Sunday, June 28, 2015

Last Week in Patterns (28-June-2015)

It's Sunday, and we have a LOT of patterns to look through, including early Autumn releases from Simplicity and McCall's, both of which had some nice patterns. Grab a cup of coffee and a nice breakfast pastry because we're going to be here for a while.

Here's the list of the releases that we'll be covering today:
  • Cake Pattern: Tidepool Collection
  • Closet Case Files: Sallie Jumpsuit and Maxi-dress
  • McCall's: Early Autumn 2015 release
  • Peek-a-boo Patterns: Friday Harbor blouse and dress
  • Simplicity: Early Autumn 2015 release
Cake Patterns: Tide Pool Collection, Wave 1

After a long hiatus of about a year and a half, StephC from Cake Patterns has released a new pattern collection for summer called "Tidepool". She'll be releasing this collection in two waves, and it will consist of three top patterns that can be paired with two bottom patterns, all with multiple views. She's just released the Wave 1, which consists of two shell patterns and a pattern for pants or shorts.

I'll admit that while I was turned off a bit from Cake after Steph's social media meltdown a while back, I do like a few of the patterns in the collection. Granted, I'm not sure that anyone needs three different knit shell patterns that, at first glance, all appear to be pretty similar but with different details.

Pipi Shell

Like all Cake Patterns, you'll draft/trace the Pipi Shell to your own measurements. This is a simple pattern, but I like it. Cut out backs and back details are all the rage these days, but unlike a lot of patterns I've seen along that line, this one is actually bra-friendly. I'd consider this one.

Cake - Pipi Shell
Janthina Shell

Whereas I kinda liked the Pipi shell, I'm pretty meh on the Janthina. It just reminds me too much of those tops with flounces that everyone was sewing a few years ago. Both Simplicity and HotPatterns had variations on this, and I'm just not ready for flounces to come back yet.

Cake - Jathina shell
Endeavor Trousers

These are easily my favorite pattern out of this bunch. The seaming and pocket details, while not totally original, are also something that you don't see in a lot of sewing patterns. The trouser legs are a bit wide for 5'2" me, but I suspect that's something that you can customize with this pattern, at least somewhat. And I just think that the shorts are really cute and wearable.

One thing that I'll point out is that the shorts and pant samples fit Steph very well--no weird crotch wrinkles or butt drag lines or anything. Granted, this is easier to accomplish with a wide legged trouser than, say, a pair of skinny jeans, but we've also seen plenty of pant patterns from other indies that have had insane crotches or other fitting red flags. Outside of the fact that I feel like these look too long on Steph (or that she should have been wearing different shoes), I think that many of us would be really happy to have trousers that fit like these.

Cake - Endeavor Trousers and Shorts

Closet Case Files: Sallie Jumpsuit and Maxi-Dress

I don't have a whole lot to say about this one. I think it's cute, but I've been hoarding jumpsuit and maxi-dress patterns for a while and have options that are fairly similar to most of the views here that I'd wear.

If you're not like me and don't hoard jumpsuit and maxi-dress patterns; however, this one does provide you with quite a few options. I do really like that Heather included both bra-friendly and non-bra-friendly views in this pattern, so that those of us who do not have the option of wearing a strapless bra aren't left out in the cold. I'll be putting this one in my "like it, but probably don't need it" pile.

Closet Case Files - Sallie Jumpsuit and Maxi-dress
McCalls: Early Fall Release 2015

Much like their early spring release about six months ago, there are quite a few patterns that really like in McCall's Early Fall release. What's interesting to me about this collection is that I've been seeing many of these looks popping up in RTW around Seattle. A valid criticism of the Big 4 is that their patterns are sometimes a step behind RTW trends, but you could walk into a department store today and buy pieces that are similar to a lot of the patterns in this collection.

Also, remember that cute brunette model with the short hair that we all liked so much from the Early Spring release? She's back, and she's still damn cute.

If you haven't already refilled your cup of coffee, now is the time to do so.

M7187: Misses' Dress with panel inset and drop-waist skirt options

I think that this dress is really cute. I like the princess seam inset/panel, and the skirt options on the drop-waist are interesting.

M7187
M7188: Misses Dress (with cup sizes)

Princess seams, a short midriff band, and a quarter circle skirt? I'm there. The styling in the sample photo is really unfortunate, but look beyond that and see what a cute, potentially flattering dress there is in the line drawings.

M7188
M7199: Knit jacket with asymmetrical zipper

I've been seeing this style of jacket all over Seattle. They're really cute on a lot of women. I was actually figuring that I'd buy the StyleArc Marie, which is relatively inexpensive in PDF form, to knock off this style, but now McCall's has put out a nearly identical version of this look. The "No provisions provided for above waist adjustment" is a little concerning, though, given that I know I'd need to FBA this.

M7199

M7192: Misses' Tops with sheer overlay

I've been seeing these blouses with the asymmetrical sheer overlays around town a lot so far this summer. I've stayed away from these patterns with the overlays on the front before because I was afraid that the fabric would hang unattractively off of my boobs, but I'm less concerned about that with this version, since the overlay fabric would be a lightweight, drapey sheer.

M7192
M7195: Misses' Woven Sweatshirts

Woven t-shirts have been huge for the past couple of summers, so it makes sense that the next step in this trend evolution would be a woven sweatshirt, right? I live in the sweatshirt capital of the world, so of course, I'm going to give this one a try.

M7195
M7203: Misses' Romper and Jumpsuit

Because I hoard but don't make romper and jumpsuit patterns. Well, to be honest, part of that is that I've been searching for a romper/jumpsuit pattern that had the following elements that previously had been difficult to find all in one pattern: button front, elastic waist, easy to FBA. This pattern checks all of those boxes. Have I finally found the pattern that I'll use to test drive this trend?

M7203
M7214: Kids' and Adults TMNT and Minion costumes

Minions! And Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles! All part of the same pattern! Eva is really into minions right now, so this pattern will be a likely contender for this year's Halloween costume.


M7211: Frozen Costumes for Dogs

Frozen costumes for dogs. I have nothing else to say about this.

M7211

Simplicity: Early Fall Release 2015

Simplicity released a small batch of patterns earlier this week (although these patterns had been appearing around JoAnns' stores for at least a week before this). As is typical with their early fall releases, this batch contained a few costume patterns that I suspect Simplicity expects to sell well for Halloween. There are also some nice basics for fall, including a jacket that I absolutely love.

Simplicity 1066: MimiG Lined Jacket

Generally, MimiG's style and my own style don't have a whole lot of overlap, but OMG, I LOVE THIS JACKET pattern! First off, it's actually a lined jacket pattern (as opposed to draft your own lining and figure things out), it includes multiple cup sizes--up to a DD in the larger range, which is what I use, it has shoulder princess seams (yay!), and I really like the optional details--you could either go with a bit of a military look or incorporate some faux leather piecing.

We know what jacket pattern I'll be making this fall, right?

Simplicity 1066 - MimiG jacket
Simplicity 1063: Misses' Knit Tops

Based on my experience with a similar HotPatterns knit top that I ended up not wearing much, I don't think that Simplicity 1063 is the best look for me, but it's an interesting pattern that incorporates some draping and a crossover in a kind of cool way. (There was also a similar BurdaStyle pattern about a year and a half ago.)

Simplicity 1063 - Misses Knit Tops
Simplicity 1061: Sew Chic lined dress and jacket

This dress is cute as heck (especially in the fabric that they chose), although it's probably not something that I would sew/wear. I suspect that we'll see lots of cute versions of this one out and around the SBC in coming months.

Simplicity 1061: Sew Chic dress
Simplicity 1095: Misses' (Dr. Who) Costumes

I don't watch Dr. Who myself, but I know plenty of people who are really into it. One of the most Seattle cars I've seen since moving here was a Fiat with a "My Other Ride is a Tardis" sticker on it. This costume is for the driver of that car.

Simplicity 1095: Misses' (Dr. Who) Costumes
Simplicity 1094 & Simplicity 1097: Girls' and Misses' Frozen Fever costumes

Were you a child in the early 80's? Did you play with Star Wars action figures? Do you also happen to remember how George Lucas would license and Kenner would sell action figures who appeared in all of ONE SHOT of the original trilogy? Like this guy--Hammerhead? (He was featured in exactly one shot of the Cantina Scene in Episode IV.)

Star Wars Hammerhead action figure
Disney/Simplicity appear to be heading down a similar route with the movie Frozen and its characters. With a true sequel somewhere on the distant horizon, Disney ran a 10-minute animated short called "Frozen Fever" before the live-action version of Cinderella a few months ago. We now have a set of women's, children's, and 18" doll costumes from Simplicity, based on the dresses that Anna and Elsa wore in that short. Has Frozen jumped the shark? And is this worse than Anna and Elsa costumes for a dog? (FWIW, my 3-year-old is currently more into Thomas the Train and minions than she is into Frozen.)

Simplicity 1094

Simplicity 1097

Final Thoughts

So when is the next McCall's sale at JoAnn's?

Scrolling through this post, I feel like a cat in a room full of laser pointers. This one! No,  I'm getting this one!

My picks for the week are the Endeavor (I actually have a voucher for a free pattern from Cake from my "house" winning a long-ago sewalong), the MimiG jacket from Simplicity, and a whole lot of the new McCall's patterns. Which are your favorites out of this bunch?

30 comments:

  1. The McCalls' releases look nice, i am just so not their customer.

    Except for the dog costumes. Mom has two cairn terriers, Heidi and Jack. Boy do they have some cuteness in their future!!

    I, personally, am all about well-designed CASUAL clothes which are fun to make and chic to wear. So i am very happy to see that Steph C. is releasing again. I'll be interested to see how the Endeavours make up for everyone, i love a wide leg pant myself.

    And the Jathina flounce/sleeve is nicely done, pretty as well as providing some extra coverage for shoulders/armpits. Similar designs often put the flounce on a princess seam, adding fabric layers and seams which can look bulky as well as making the garment hotter to wear. The crochet design is a fun little extra.

    I can't wait to see your take on a woven sweatshirt, btw. I have a feeling you'll rock it like no one's business!

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    1. I could be wrong (and often am), but I suspect that we'll see a lot of those woven sweatshirts around. Woven tees are just way too popular to not see people go with the next step.

      My dog is some kind of mystery terrier mixed with (we think) Saluki/Persian greyhound, and who knows what else. I can only imagine what sort of humiliated look she'd try to give me if I dressed her up like Anna or Elsa.

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  2. The Shihtzou in the Frozen costume looks ready to a cut someone.

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    1. I have to admit that I've been really out of the whole Frozen loop. I haven't seen the movie. I haven't even heard the whole "Let It Go" song (just parts of it). I get why it was a phenom for so long after release, with all the patterns, toys, and such. Is there a sequel or something coming up? because I'm confused with all the new stuff that keeps getting released.

      Does anyone else remember playing the Star Wars board game? It was way fun, but parts I didn't get because I wasn't allowed to see the Star Wars movies as a kid.

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  3. Thanks for the pattern review. I really love M7199 - all versions! Karen

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  4. M7199 will be a definite try for me....must look up with McCalls patterns are on sale at JoAnns!

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  5. I like the shorts from Cake but I'm not going to rush right out and buy them. I've got the Collette one that is similar. I think the Cake pockets might lay better but I'm planning to make the Collette ones without pickets since I always carry a cross body bag anyways.

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    1. The Iris shorts actually fit me fairly decently but the pockets gaped horribly unless they were buttoned. If I can get the same fit from these that I did on the Iris without having to jump through hoops to fit the pocket gape, I'll be a happy camper.

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    2. If you do I may jump on the pattern. Collette patterns don't fit me super well out of the envelope but I'm working on a no pockets version. I'm just not very curvy so I have to work at the waist a bit more to get it just so. I really like the look of the pockets on these though so I will watch for reviews.

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  6. I'm also loving M7199 and thinking about whether its worth the FBA. Laughed so hard when I scrolled down and saw those poor dogs. And finally we have a sexy Tardis costume. I knew something was missing.

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    1. I'm amused that the McCall's version showed up right when I was seriously considering the StyleArc version (when the weather cools). Although the StyleArc might be worth paying a few more dollars to be able to work around the FBA situation a little more easily.

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  8. OMG!! I'm in love with the Tardis although I'm more a Dalek shape! If I had even one place I could wear it I'd be whipping one up!! :) I'll be putting the Simplicity knit top pattern on my wish list. I have a RTW almost identical to View A that's seen better days but I just can't bring myself to turf! Not too fussed on the Cake shell patterns to be honest, a little too fitted for me but I do like the 'bow' detail on the back - wonder how easy it would be to replicate on another pattern? Look forward to seeing how your Endeavors come out.

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    1. Tilly does a tutorial for a bow back for the Nettie. And there are also you tube videos (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3gCtF6F9pA)

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  9. Many cute fall patterns being added to my list. And new Minions will be coming to the big screen in July.

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    1. PS...did you know Pantone has given minions their own color?

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    2. I did not know that Pantone had given minions their own color! Our current POR is for the new Minions movie to be Eva's first movie in a movie theatre when it comes out in a few weeks.

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  10. You've seen my picks from the Big4! :) I just made S1063 and it's actually pretty different in construction from that Burda drape top, which I also made. The drape is made by leaving the front folds soft (no top stitching and they instruct you not to press) and then there are pleats and a crossover. The Burda top folded up into the side seam, creating the drape. So far, I love the 1063 top!

    OMG I didn't look close enough to see that was a woven sweatshirt. How interesting! I will have to keep my eye out for reviews on that one.

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    1. Yeah, my HP top was constructed the same as your Burda, so if you like the S1063 (and it doesn't create that "cup" of fabric), I might check out the Simplicity then.

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  11. Is it gauche to ask what the social media meltdown was about? From my pov, Steph/Cake patterns just disappeared for a while and I always wondered what that was about...

    I also have a less gauche question. Have any larger ladies made and worn wide legged pants successfully? I made a pair of Juniper pants that I loved but had a variety of fit issues, and the thing I find is that they chafe my inner thighs a lot. I am assuming this is an excess fabric at the inseam thing, but is that intrinsic to all wide legged pants, or no? I would love to give the endeavours a try but since the only pants I have tried were the Junipers (I mostly wear skirts and dresses anyway, and they are easier to make so I stick with them) I am nervous about sinking a large amount of time and effort into something that may or may not be intrinsically unwearable for me. I have zero tolerance for chub rub at this point in my life.

    I'm tempted to give the CCF maxi a go because I've been on the lookout for a woven maxi pattern but then I'm not sure the bra-friendly version would look good on me. Not such a fan of cut on sleeves, I don't need any help looking top heavy. Maybe I could just make the strappy one with slightly thicker straps. Hmmm.

    I've been eyeing off some of those McCalls new releases, I really like the general style trend, but I'm waiting until either there is a pattern sale (pretty rare here in Aus) or I see some of them made up. I LOVE the pleat/gathered version of M7187 but fear it might look a bit.... unfortunate on me. But maybe that's just that the styling of the whole collection screams 'Clueless makes a comeback' which I am INTO but is not a look I feel comfortable in myself.

    I suspect that, like the dog costumes, the secondary frozen costumes have a very very specific niche market, that I have no knowledge of at all but I am guessing those people will be SO EXCITED about those patterns. So I guess that's nice.

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    1. http://getoffmyinternets.net/forums/crafting-bloggers/hate-reads/page-17/

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    2. Thanks! Always good to have context.

      I see that Stef herself has just posted an explanation of her absence and her personal context for that time period. http://3hourspast.com/2015/06/29/coming-out/

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  12. I don't know how I missed the Tardis and Dalek pattern... I just lost all whovian cred there. I think I see that in my future, especially as I'm going to a con this summer and thought I might step away from cosplay lite to full on geek girl. :)

    I love anything to do with dogs and those frozen costumes are just so crazy ... It's almost like mccalls is spoofing itself.

    My favorite from this week is the Sew Chic Simplicity dress. Can't wait for those to go on sale!!

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    1. That Sew Chic dress will look fantastic on you! Looking forward to seeing your version of it.

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    2. I'm definitely another person looking forward to your version of that dress! I really like the jacket with it and may get the pattern for that.

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  13. Great review as always. I think it's the best week of options for me in a long while. I'm going to buy the Endeavour trousers pattern, and think that the S1066 would be a great jacket to go with them. From an uber busty perspective, do you see view A or B as the better option for an FBA? If I could get a trousers I like to wear out of the Endeavour pattern, I could see myself building a spring mix and match wardrobe with my Muse Patterns Gillian wrap top.

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    1. I don't see why view A or B would be less flattering on someone uber busty. In view A, you've got those large patch pockets on the hip, which I think would help balance a busty figure. On View B, you've got that piece on the shoulder, which you can use to add a contrast fabric or faux leather, which would help draw the eye up. I like both views, honestly.

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  14. I really like 7199, although I want to see how the zippered version looks when worn open. Hopefully it cascades like the other views.

    BTW, Joann's has McCall patterns on sale from July 2-5 for 5/$7. Woot!

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  15. M7199 has princess seams - I think an FBA would work well - challenge would be to maintain the positioning of the zipper. I just made the pattern and recommend it.

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