New (to me) pattern contest on PatternReview, StyleArc non-update

Yes, it's another post from me where I pontificate on possible future projects and post pictures of the prospective patterns! 

New (to me) pattern contest

I've been a member of PatternReview for nearly seven years, but I rarely participate in the monthly contests held there. To put it bluntly, the contest winners are usually more popular, thinner, younger, and far more advanced in their fitting and sewing skills than I am. I have a competitive enough nature that I have no interest in entering a contest where I have zero shot at winning. Starting Sunday, however, is a contest that I am actually interested enough in entering that I don't give a rat's ass how many or how few votes I get. That contest is the "New to Me Pattern Contest", which I am entering to challenge myself to step and hold myself accountable.

With me being me, I haven't yet decided which pattern, or even which pattern company, I am going to use for the contest. I've narrowed the field down to three candidate patterns, two of which are Lekala patterns. Here are the candidates:

Lekala 4319

If you read my Basic t-shirt with a flare post a little while back, Lekala 4319 should look familiar to you:

Since my original post where I pointed out this pattern, I have since purchased and printed out the PDF download. I am really dying to see how Lekala's custom measurement system works out for my body type. An interesting note is that although it's not shown in the line drawing, my version of this pattern includes a dart in front. I wonder if that's an omission from the line drawing, or if it was something that the Lekala system generated for me because of my large bust.

Lekala 4321

Pattern candidate is also a Lekala. I have purchased the PDF download for Lekala 4321, as well. I really love the line drawings of both. I think that if I make the body of this top in black and the yoke in a bright color, it will draw attention towards my face and away from my bust/body:

Victory Patterns Lola Dress

The Victory Patterns Lola Dress is a candidate quite simply because I love the idea of a seamed sweatshirt dress. This dress looks super-comfortable and has looked surprisingly good on a wide variety of figures. I love the idea of pairing this with leggings and boots, and the interesting seaming would give me an excuse to play around with some decorative top-stitching on my Babylock Evolve:

The knock against the Lola is that I haven't purchased the pattern yet, and it is quite a bit pricier (~$12 for a PDF download) than the inexpensive Lekalas ($2.50 each/PDF pattern). And the Lola would require more pattern adjusting/fitting work, since I Victory didn't simply generate a custom pattern for me based on my measurements. But...I really love the look of the Lola from the line drawing. Sweatshirt dress.

As a footnote, I was considering the Deer & Doe Plantain t-shirt for this contest, but decided that while I still plan to make up that pattern, it's a little boring for a contest entry.

StyleArc non-update

I'm still trying to decide which two StyleArc patterns to order along with my freebie pattern for the month of February. They did announce a mid-month pattern release for February, but the new patterns are four nice-enough, but not terribly exciting skirt patterns. They're fine, but they're not going to bump anything off of my pattern candidate list or make my decision any easier. I can't say that I've even eliminated any of the patterns from my original list of six; although I think I might be leaning slightly towards going with two patterns for separates (pants + top/blouse or 2 tops/blouses) over the dress pattern, but I might very well change my mind five minutes from now. My decision will very likely come down to the temperature and my mood when I actually place the order. Whichever patterns I don't choose with this order will still be available in a few months when I place my next order, I'm sure.

Style(Arc) decisions for February

Like many people on PatternReview, I am enamored with StyleArc patterns, the indie Australian pattern company that offers trendy, RTW-ish designs. Their prices are in line with other indie pattern companies (maybe a little lower), but they lack a US distributor and shipping from AU is a bit pricey. To counter the shipping price pain, they do offer a monthly "freebie" pattern, which you'll receive free with any purchase. I try to plan my limited StyleArc purchases around freebies that I absolutely love, which usually works out to placing 3 or 4 orders per year.

I haven't placed a StyleArc order in nearly six months (when the freebie was the Tootsie Knit top, back in August or September), but I'll be taking the plunge again this month because I really love the February freebie pattern, the Issy Knit Top:

I love the ruching details, the neckline, and it seems like it would be a great pattern match for the insane amount of merino wool jersey that I purchased a little over a month ago.

Fellow US-based StyleArc fans have worked out that to get the most bang-for-your-buck with the AU shipping, you're best off ordering three patterns at a time (including the freebie), so that means that I will actually need to choose two more patterns (from the many StyleArc patterns that I've been eyeing) to fill out my order.

I will probably wait to place my order until the 15th. StyleArc sometimes releases a new pattern or two mid-month, and I want to see what the new offerings are, if any, before making a decision. Assuming that there's no mid-February release or that I don't "have to have" from that batch, here are the patterns that I'm considering, in no particular order:

Trixi Knit Wrap Dress

I love the neckline and inset on the Trixi dress:

I've been seeing similar dresses show up on women around town and the blogosphere, and this is a very curve-friendly style. The Trixi has looked good on everyone who's made it, so that makes this dress a strong candidate.

Jasmine pant

I made the StyleArc Linda pant a while back, but never blogged/reviewed them. The fit is fantastic, but the style (elastic waist) makes them feel like lounge pants, and I made them out of a navy ponte that didn't really go with any tops that I had, so they're an orphan item that gets worn around the house, on dog walks, etc. But given how well they fit, I want to to try another pair of StyleArc pants.

Over the years, as much as I've tried to get myself to wear other styles of pants that I've made, I have found that I won't regularly wear pants that don't have A) a fly front or B) front pockets of some kind. The Jasmine pant has both of these features, is designed for stretch wovens, and has a nice, straight-leg profile. Also, my almost-14-year-old calico cat is named Jasmine, so there's that, too:

Patsy Top

The Patsy Top grabbed my attention because it's looked cute on everyone who has made it, including two plus sized reviewers on Pattern Review. I like that it incorporates the flounce-trend-that-won't-die without looking too fussy. The neckline on this one is nice, too.

BurdaStyle has a blouse with a somewhat similar front flounce/ruffle available for download, , but I think I prefer the Patsy. Here's the BurdaStyle blouse:

 

Sandra Narrow Leg Jean

I have several of the HotPatterns jeans patterns, but none of them have this style of slim leg profile. And despite being plus sized, cigarette-style pants are actually fairly flattering on me. Even though the Sandra Jean is designed for non-stretch denim, lots of people have been successfully making them up in stretch denim and looking fabulous in them.

I think that these would be fun to make up in a bright color for spring or summer.

Camilla blouse

I think that the Camilla blouse would be a great layering piece and could be made up in a variety of different fabrics. I have a similar blouse from Old Navy, and the fit is a bit off, although I like the style on me. I could fix the fit if I made it myself.

Safari Sam Overshirt

I think I might leave of some of the epaulet details from some versions and omit or do a non-pleated chest pocket, but I am sorely lacking in a good, basic overshirt-style shirt pattern for layering. This is another case where I own a similar shirt from Old Navy (this one actually fits okay), but would like to be able to make my own. The Safari Sam shirt is the closest thing I've seen to my Old Navy shirt:

So, those are the patterns that I'm considering ordering along with the Issy Knit Top freebie. Thoughts? Or for you fellow StyleArc fans, is there a great pattern that I'm missing?

Variations on a theme: Basic t-shirt with a flare

I'm planning to do a series of posts where I do a roundup of patterns that have caught my eye for a particular garment type. Currently, there is a message board thread running over on Pattern Review debating the pros and cons of developing a Tried-aNd-True (TNT) pattern. To me, one of the undeniable pros of a TNT is to be able to quickly fit a new pattern of the same garment type.

Since I feel like I've recently established a TNT pattern for a basic t-shirt (the SBCC Tonic t-shirt), I'm going to kick off the series with a look at a few patterns that offer a slight twist on the basic t-shirt. These are patterns that would lend themselves to a quick fit when using a TNT tee as a sloper for the pattern. I haven't yet made up any of these patterns, but these are the ones that I have pinned and keep going back to look at and will likely pull the trigger on at some point.

 

Ruched raglan sleeve tee from BurdaStyle

To kick things off, I've been eyeing this BurdaStyle tee with ruched raglan sleeves ever since I saw the line drawing, like, a year ago.



A ton of people have made this top on PatternReview from a ton of different knit fabrics, and it's universally turned out cute. The only reason why I haven't made it yet is because its largest size is a Burda 42, which will require me to grade up a few sizes. HOWEVER, now that I have my TNT tee and a Jalie raglan-sleeve tee that fit reasonably well, I'm less concerned about having to grade up the pattern.

For such a great basic, I'm surprised that the sizing tops out at 42 (38" bust) on this one. Usually, the smaller size range is a clue that a style might not be flattering on larger figures, but I can't see what the issue would be with this top.

 

Plantain t-shirt from Deer & Doe

Deer & Doe is a French indie pattern company that's been around for a little over a year. Within the past few months, they've localized their web site and made their pattern instructions available in English. I find their styles are a bit Colette-ish, but without as literal of a vintage vibe.

I haven't tried any of their patterns yet, but they recently posted a free PDF download pattern that's been getting a bit of buzz: The Plantain t-shirt. The Plantain is available in Euro sizes 34-46 (so no massive grading for me--probably just an FBA and a bit at the side seams).



I like the shape of this top--on the women who have made it up, it's fitted through the bust and then has an easy fit on down. I think it will work well on those of us with post-baby bellies. The elbow patches are a cute detail as well.

 

Rose t-shirt from Blank Slate patterns

Most of Blank Slate's patterns are for the kids. The garments are very wearable, sometimes unisex, and always modern. The Rose t-shirt is their one garment pattern offering for adult women.

The Rose t-shirt is offered in sizes XS-XL (33"-44" bust), so there's a pretty generous size range available. Here's where the TNT would come in handy for me--my full bust is slightly larger than the XL, but given the ruching/draping of the top, I might be able to get away with skipping the FBA if there's enough ease.

I like the mixture of knits and the woven contrast neckband section with this design, and I think that this shape (open neckline, ruching) will likely flatter most figure types. As an added plus, there's also a little girls' dress version available, if you're one of those annoying moms like me who sometimes takes the "mini-me" thing a little too literally.

 

Tootsie Top from StyleArc

StyleArc followers know that the pattern company gives away a free pattern with purchase every month.  A few months ago, the freebie pattern was the Tootsie knit top:

I love playing with stripes in my garments, so seeing the striped option for this pattern made it easy for me to make the decision to place the order for this top. This one is available in StyleArc (Au) sizes 4-30, which should cover most women. This one comes with short and long-sleeved options (no re-drafting there) and hits at a nice hip length. I've seen a few of these made up online, and it's a cute and flattering top for all body types.

 

Lekala 4319 draped tunic

I guess that this one is a little bit of a stretch (no pun intended) for this post because it's technically a tunic, but I've been coveting Lekala 4319 since it appeared on the Russian version of the Lekala web site.



For those unfamiliar with Lekala, their web site allows you to enter a set of your own body measurements and then emails you a PDF pattern that has been customized to your measurements. I haven't tried one yet, but they generally get rave reviews for fit, AND they're quite inexpensive at ~$2.50/pattern. Their instructions, however, do not get rave reviews, so you're probably best off sticking with garment types where you won't need them.

I love this top for it's interesting draping and neckline. According to the drawing on the model, this top/tunic hits at about crotch length, so it's not a super long tunic--maybe more of a long top. I like long tops. This pattern is a candidate for one of the, um, about half dozen lengths of merino wool that I bought at recent FabricMart sales.

I tried to stick with relatively recently released patterns. Are there any new-ish knit top/t-shirt patterns that have grabbed your eye lately?

Sewing Goals 2104: 12-piece capsule wardrobe

I'm writing this post to expand on the capsule wardrobe goal that I original mentioned in my Sewing Goals 2014: Non-stash related post. To recap, about a week and a half ago, Trudy from HotPatterns sent out a promo email advertising 12 patterns that would temporarily be 20% off and could be used to build a capsule wardrobe for spring. She included example photos of the garments plus suggested patterns that could be used for each garment.

HotPatterns Spring 2014 capsule wardrobe

Usually, I like the idea of capsule or "mini" wardrobes far more than I think that said wardrobe would actually work with my lifestyle (casual office/mom-on-the-go), but this one differs to me for several reasons:

• This capsule pretty much nails how I typically dress and would include a number of garments to address holes in my current wardrobe.
• Many of the pieces are neutral, so I can start wearing them as soon as I sew them without having to wait to sew up a companion/coordinating piece.
• I already own all of the patterns on this list or have a reasonable substitute in my stash.
• I already own fabric in my stash that can be used to make every garment on this list.
• Of the 12 patterns (or my substitutes), 9 come from my Stash Candidates List.

I don't plan to sew exclusively for this capsule wardrobe until I'm finished; I'd burn out pretty quickly that way. Instead, I plan to use this list as a checklist. My goal is to get through this list of 12 garments by the end of 2014. Additionally, in some case I will be substituting a garment that is similar "in spirit" to the suggested garment out of my own personal preference.

Shall we take a closer look at the 12 garments in the capsule wardrobe list?

#	Garment	Suggested pattern	My interpretation
1	Shapely denim shirt	HP P&S Princess-seamed shirt	I'm not a fan of denim shirts--too many memories of friends working at Blockbuster in the 90's. I will substitute another neutral woven blouse for this, using either the P&S Superfantastic shirt or the Riviera Montserrat blouse, probably in white cotton shirting.
2	Slouchy striped t-shirt	HP Weekender Breton T	I just completed a semi-fitted striped t-shirt using the SBCC Tonic t-shirt pattern. I think this top nicely captures the spirit of the HP suggestion.
3	Fitted white t-shirt	HP P&S Fitted t-shirt redux	I'll either give the suggested pattern a try or will make the SBCC Tonic t-shirt pattern again using a white rayon t-shirt jersey.
4	Relaxed gray t-shirt	HP P&S Relaxed t-shirts	Most of my gray t-shirt fabric in my stash is already slated to become t-shirts for my husband. I may choose another color for this one. For the pattern, I'll either give the suggested pattern a try, or will go ahead and use the SBCC Tonic t-shirt pattern again.
5	White jeans	HP Classix Nouveau Dressy Jean	I won't do white jeans. They still scream 80's to me, and I'm not slim or young enough to wear them. For this item, I'm leaning towards swapping in a pair of HP Classix Nouveau Dolce Vita slim cut pants in a stone color or maybe black.
6	Fun color jeans or pants	Classix Nouveau Dolce Vita slim cut pants	I have a nice length of brick red stretch denim in my stash. It's still a fun color, but doesn't scream that you have to be under 30 to wear it. I'm thinking of going with either the HP Classix Nouveau Dressy Jean or the HP Weekender Boyfriend Jean for the pattern.
7	Boyfriend jeans	HP Weekender Boyfriend Jean	I have plenty of denim in my stash in varying blue dyes. I'll choose one of them to go with the suggested HP Weekender Boyfriend Jean pattern.
8	Slim denim skirt	HP P&S Slouchy Fly Front Skirt	Based on the line drawings, I think that the Cake Hummingbird skirt is probably better suited to my figure. I'll be making that in denim from my stash.
9	Fun print top or blouse	HP Classix Nouveau Scarf Shirt	I'll be using the suggested HP Classix Nouveau Scarf Shirt pattern for this garment. I haven't decided on which stash fabric to pair with it yet.
10	Solid t-shirt dress	HP P&S Relaxed t-shirts	I don't see a lengthened relaxed t-shirt being the best choice for my figure, but I get and like the idea of this entry. I think that the HP P&S Essential Shift Dress in a nice ponte knit from my stash will be a suitable replacement.
11	Black crop or moto jacket	HP Metropolitan Agostini Moto jacket or HP Riviera Blvd Cardigan Jacket	I made a version of the HP Riviera Blvd Cardigan jacket a while back and liked it, but I'm leaning towards the HP Metropolitan Agostini Moto jacket on this one. For either jacket, I'll be using a black ponte knit from my stash (thank you FabricMart). I've been wanting to make a moto jacket for a while, and the Agostini has the added benefit of paneled seams and not being double-breasted.
12	Belted gray cardigan/jacket	HP Fast & Fabulous Four Seasons Kimono Jacket	I've already started this one. I'm using the suggested HP Fast & Fabulous Four Seasons Kimono Jacket pattern and making it up in a firm wool sweater knit.

2014 Sewing Goals: Pattern Stash

I am going to blatantly rip off an idea from Lynn over at You sew, girl! and write my own post about my goals for pattern stash busting in 2014. She set stashbusting goals for herself by identifying a goal of sewing at least 10 stashed patterns and 30 pieces of stashed fabric in 2014.

I am going to do a similar thing with the following pledge:

"I, Michelle of happilycaffeinated, commit to using at least 15 patterns from the candidate pattern stash and using at least 20 pieces of stash fabric in 2014. Stash includes any fabric or patterns on hand/purchased prior to the date of this pledge, 8 Jan 2013."

If you'll recall, I wrote a post a few months ago where I was debating how best to add some focus and order to my sewing projects for 2014:

Thinking ahead to 2014: Seeking Balance

In particular, I was interested in finding a way to prioritize sewing up some of my stashed patterns that I truly wanted to sew but hadn't done so because I kept getting distracted by other projects. By using Lynn's challenge as an inspiration, I think that I should be able to accomplish my pattern stashbusting goals for the year but not feel like I'm locked into sewing only one company's patterns.

Here's how I'm planning to accomplish these goals:

• The fabric stash part is easy. I'm planning to try to shop my stash for most of my projects this year unless there's a pattern that I have in mind where I really don't have an appropriate fabric (Believe it or not, I do have a small handful of projects in mind where I don't have the right fabric. Probably not surprisingly, these projects are all either fleece pajamas or outerwear.)
• For the pattern stash part, I wanted to focus on patterns that have either been in my "to sew" queue for a while or have been and out of my queue several times. These patterns are the ones that I really want to sew but haven't gotten around to for whatever reasons. To create this focus, I created a spreadsheet of "candidate" patterns:
  

  
  

  

  2014 Pattern Stash candidates

  I won't be restricted to sewing from this list, but I will try to sew 15 of the 39 patterns on here this year. Given my sewing pace under normal circumstances, I think this is a reasonable goal that will leave me with some flexibility for new patterns and new project ideas.
  
  Also, lest you think that I have some sort of ungodly self control, note that my pattern stash is much, much larger than this list. In my early years of sewing, I hit nearly every cheapo pattern sale at JoAnn's and accumulated hundreds of Big 4 patterns, most of which will probably never be sewn, but that I can't bring myself to part with. (For some reason, I have a much easier time donating "what was I thinking" fabric than patterns.)
• My weight has fluctuated a lot over the past few years (getting pregnant, having a baby, taking off a chunk of weight, putting a little bit of that weight back on), so I've been really feeling like I need a wardrobe revamp, especially taking into account Seattle's cooler climate. I tried to put together a list of where I see the "holes" being in my current wardrobe and mapped that to the pattern stash candidates:

Stash chart 2014

 
I think that my goals/wardrobe holes line up pretty well together. This chart and my overall thought process does assume that some patterns will be made multiple times (I'm pretty good about making multiples of many of my knit top and knit dress patterns) and that there will likely be a few wadders in the group. However, I am hoping that by the end of 2014, I won't feel like I'm wearing the same 4-5 outfits all the time and will be able to mix and match things up a bit more.

You might also notice that the "stash plan" doesn't have many entries for Eva or David. The reason for this is that I'm pretty good about sewing things for Eva fairly soon within buying the pattern, so outside of a few Oliver + S patterns that were bought on sale, I don't really have a pattern stash for her yet. And I don't have much of a pattern stash for David because there aren't a whole lot of men's patterns out there, let alone patterns for larger men that don't require a ridiculous amount of grading. The first thing that I'll sew for him this will likely be the new HP men's t-shirt pattern, which I don't have in hand yet but ordered the day that it was released.

I have a few other sewing-related goals for the year, mostly related to refining certain skills and trying a few new things to step out of my comfort zone, but I'll save those for another post.