Friday, October 24, 2014

This week in patterns (24-Oct-2014)


Argh! By writing a weekly post going over all of the new pattern releases in a week, you really do realize the sheer number of new patterns being released every week in the current sewing environment. In this week's post, we'll take a look at the new Colette pattern, see Burda go apeshit over scarf-shirts, and read as I try to convince myself that I don't need a pattern for skinny jeans.

By the way, those new Simplicity and New Look patterns from last week still aren't up on the Simplicity website yet!

Perfect Pattern Parcel

While not necessarily a "new release" on an individual pattern basis, but the folks behind the Perfect Pattern Parcel released Parcel #6 this week. This release contains several currently very popular indie patterns. The way the Perfect Pattern Parcel works is that you choose a price for the pattern bundle. If your chosen price is above a certain threshold, you get a "bonus" pattern, as well. These bundles promote indie pattern designers and provide donations to children's education charities.

Parcel #6 includes the following patterns:

Bronte Top by Jennifer Lauren (not Jennifer Lawrence):

Bronte top by Jennifer Lauren
Hudson Pant by True Bias

Hudson pant by True Bias
Julia Cardigan by Mouse House creations

Julia Cardigan by Mouse House creations
Syrah skirt by Selvage Designs

Syrah Skirt by Selvage Designs
Zsalya blouse and top by Kate & Rose


Zsalya top and dress by Kate & Rose
Odette Dress by BlueGingerDoll

Odette Dress by BlueGingerDoll
I think that these bundles are a good, cost-effective way for new sewists to get some variety into their pattern stashes. I haven't bought any myself yet due to a combination of either already owning at least one of the patterns and generally not being interested in most of the other patterns. Case in point for this parcel--I already own the Odette dress pattern and have similar patterns to the others that I like. For example, instead of the Hudson pant, I own the HotPatterns F&F trackpant (which I made and love for a running-around-on-the-weekend pant) AND the StyleArc Shelby sweatpant, which was a freebie a few months back. The Syrah skirt appears to be very similar to McCall's 6966, which I made this past summer. The Julia cardigan is similar to a recent Jalie cardigan, and you could even make the case for the Bronte top having similar design elements to the Jalie sweetheart top. Finally, there's just no way in hell that I'm letting that Zsalya top/dress get anywhere near my ginormous bust.

Colette Patterns - Dahlia Dress

Unless you were completely away from or avoiding the online sewing world this week, you know that Colette Patterns released their new Dahlia Dress earlier this week (officially on Tuesday, with a sneak peak/pre-order option on Monday).

Colette Patterns - Dahlia dress
The Dahlia Dress has the option of elbow-length sleeves or no sleeves (with bias straps) and either a straight skirt (with a few waist gathers) or a gored straight skirt. I think that a sleeved version with the gored skirt is calling my name. As others on Pattern Review noted, this dress has a nice retro vibe without looking too twee.

If you're curious as to what this looks like made up, Sophie-Lee at Two Random Words has posted her take on the sleeveless version.

I will say that I'm surprised that this pattern doesn't include a lining option, given that the recommended fabrics are either lightweight/sheer, such as voile, or wool. Sure, it'd be easy enough to draft your own for many of us, but given that this pattern is rated "beginner", the pattern pieces and instructions would be a nice inclusion. Also, for me, that side zipper is a no-go. Giant boobs + t-rex arms mean that I'll be moving the zipper to the CB on this one when I make it up.

Oliver + S - Fall release

While I'm planning to use these weekly posts to concentrate mostly on womens' patterns, but given the popularity of Oliver + S patterns, I'm including their two new fall patterns in this week's post. Oliver + S patterns are available in both PDF and print versions, but I'll be discussing in terms of PDFs, since that format is my personal preference for children's patterns.

First up is the Carousel dress, a cute woven every-day dress with pockets and a ruffle option:

Oliver + S Carousel dress
It's cute enough, but at $16.95 for a PDF download, I'll probably take a pass on this one.

Now, on the other hand, I really love the other pattern, which is cute, unique, and practical. Here's the Lunchbox tee + culottes:

Oliver + S Lunch Box tee + Culottes
It's probably not a huge surprise that Liesl released a girls' culottes pattern, given that she just released a women's culotte pattern last month. These would be a great choice for my girlie-but-needing-to-climb-on-EVERYTHING daughter. The accompanying t-shirts are cute enough, would be a quick sew, and give both long and short sleeved options.

Given that we're heading into the cold part of the year, I'll probably hold out for a sale on this one and download it with the intention of sewing up a few outfits from it in the spring.

BurdaStyle Plus - November 2014

Burda was all about scarves with this collection. You get two variations on the same built-in scarf top/dress pattern plus a third pattern that's basically a rectangle dress with a scarf added on.

Jersey Dress with Scarf - 11/2014 #124

I could swear that one of the European pattern mags had this same design out a few years ago. I can't remember if it was Burda, Burda Plus, or maybe even someone like KnipMode or La Mia Boutique. Maybe someone with a better memory than me knows where I've seen this before? In any case, here's the dress with the built-in scarf that comes up and around. There's also a sweatshirt with the same feature in this collection.
BurdaStyle Plus - 11/2014 #124
Bow Neck Dress - 11/2014 #126

And here's the other scarf dress. This one has the scarf detached. Neither dress has any shaping outside of bust darts:
BurdaStyle Plus - 11/2014 #126
Fitted Sweatpants - 11/2014 #128

I'm going to be blunt here. I can't decide if these are the stupidest or most brilliant garment that I've seen. On one hand, it's a sweatpant with a fly front. On the other hand, it's a sweatpant with a fly front. Don't miss the yoke, too. Remember that episode of The Simpsons from way, way back where they let Homer design a car? I kinda think that this pattern is the Homer Simpson Car of sweatpants. Someone in Burda was probably thinking, "Sweatpants are big right now! Let's put every pant-related feature we can think of onto this one pattern!"

BurdaStyle Plus 11/2014 #128
Square Neck Jersey Dress with Darts - 11/2014 #127

With almost every collection this past year, Burda Plus has included some sort of fitted sheath dress with seaming or darts and a square or similar neckline. They even managed to shoehorn one into this collection of loungewear. I'm starting to wonder if this silhouette is Burda's argument against us plus sized sewists complaining that nearly everything in their plus range is oversized and shapeless. "No look, we give you a sheath dress in EVERY issue!"

BurdaPlus 11/2014 #127

Closet Case Files - Ginger Jeans

Heather from Closet Case Files of Bombshell swimsuit and Nettie bodysuit fame has jumped off the deep end of the pool with her first woven pattern release, the Ginger jeans:

Closet Case Files - Ginger jeans
I actually really like the looks of these jeans--the highwaisted, skinny version on someone else, and the mid-rise stovepipe version on just about anyone, including myself.  Unlike a lot of indie pattern releases lately, this pattern does fill a void for a classic pair of skinny jeans--a garment that's been ubiquitous in RTW for a while but nearly completely absent from sewing patterns. (The only two that I can think of are the Jamie jean from Named and the Sandra jean from StyleArc, and of those the Named are only available in a limited size range and have that leg seaming that not everyone likes.)

Some of the pattern testers already have their posts up. I like this version from SuzyBee:

SuzyBee's Ginger Jeans

There's also an option to buy a denim kit, which contains enough denim, rivets, and other notions to make two pairs of jeans. The kit retails for $109, which is a bit steep for my own budget, but certainly less than the cost of two pairs of high end RTW jeans.

I don't own and haven't tried any of CCF's patterns yet--the style of the Nettie isn't for me, and while I like the looks of the Bombshell, it offers no boob support and doesn't come in my size without serious re-drafting. This is the first pattern of CCF's that has seriously tempted me. Honestly, I'm even tempted on buying the whole kit, even though that would put me over my sewing budget for the month.

HotPatterns - Metropolitan Fontaine Cardigan-Jacket

 In my stash, I have a houndstooth doubleknit from Gorgeous Fabrics that I've had for a few years. I love the print, but I haven't been able to make up my mind as to what to use it for. I also have some of the black faux-leather/neoprene that Gorgeous Fabrics had a while back, which I bought with the intention of using it as a trim or sleeves. This piece has also gone unused while I waffle as to the "perfect" pattern for it. I shall waffle no more; HotPatterns has released a cardigan-jacket pattern intended for mixed media, such as mine. Introducing the Metropolitan Fontaine Cardigan-Jacket:

Fontaine Cardigan-Jacket
I like that this is a basic-but-not-too basic piece. I'm completely over the whole waterfall-front cardigan thing at this point (I think I made my first version of one back in 2009?), so I also like that this is an open-front cardigan but without the waterfall feature that most open-front cardigan patterns have. You could create different looks with this one both with mixing your fabrics, or with doing a solid version and contrasting top-stitching.

Final Thoughts

This is my fourth pattern re-cap post. Early in each week that I've done this, I've wondered, "Am I going to have enough to write a whole post about? Oh well, it won't be a big deal if there are only 2 or 3 patterns." And then by Friday morning, I'm scrambling to get a late release or two into the post and find that I've got quite a long post by the end. I started writing these posts because I don't really see the point in starting new threads about pattern releases on Pattern Review any more and also didn't want to be peppering my other posts with, "Hey, did you see this new pattern now?", but I love patterns and love talking about them. If you can't tell, I am fascinated by the explosion of new indie pattern companies in the past few years. Some of these designers will stick around and grow, some won't, and I'm sure that some of these designers will have absolutely spectacular meltdowns on social media in the meantime.

In any case, the big temptations for me this week are that Dahlia dress,  Ginger jeans,  Fontaine Cardigan-jacket, and maybe the Oliver+S culottes for Eva when the weather warms back up. Do any of these patterns grab you?

16 comments:

  1. OMG ... how did I miss the new HP?? I was in the middle of placing a HP order last night and then closed the browser to think about it. It's a sign, I tellya, a SIGN! lol

    The Ginger jeans ... I didn't think I'd be interested when I saw the high-waisted preview pic, but after seeing Heather's and the more-reasonably proportioned lower-rise version, I'm kind of thinking seriously about them. But I'm also in the middle of losing the weight I gained over the last couple of years (will NEVER be skinny-minnie) and so I will probably put those (and more specifically, the fitting of them, off for a while longer. I haven't fit pants in YEARS. I'm afraid I may be rusty. LOL.

    I'm on the fence about the Dahlia. I know it's definitely not my style so I won't be buying it, but I haven't decided yet if it's a good one or a bad one in the Colette line. Hahaha. But YOU need to make up your Hawthorne before you even think about buying this one. wink:wink

    I think this is probably one of the more tempting Pattern Parcels for me, but still not tempting enough. I'll be passing because ...

    ... I just came back from a lunchtime dash to Hancock Fabrics where I picked up some Simplicities on sale as well as 4 cuts of fabric, much earmarked for the Muse cardi which I'll be buying/downloading/printing after I finish this comment. :-)

    Still loving your "TWIP" posts, even more now that I can actually buy some.

    Have a great weekend Michelle! (How's the costume coming along?)

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    1. Yeah, I didn't think I'd be interested in the Gingers until I saw the lower-rise version, and from what I can tell, those look identical to the cut/proportions of a pair of RTW jeans that I have that I love (but that could use a few minor fitting tweaks). That has me seriously tempted.

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  2. ETA: Holy cow! I just wrote a novella. :-)

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  3. Birds 8/2013 had the scarf top.

    To quickly sum my enormous comment that was gobbled...

    No on the colette (but I just do not find any of their stuff appealing).
    Maybe on the CCF jeans after I see some reviews.
    No on the PP but I do like a couple of the patterns.
    YES on the HP cardi - super cute and I'm a cardigan addict. Seriously. I need a 12 step.
    The Kid patterns are cute :)

    I also love the weekly roundup! Keep em coming!!!

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    1. Thank you! I KNEW I had seen that exact scarf design somewhere in a line drawing before. It sounds like they must have graded up one of the regular sized Burdas for this one. They do that sometimes.

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  4. The one I'm most tempted by is the CCF jeans, but I already have several jeans patterns and have yet to make any, so I will probably wait. I have the opposite problem from you -- undersized boobage for my frame, so the Dahlia doesn't appeal to me, especially after seeing how much extra fabric is in the bodice. I do think that HP jacket/cardigan will look great with the fabrics you want to use!

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  5. Your comment about the "Homer Simpson car" of sweatpants is cracking me up. The only thing that grabs my attention this week is the HP Cardigan-Jacket--I can definitely see myself making that. I'm looking forward to seeing more testers' versions of the CCF jeans pop up. I don't know that I'll end up getting that one since I'm pretty tied to my bootcut jeans, but I'm intrigued, especially after seeing Suzy Bee's pair.

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  6. Great WIP. Thanks for the HP tip-- I quickly dashed to my email box and there it was--Trudy is a stealth pattern design releaser.

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  7. I also laughed out loud about the Home Simpson car reference. Perfect! I like your pattern round ups.

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  8. Wow. Unkie Herb would be PISSED. Sweatpants are supposed to be effortless. Is the fly-front functional or cosmetic? In any event, it reminds me men's pajamas: access.

    Right now, I'm not a fan of the new Colette pattern. It looks like something that already exists and I'm not sure it would flatter a full bust. The model wearing it is rather thin. Meh.

    As for CCF Ginger jeans, it looks like mom jeans trying to be hip.

    Man, I'm in a mood today!

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  9. The only one I like is the HP Cardigan and their new skirt. I'm really coming to believe that I'm not an indie pattern girl. The styles are either too basic or for a lifestyle I don't lead. Since I sew for my lifestyle, that means I'm not their target audience...but it really is interesting reading these weekly round ups.

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  10. The Ginger kit is appealing for the quality of the denim (I've picked up good stuff for 12$/yd, so that's 60$ right there) and the pattern, which looks promising. Mostly I gave it a twice over for the rivets and button. Good ones are hard to find (right now the floor is littered with trashed ones). Still, I've got a good home-cloned pattern already and I can sew on a button, so not for me.

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  11. I love these posts. :) I have yet to purchase a PPP. As with this one, they've always included patterns I already have and I don't have any children, so I don't have a need for the kids' patterns. I did buy the Dahlia and am looking forward to that. CCF skinny jeans intrigue me, but I'm not a jeans girl and I'm thinking that those look better on other people than me. I just made the Colette Clover jeans and I remain in the "no jeans" group. I mainly made those to try something different and see if I like them.

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  12. I really like the new HotPatterns. I, too, purchased black neoprene from Gorgeous Fabrics and should have enough for 2 garments, a top and this HotPattern.
    Thanks for your Reviews.

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