TL; DR – I so needed a woven version of the Kielo dress. I love this dress. Y’all know how much I love the Kielo wrap dress pattern. And when Named Patterns came out with the Lilja dress pattern (which can also be a pinafore or shirt), I jumped on it. And when I found…
Tag: Size Inclusive
Pattern Review: MVP BD Shirt by Forest & Thread
TL; DR – So. Many. Yokes! And I love being able to rescue a garment to make another garment. I tested the extended sizing for the MVP BD Shirt by Forest & Thread. I repurposed a Liberty of London cotton from the Mitchell Dress I made a few years ago but didn’t fit me anymore….
Pattern Review: Tyra Tank by Tammy Handmade
TL; DR – THERE IS A BETTER WAY TO DO A KNIT V-NECK I was invited to test this super-simple tank pattern. I love it. It was perfect for this cute knit I got. The tutorial for doing the V-neck finishing is GENIUS. I’m not going to spoil it. Anyway, I have a cute tank…
Pattern Review: Alma Jean Dress and Blouse by Artifact Patterns
TL; DR – Don’t I look like a party? A+, no notes. I jumped at the chance to test this lovely dress pattern, Alma Jean by Artifact Patterns, when it came across my instagram feed (oh hey, I have a dedicated sewing insta account now – give it a follow!). It was the perfect dress…
Aida Dress, Take 3
TL; DR – Interfacing is still hard. I got this floral knit on sale from Girl Charlee (an amazing place for knit fabric) mid-summer, but when it showed up it was a little heavy for summer weight. So, I made a transitional Aida dress out of it. The one complaint about the first Aida knit…
Pattern Review: Madison Blouse by Foxy Patterns
TL; DR – I feel pretty, oh so pretty! And, the best tester community experience, ever. The Madison blouse is another pattern I was invited to test by a new indie pattern company, Foxy Patterns. I got this dainty vintage floral print on my local buy-nothing group, and I thought it would be perfect for…
Zadie Jumpsuit, Take 5
TL; DR – If I slow down just a little and take my time, I can get this pattern cut and sewn in an afternoon. I have had this fabric for ages; I don’t even remember where I got it. And, I’ve been wanting to do a Zadie jumpsuit with a print for a while….
Pattern Review: Cameron Wrap Dress from Sycamore Road Patterns
TL; DR – I still needs to figure out interfacing, symbols or letters for pattern sizes rule, and GIANT SLEEVES. I had the pleasure of being a tester for the Cameron Wrap Dress by Sycamore Road Patterns. I missed the deadline to get feedback in because I got stuck in Atlanta on my way home…
Pattern Review: Autumn Dress by Style Arc
TL; DR – DO NOT DO THIS PATTERN IF YOU ARE A BEGINNER. ALSO, LINEN SHEETS ARE ROUGH TO SEW WITH. My mom asked me a while ago to find a pattern and make her a dress that looks like this: So I asked in the The Foldline Facebook group, and was recommended to find…
Pattern Review: Olivia Button-Up from Sycamore Road Patterns
TL; DR – LOOK AT ME EMBRACING A TREND Another tester patter. I’ve been hesitant to try the oversized shirt trend, but this was too good an opportunity to pass up. I made the Olivia shirt by Sycamore Road Patterns out of some sheets, and it turned out fantastic! The construction of the yoke/collar was…
Pattern Review: Vera Dress by Ploen Patterns
TL; DR – Pattern testing is fun! Sometimes you need a bottom ruffle Another pattern I tested: the new extended sizes for the Vera dress and top from Ploen Patterns. I really love testing patterns when the pattern designer is working to extend the size-range because I want to support these efforts. I made the…
Pattern Review: Naya T-Shirt from Tammy Handmade
TL; DR – Stretch stitches are my nemesis, this pattern is great! I’ve been neglectful at posting pattern review for patterns I’ve been tester for, so I’m clearing out the backlog. I tested the Naya t-shirt pattern from Tammy Handmade, a straightforward knit top pattern that was easy to make and looks amazing. Except for…
Pattern Review: The Asteria Dress from Jennifer Lauren Handmade
TL; DR – This is a lot of dress, but what a lovely pattern it is! I’ve been sitting on this one for a while. I was a tester for the new extended size range for the Asteria Dress from Jennifer Lauren Handmade. I have to say that I was really excited to test this…
Garment 100-ish: Aida Dress, Take 2
TL; DR – This pattern works well with stable knits, I’ve lost count of how many garments I’ve made, Mood Fabrics in NYC is EVERYTHING. A few weeks ago, I got to go to New York City for work. And I was within reasonable walking distance to Mood Fabrics. So of COURSE I had to…
Zadie Jumpsuit, Take 4
TL; DR – I LOVE THIS PATTERN I reprinted the Zadie jumpsuit in a size that is more reflective of my current body. I am so thankful that I can still wear my old ones with a tank top underneath, but I wanted to see how one that fit…would fit. This is a chambray sheet…
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…
Rosalie Shirt Dress, Take 2
TL; DR – I LOVE THIS DRESS. I don’t know how long I’ve had this adorable cherry blossom print. It’s from a Danish fabric company which is probably why I jumped on it (Skalllerup is Danish). I thought it would be adorable as a Rosalie Shirt Dress, and I wasn’t mistaken. I did the pockets…
Léonie Dress, Take 2
TL; DR – I love this pattern. It’s another make from a Marimekko shower curtain! I made this one shorter than the first Léonie dress I made, and instead of making the back out of just one piece, I made it out of two pieces to take into consideration the dimensions of the shower curtain….
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…
Mary Quant Mini-Dress, Take 6, for #sewfrugal23
TL; DR – This works fantastic with a stable knit, maybe reprinting it in a larger size isn’t so bad after all Last year I made 10 dresses in the month of March for #sewfrugal22. This year, I barely made one. Two, I guess, if you count adding fabric strips to last year’s Mary Quant…
Letting Go
I just recycled a whole bunch of patterns that I had printed and assembled that are no longer the right size. I also cleaned out my closet of all the garments I have made that don’t fit anymore either. I’m planing on listing them in our local buy-nothing group and hope someone enjoys them as…
Atlas Wrap Dress, Take 2
TL; DR – That went better the second time but still managed to be weird? Have you seen some of the dresses on H&M lately? Don’t you find they look a little (A LOT) like an Atlas Wrap Dress? For example: I was like, I finally don’t have to HUNT for a pattern to match…
Pattern Review: Heart and Soul Dress from Ellie and Mac
TL; DR – Stretch velvet is pain to sew, why does my size keep changing? This was my last make of 2022. And while that was six weeks ago, I’m back-dating this post so that history knows when I actually made this dress instead of when I finally got around to writing about it. I…
Kalle Shirtdress, Take 3
TL; DR – I did this in one afternoon! I love the Kalle shirtdress pattern. And I love making dresses out of Marimekko shower curtains and sheets. I got this new shower curtain on clearance for Black Friday sales, but was wondering what I could do with the GIANT CIRCLES. I hadn’t made a Kalle…
Pattern Review: Léonie Dress from Liam Patterns
TL; DR – I needed a lot of Dopamine Dressing, why can’t I remember that seam allowances matter, and finally learn TO REINFORCE THE NECKLINE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD. I had long admired the fabric by Julia Allisson Cost, and I got a gift card to buy some for my birthday. I settled on…
Pattern Review: Staycation Dress from Ellie and Mac Patterns
TL; DR – It’s…fine. When I was in my OMG I DO NOT HAVE ANYTHING ORANGE phase I picked up this jersey fabric. I wanted to make a tiered dress out of it, and while I wanted to make the free Laurel dress from Styla Patterns, it turned out the bodice was lined and I…
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,…
Mal Dress, Take 2
TL; DR – It’s shockingly hard to cut straight lines on a grid fabric. Look, what can I tell you, when big floofy-poofy dresses fall out of fashion, I don’t know what I’m going to do with these Mal Dresses I’m making, but I’ll have LARGE rectangles of fabric to work with. Gingham is also…
Pattern Review: Helena Wrap Dress from Just Patterns
TL; DR – Thank goodness for color photograph tutorials, but sometimes it would be nice to see the larger context rather than a close-up. Remember the green dress that inspired my Wildwood Wrap Dress? Yeah, I finally kinda have one! Since my body has changed, and my neurodivergent brain refuses to reprint and retape patterns…
Pattern Review: Tie Tee from The Sew Sew
TL; DR – Fantastic, simple make, size-inclusive, no notes. I am always wary of garments that could potentially show a lot of back. Unlike some, I have to wear a bra (and not the cute, fun kind that looks cute peaking out of a top), and thus am always a little cautious about patterns that…
Zadie Jumpsuit, Take 3
TL; DR – SOMETIMES YOU GOTTA BE EXTRA EXTRA I’ve had this shinny linen fabric that I impulsively bought (twice) from Mood for a long time now. I’ve been wanting to make something extra-special with it, and finally settled on this super-extra Zadie jumpsuit as a Mother’s Day gift to myself. I remember how challenging…
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: 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: 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…
Mary Quant Mini-Dress, Take 4 for #sewfrugal22
TL; DR – MOAR MARIMEKKO SHOWER CURTAIN. I figured out sleeves. I bought a Marimekko shower curtain on super-sale from Belk (which will only resonate with people living in the South). OK, I bought multiple Marimekko shower curtains and bedding on super-sale from Belk, but for this post, it’s the black circle pattern one I…
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…
Pattern Review: Sirocco Jumpsuit from Deer and Doe Patterns
TL; DR Pattern matching is ROUGH, knit jumpsuits are secret pajamas, I love it when a pattern company works to be more size-inclusive. When I first started sewing and was looking for much-loved patterns, I found the Sirocco jumpsuit pattern from Deer and Doe. At the time, the pattern didn’t *quite* make it’s way to…
Pattern Review: Georgie Pinafore from Jennifer Lauren Handmade
TL; DR – How is it I can do hidden zippers so easily but continually mess up regular zippers? I didn’t think I’d like a pinafore but here we are, and I am getting more confident and can make adjustments without completely ruining the garment. Full disclosure: I was gifted this pattern in order to…
Pattern Review: Gone Rogue Skirt by Forest and Thread
TL; DR – I got this pattern for free as a tester, it’s a challenging skirt that I made more challenging with my fabric choice, but the results are stunning. I saw the call from Forest and Thread for pattern testers as they expand their size range, and now that the pattern is available for…
Pattern Review: Belgravia from Liesl + Co
TL; DR – WHY NO STRETCH STITCH EVER WORK, having a cutting table is still awesome, and you can always do tiled patterns better. Look, I have an aesthetic. One of them is that I love a tie-waist. After the debacle of the Willa dress (which was all on me and not noting that there…
Kalle Shirt, Take 1
TL; DR – You can make a pattern any number of times, and you still learn something. I’ve already reviewed this pattern, so I’m going to indulge in a little bit of storytelling, the kind that drive people nuts on cooking blogs and that drive me nuts on sewing tutorial videos. We were visiting friends…
Pattern Review: Farris Jumpsuit from Jennifer Lauren Handmade
TL; DR – I may actually love jumpsuits, I just may have been too ready to judge drawstring waists harshly, testing patterns in FUN! Now that the Farris Jumpsuit pattern from Jennifer Lauren Handmade has officially been released, I can share my review of the pattern and my adventures in being a PATTERN TESTER. I…
Elodie Wrap Dress, Take 3
TL; DR – LOL MASSIVE FAIL BUT TIM GUNN WOULD BE PROUD BECAUSE IT WAS A REAL MAKE IT WORK MOMENT. You’d think that by now, the third time, it would be a charm. LOL NOPE. So, I ended up sewing the skirt together wrong, attaching the panels middle-middle-side-side instead of side-middle-middle-side. And I only…
Elodie Wrap Dress, Take 2
TL; DR – I got nothing on this one, the pattern is still great and I learned my lesson to slow down, read (and re-read) the directions. Just look at how adorable this dress is. The facing isn’t quite right on the inside, but I’m not sure what I did differently from the other Elodie…
Zadie Jumpsuit, Take 2
TL; DR – Twill is lovely but SUCH A PAIN NEVER AGAIN, for the love of all things holy read the damn directions, buy a huge role of bias tape you will be grateful. Before I understood the difference between 45″ and 60″ fabric, I bought entirely too much purple twill in order to make…
Kalle Shirtdress, Take 2
TL; DR – DO NOT GET COMPLACENT, transfer the pattern marking onto the fabric FOR THE LOVE OF GOD. This is my second Kalle shirtdress. I did my first one early in my sewing journey, and it took some time, given all the various skills I had to learn (collar, placket, bias tape hem). This…
Pattern Review: Zadie Jumpsuit from Paper Theory
TL; DR – Different doesn’t always mean hard, I love this pattern so much. I’m not, as my husband says, a jumpsuit person, despite my efforts to the contrary. I asked in one of sewing FB groups what jumpsuit pattern they would recommend for this relatively short, busty, short torso, thick-waisted sewist. They all came…
Pattern Review: Elodie Wrap Dress from Closet Core Patterns
TL; DR – Don’t be afraid to grade between sizes, fabric matters. The Elodie Wrap Dress from Closet Core Patterns in a another pattern that comes up again and again and again when you google “best woven wrap dress patterns”. It goes up to a size 30, the instructions are really well-done, and there is…
Pattern Review: Sleeveless Kielo Wrap Dress by Named Patterns
TL; DR – Sometimes knits are a pain to sew, sewing machines are temperamental, sometimes you sew when you can control anything else in your life, and it still won’t be something you can control. This is going to one of those posts that people (including me) complain about, where I am going to tell…
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…
Pattern Review: Wildwood Wrap Dress from Sew House Seven
TL; DR – Sometimes wovens are not, in fact, easier then knits, collars remain a challenge, and if there is a video tutorial/sew-a-long WATCH IT. It started when I saw this dress from a Chinese knock-off place that was algorithmically fed to me on my FB: Anyway, it was dirt cheap but even the 3XL…
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…
Pattern Review: Indira by Fibre Mood
TL; DR – Sometimes the pattern directions make assumptions about your knowledge, in-seem pockets are harder than you think, and I still haven’t found a good tutorial for them. Choose the right needle for your project. I wanted a shirtdress with brushstrokes. I found the fabric at Mood, and got the Indira pattern from Fibre…
Pattern Review: Kalle Shirtdress by Closet Core Patterns
TL;DR – FOR THE LOVE OF GOD JUST SHOW ME HOW TO DO THE DAMN THING I AM WATCHING THIS VIDEO TO LEARN. I love a good shirtdress. I found an amazing burgundy pinstripe shirting fabric. And I then I found the Kalle Shirtdress and Shirt pattern from Closet Core Patterns. With it came a…
