Obviously not comparable in weight to the denim I was planning to make these up in, but I really just wanted to check whether the Mr could get his rugby thighs into them. We have so much trouble with RTW it seemed prudent.

I swore black and blue that I wouldn’t put this up on the interwebs. Ooops!

As you can see apart from a little bit of saddlebagging at the hips there is plenty of room in the thighs. Which is all good.

I’d show you the front and side views but:

I forgot to put the yoke piece on the back before trying them on so they hang all sorts of peculiar at the front and I’m sparing both our blushes.
Mr decided to test the fit by throwing a very deep squat. Neither the fabric nor the stitching held. Again, blushes being spared.

But, I’m happy to go ahead with cutting these in the fashion fabric and making fitting tweaks as I go along. I think that bubble on his tush will even out in a weightier fabric and once the side seams are fitting better.

I’m delighted with this pattern so far. How often do you get to throw a pattern on to your fashion fabric straight out of the envelope?

So today I did just that. The denim had already been prewashed and dried 3 times so was good to go.

I laid it out on the table.

I laid the pattern on top.

Crappity!

I thought the fabric was wider than it is. There is no way on earth I can get both front and back legs cut out of this length for jeans for either The Husband or myself. If I were a size 12 or 14 then this would work fine. But I’m not. And there’s way too much cake in the world for me ever to be so again I think!

Pattern overhanging the fabric is not a good thing. At All!

At first I was more than a little frustrated. This is a beautiful weighty denim with just a hint of stretch bought last year from The Cloth House in London. It’s the good stuff. But there’s just not enough. That’s what you get for buying fabric on spec.

It seems a waste to cut it up for jeans for the kids. There’s way too much of it for that. Soooooooo, I’ve got an idea about what I’m going to do. But I’m going to save that for another post. All I’ll say now is that it ties in nicely with my Wardrobe Architect project.

The fun part is that I’ve promised to make these so make them I shall. We shall just have to go fabric shopping.

Oh…the horror! 😉

Johnny B Good shirt

February 18, 2014

Despite my own best efforts not to finish this shirt, I did, and in good time for Boy’s birthday party on Saturday. Phew!

Before I get into the review of this shirt, let me just remind you that this shirt was upcycled from a shirt gifted to us by our friend, Martin. The fabric is a thick and temperamental cotton, that acts like a very brattish polyester.

But…it’s wonderfully soft and cosy and Boy, who normally throws a fit of the screaming ab-dabs when you ask him to wear a shirt, couldn’t wait to get it on, and didn’t want to take it off. So it’s a win, as far as I’m concerned.

I did change the buttons. On the original shirt they were a yellowy cream button and really looked a bit odd against the lilac/pink/blue fabric.

The new buttons are a variegated lilac that I found on our local market stall. I like them much more.

Oops…a bit blurry, but you get the idea, no?

And, in one final change, I “drafted” a mandarin/grandad collar by simply folding the collar part of the pattern up and using just the stand to cut my fabric. I did, of course, remember to add a seam allowance to the top of the collar!

The pattern is Shwinn Designs Johnny B Good shirt, and, I’ll admit I have mixed feelings about this pattern.

Let’s start with the good:

The tiling on the pdf is really good and the pattern tapes together quickly and cleanly.
The drafting of the pattern is excellent. I found all the separate pieces stitched up perfectly.
The sizing is good too. Boy is a small 5 and this shirt fits him now but has room to grow into. In my book this is perfect. If I’m sewing something for the kids I’d like it to last more than a couple of weeks!

However, this pattern does have some challenges:

I found the instructions to be a little less than straightforward and clear.
I thought the sleeve placket is a little long. It reaches right up to the elbow. This is, of course, just a matter of personal taste.
I also thought the sleeve placket to be placed just a little too far towards the front of the sleeve.
There are no placement marks for the buttonholes on the sleeves. The idea is that you place them where you’d like them to go, but, personally, I would have preferred them to be added on the pattern.

I think this shows how far forwards the sleeve placket sits on the sleeve and also how high up the sleeve it goes. Please ignore the shoddy buttonholes.

Despite the things I’m not fond of with this pattern, I will be using it again. I think I’ll adjust the sleeve placket to move it more to the back of the arm, and shorten the placket a little bit.

I plan to measure this shirt to get a really good idea for button placement and mark them on the pattern.

And lastly, I think I’ll redraft the hem of this shirt to give it tails rather than a straight edge. I think it will look really cute.

Once the pattern has been tweaked there’s one other thing I’ll change. I’ll use better thread so the topstitching isn’t quite so shocking. I’m eternally grateful that this fabric hides a multitude of sins!

However, all my gripes are moot. Boy loves his shirt, which is nothing short of a birthday miracle.

And yes, that is a bus cake. As his party was held on the play bus (officially making him the coolest boy in the class…who knew?) I really had no say in the matter.

He loved it 😉

She wore Red Velvet – FO 19/2013 – pattern review

October 3, 2013

You may have had a version of this post pop up in your reader yesterday. Ooops! I had a WordPress Meltdown Moment, for which I apologise. This is the post I meant to publish.

Ok…I finally get to spill the beans. I, dear reader, am having my Cake and eating it.

I’m a Cake Patterns Red Velvet Muse.

I can hardly believe it. You know I love Red Velvet. It was our wedding cake, for goodness sake!

But here am I wearing my red Red Velvet dress…so it must be true!

I’ve had so much fun making this dress. Obviously I made mine from the PDF version. I know many folks don’t like PDFs, but, Steph has spent so much time working on the fine details of this that I think even the most die-hard PDF-phobes could be persuaded to use them.

This pattern is as close to perfection as a PDF is going to get because you don’t have to print off 732 pages just to get the ones you need. Steph has done all the work and tells you which page ranges you need to print for the size you want to make.

It’s genius. And time/paper/ink saving too.

And the tiling on this pattern is fabulous. It goes together perfectly and therefore quickly, meaning you can get on with cutting out and sewing your dress, rather than swearing at piles of paper and setting fire to your sewing room in frustration.

Secondly, the drafting and sizing are amazing. Below is a little table that shows a comparison between my sizes and the pattern sizes:

measurement	on my body	on Red Velvet
high bust	42”	45D
full bust	47”	45D
waist	43	45
bust length	15¾	14 3/8
height	5’ 7”

Because all the information is there for you, printed on the pattern, it’s so easy to work out what, if any, alterations you need to make.

Now, this is where it gets interesting. My original alterations were 1″ added to the bust length because I have, ahem, a bosom, and 1″ removed from the waistband depth because I’m very short waisted.

This is Red V1.0. Almost straight out of the “envelope”. Almost perfect apart from a little bunching around the underarm.

I have pattern tested before and am used to working exactly to the pattern with only minimal, or even no, alterations. My job is usually to check out how the PDF goes together and how the pattern itself sews up. Steph takes a more collaborative approach, and with her guidance and blessing, I cured that bunching at the side of the bust very quickly and easily.

I removed the 1″ from the back bodice that I’d added to the original length. I carried this around to the front bodice at the side seam, and then tapered out to the seam at the pleats.

Its called a Deep Bust Alteration and Steph explains is far more elegantly than I do over on her new, and fabulously detailed Red Velvet Measurement and Size Guide.

This is what the alteration looked like on my front bodice: So simple.

So effective.

This is how my dress looks now. Red V2.0.

Morning photos…this is the most smile I can conjure before coffee! 😉

Perfect.

And because the drafting is superb, the dress comes together quickly and easily. If you’re used to battling the wonky drafting that we often encounter in the Big 4 pattern offerings, this will come as a delightful surprise.

Also, Steph has written excellent instructions that, if you’re a beginner sewist, will walk you through the process from start to finish. However if, like me, you’ve been around the sewing block once or twice, her tips and techniques are a wonderful reminder of things you may have forgotten, such as block fusing and under-stitching a neckline.

Either way, you’re not alone in the sewing room.

My fabric is a red ponte from my local sewing shop, The Buttonhole in Chorley. Without a cardigan to break up the lines, and because I’m not skinny, it’s a whole lot of red! But, for me this isn’t a bad thing. The world in my neck of the woods gets awfully grey at this time of the year, as you can see from the morning photos above. A boldly coloured dress is the perfect antidote to that. And, with a cardigan, it’s just to adorable for words!

Yeah I’m happy. I love this dress. The Husband loves this dress. I can see it getting lots of wear this autumn because it’s as comfortable as pyjamas.

But pyjamas you can do the school run in:

Please excuse the fuzzy background. I didn’t feel it was appropriate for the kid’s friends to feature here without parental approval.

And if that wasn’t enough….

There’s a whole Red Velvet Collection.

I know…so cool.

I’ve already got fabric on order for the Cocoa Shrug and cannot wait to give the innovative Espresso Leggings pattern a whirl.

I love leggings (and would probably live in them given the chance) but have trouble getting them long enough or in a fabric that doesn’t show your pants every time you move.

No more.

I also quite fancy making these as funky training leggings for CrossFit.

So much Cake, so little time. And not a calorie in sight!

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this pattern in return for my opinions and photos. All opinions, of course, are entirely my own. I should also tell you that going forwards I’ll be the UK/EU distributor for Cake Patterns. So exciting!

Another winner

September 16, 2013

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:

Chica Andaluza

Woot!

Chica…send me your address and I’ll get your pattern organised for you.

Simplicity giveaway…the winners

September 9, 2013

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

Sewing Princess

Scruffy Badger

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.

Simplicity 1886 – FO 18/2013 – review and a splendid Simplicity pattern giveaway

August 28, 2013

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:

Go to www.simplicitynewlook.com and choose which pattern you’d like to add to your collection.
Leave a comment below telling me which pattern you’ve chosen.
For an extra chance to win, just follow Simplicity on Twitter – @SewSimplicity – and leave me another comment to confirm you’ve done so.
Get a third chance to win by posting this giveaway on your blog and pop a link to the post in your comment.

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 Fabric

So, what do I think of the pattern?

Would I make this again?

The Pattern

The Fabric

What do I think?

Buying the pattern

The PDF

The instructions

The Toile

My alterations:

So…what do I think of Lekela patterns?

Pattern:

Yarn:

Pattern review:

Things I’d do differently next time:

Would I recommend this pattern:

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