TL; DR – Not a beginner pattern, but I figured it out. I got caught in the rain the other day; the husband appropriated the compact umbrella I carried with me in my purse, so I ended up having to take an Uber rather than get absolutely soaked in the rain. It was time –…
Category: Free Pattern Review
These are my free pattern reviews. Enjoy!
Free Pattern Review: Spearmint Corset from Mood Fabrics (and more!)
TL; DR – This corset, at least, wasn’t too hard at all! The daughter was going to her first Renfaire and needed an outfit. We found this gorgeous silky floral print at Joann’s and made the Spearmint Corset from Mood Fabrics and the Freshly Squeezed skirt from Sew Daily (it was free in the magazine…
Free Pattern Review/Hack: Cowl Neck Dress by Burda
TL; DR – I feel like I’m leveling up! So this expensive and not size-inclusive top keeps algorithmically taunting me. I had a lovely burgundy ponte, the Cowl Neck dress from burda patterns (which, questionable legality on me downloading it, but mostly the patterns shared on the site are/were free at one point), and the…
Free Pattern Review: Sam Apron
TL; DR – This is a really good apron pattern. It’s almost Christmas, and I didn’t have a gift yet for my step-dad. My mom let me know that he needed a new apron for cooking and if I had time to make one for him… I had this leftover denim from the Ludlow I…
Free Pattern Review: Carya Shirt Pattern from Mood Fabrics
TL; DR – [Insert swear words here] After I made my daughter the mushroom skirt, she insisted we go back, get more of the same fabric, and make her and her BFF matching button-up shirts. She chose the unisex Carya shirt pattern from Mood Fabrics for their shirts. OK, so there are a confluence of…
Free Pattern Review: Jasmine Skirt from Georgette Patterns
TL; DR – You don’t really need a pattern for a tiered skirt, but it helped me, and this one is great. So I was wandering around Joann’s while the daughter went crazy two stores over at Micheal’s with all of the witchy, Halloween dropping and I came across this fabric. This fabric is EXACTLY…
Free Pattern Review: Aida from La Maison Victor
TL; DR – Woo for v-necks that actually cover things up, don’t get complacent about shirring. I got this African wax print (which isn’t actually African, it’s Dutch, because colonialism – learn all about it) a while ago and have been waiting for the right pattern to use it, and settled on Aida from La…
Free Pattern Review: Crisa from La Maison Victor
TL; DR – Either I don’t understand French as well as I thought I did or I still can’t read sewing illustrations all that well. Probably both. I was browsing through my collected list of free sewing pattern resources and noticed that suddenly, there were a lot of patterns by La Maison Victor that were…
Free Pattern Review: The Rosalie Shirt Dress from Mood Fabrics
TL; DR – Can a pattern be a simple beginner pattern and super-tricky at the same time? YES IT CAN APPARENTLY. I’ve been wanting a one-piece (ie – not a separate bodice and skirt) shirt dress that flairs out FOREVER. When Mood put out their Rosalie Shirt Dress pattern, I downloaded it right away and…
Free Pattern Review for #sewingcpd2022: Veronika Skirt from Megan Nielsen
TL; DR – I should make skirts more often. October is #sewingcpd2022, or Sewing Curvy Pattern Database 2022. The Curvy Pattern Database was started by Sarah (aka @curvysewingdatabase on Instagram) and it is a database of size-inclusive sewing pattern designers, meaning they have sewing patterns available for those with a 60″ hips or higher. Anyway,…
Free Pattern Review: Jersey Days Dress from Love Sewing
TL; DR – Shirring isn’t as hard as I thought it was going to be. Use stay tape. Orange was, like, *the* color this summer, and in true ADHD fashion, when I realized I didn’t have any orange, I went nuts and bought a ton of orange fabric (see, for example, ORANGE MOD DRESS), including…
Free Pattern Review: Emma by Tiana’s Closet
TL; DR – Hey, pay attention to your measurements, wearable toiles are fantastic, and maybe I’m finally figuring out how to do a V detail. This isn’t my first make from Tiana’s Closet; I point you to A Giant Comedy of Errors. It wasn’t a fair review, because I didn’t take accurate measurements. Or rather,…
Free Pattern Review: Portia Party Dress by Rebecca Page
TL; DR – I still need to work on V-necks, I should just bite the bullet and learn how to use my serger. This was supposed to be Entry 11 for the #sewfrugal22 challenge, but alas, the last week of March was absolutely awful and I ran out of time. I had been trying to…
Free Pattern Review: M7969 for #sewfrugal22
TL; DR – I finally understand the importance of stay-stitching the neckline. Minerva was giving you a digital copy of McCall’s M7969 if you signed up for their newsletter. I really liked the faux-wrap front and the V neckline. I had this gorgeous Liberty print that I thought would make a lovely dress. Folks, I…
Free Pattern Review: Mal Dress from Mood Fabrics for #sewfrugal22
TL; DR – I still don’t get sleeves. As soon as I saw this free pattern drop on the Mood Sewciety blog, I knew I had to make the dress, and I knew I was going to use this Nerida Hansen fabric. The Mal dress isn’t zero-waste, but it is minimal waste, which I would…
Free Pattern Review: Allium Dress from Mood Fabrics for #sewfrugal22
TL; DR – I still suck at setting sleeves, tiny rolled hems are HARD. I had a dress like this from Victoria Beckham for Target, and I’ve always wanted another one. The Allium Dress from Mood Fabrics is a dead ringer (other than having sleeves) for it (although I could have hacked a sleeveless version)….
Free Pattern Review: Avery by The Fabrics Store for #sewfrugal22
TL; DR – I did gathers! Struggling with ease! Still fun! I got a whole bunch of vintage fabric from my local buy-nothing group, including this kinda beige, muslin-type fabric with a lovely floral embroidery at the bottom. It was a narrow fabric, paired with the large motif, it made it hard to know what…
Free Pattern Review: Pleated Summer Dress by In The Folds for Peppermint Magazine #sewfrugal22
TL; DR – LOOK AT ALL THE FLOWERS, still not sure how much ease is the right amount of ease, pleats are fun. EVER MOAR MARIMEKKO! These are the iconic flowers, cut from a king-sized flat sheet. I’ve often waffled back and forth about the (deep breath) Pleated Summer dress by In The Folds for…
Free Pattern Review: Donna from Fabrics Store for #sewfrugal22
TL; DR – ARGH, freaking trying to get an elastic through is always harder than you think it should be. Man, I’m sewing up a storm! This is more Marimekko shower curtain, and I was tired of making Mary Quant Mini-Dresses. So I decided to make this lovely and simple Donna dress, free from The…
Free Pattern Review: Wrap Top from In The Folds/Peppermint Magazine for #sewfrugal22
TL; DR: I can hack patterns now, wrap tops are fun, just like wrap jumpsuits and wrap dresses. I have an aesthetic lol. I found a gorgeous black linen on super-sale online. I thought, ZADIE JUMPSUIT! and ordered the appropriate amount. And then they only sent me one stinking yard (don’t worry – they only…
Free Pattern Review: Laundry Day Tee from Love Notions Patterns for #sewfrugal22
TL; DR – IF THIS IS YOUR FIRST PATTERN DO NO SELECT THE V-NECK OPTION, because other than that, this pattern is easy-peasy…as long as you don’t get cocky and anger the sewing deities, like I did. Y’all know I like a good IG challenge. Every March (apparently) the challenge is to make garments using…
Free Pattern Review: Big Blue Ikea Bag by Miss Make
TL; DR – Sometimes making something simple for your dog is therapeutic and even though he doesn’t care, you spend the time on finishing. My dog loves bags. If there is a bag, my dog will work his hardest to climb in it and then fall asleep. He is a bag dog. It’s amazing. And…
Free Pattern Review: Rowan Dress from Mood Fabrics
TL; DR – Polyester lining is a pain, the tools you use matter, fun fabrics are fun. Ever since I saw the Rowan Dress on Mood Fabrics, I knew I had to make it. And because of my ADHD, I have trouble seeing a dress in any other form than the one presented to me…
Free Pattern Review: Mary Quant Mini-Dress from Alice & Co.
TL; DR – Practice does make you better, read the instructions before cutting your fabric so you don’t waste fabric, cut fabric when the mood strikes you as it makes it easier to sew later (sometimes much later). This Mary Quant mini-dress comes courtesy of the Victoria and Albert Museum in the U.K. and Alice…
Free Pattern Review: Whimsical Bow Dress from Fabrics Store
TL; DR – The tools you use matter, and I still can’t quite properly pair a pattern with the correct fabric. It was time. I had done a number of complicated and complex sewing techniques, and now I was ready: I was going to sew something with a zipper, and a hidden one at that….
Free Pattern Review: Augustina Top from The Fabrics Store
TL; DR – Sometimes you have to sew something super-simple in a lovely fabric to get your sewing mojo back in order, know the difference between 60″ and 45″ wide fabric, and why am I still doing facings for my collars when I can be doing a bias tape finish instead. When I got my…
Free Pattern Review: The Meadow Jumpsuit by Mood Fabrics
TL; DR – The machine you use MATTERS, and I might have to accept that I’m not a jumpsuit person. I love jumpsuits. Except I have a big chest, a short torso, and I am a little on the short side (AVERAGE HEIGHT I SHOULD SAY). So…jumpsuits don’t always love me back. I saw the…
Free Pattern Review: Hazel Coat by Mood Fabrics
TL; DR – Learn how to do finished garment measurements when you aren’t provided them. Using a lighter fabric for the outer coat and a heavier fabric for the lining is a recipe for disaster. I wanted a coat that I could wear in a open field and imagine myself on the cover of Taylor…
Free Pattern Review: Drapey Knit Dress from Sew Magazine
TL; DR – Transfer each and every pattern marking onto the fabric, the fabric you choose matters, and pay attention to your finishes, even if you are tired and frustrated and just want to be done with it. The Drapey Knit Dress turned up in many of my “best free dress patterns” searches, and I…
Free Pattern Review: Copen Dress by Made to Sew
TL; DR – Great free beginner pattern but not very size-inclusive, neck facing is a pain in the ass, it’s easier to fix too big than too small, and make sure you have a stretch needle – beware, those fuckers can pierce your thumbnail, which will cause the needle to snap in half. What’s the…
