- Colette Seamwork
- StyleArc
- Tilly & the Buttons
Colette Seamwork: June issue - Mesa and Aurora
Mesa (t-shirt dress)
So, one of the projects out of this month's Seamwork is a t-shirt dress. I guess it's okay, but like most of the Seamwork patterns so far, it's not particularly exciting or tempting to me.
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| Colette Seamwork - Mesa dress |
Aurora tank top
A bit less boring is the Aurora tank top, which at least has an interesting yoke detail that opens up some design possibilities. Seamwork didn't have any sample photos of this top where you could actually see the details without the top being tucked in, so this was the best that I could do to show you the pattern:
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| Colette Seamwork - Aurora tank |
StyleArc: June 2015 release
StyleArc's patterns this month, to me, were a big bag of "I guess they're okay, but they're not really my style."
Veronica Vest
I actually quite like this Veronica Vest, but I don't really wear vests. But, if you did wear vests, I think that this would be a pretty cool-looking one:
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| StyleArc - Veronica Vest |
Eddie Woven Pant
Supposedly/unfortunately, pleated pants are on their way back to being in style. At least, in the StyleArc version, the tops of the pleats are stitched down, making them a bit more wearable. I suppose, if you were going to wear pleated, tapered-leg pants, you could do a lot worse than this offering from StyleArc:
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| StyleArc - Eddie Woven Pant |
I get that cutouts are a big trend right now, but I really don't care for this interpretation of that trend. Maybe it'll look better when it's made up on a real person (like Anne/ClothingEngineer), but from the line drawing, this reminds me of something that a Lekala designer would come up with in the morning after having had a few too many vodka shots the night before. This is also the free pattern for June, so if you do like it, you'll get it sent to you free along with any pattern purchase that you make.
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| StyleArc - Marlo Knit Top |
Tilly & the Buttons: Agnes Top
If you remember the big ruched sleeve sewing pattern trend from a few years ago, the Agnes top is Tilly & the Buttons' interpretation of that trend.
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| Tilly and the Buttons - Agnes |
When I see the line drawing of the Mesa dress, I just see a nightgown. I agree that this was a pretty boring week for pattern releases. The Style Arc vest and pants are at least interesting and something I could admire on other people (both actually remind me of Margy from A Fool for Fabric) but they are not styles I could pull off or am likely to make for myself. But my sewing stuff is all in boxes right now, so best not to have any cruel temptations anyway!
ReplyDeleteI hope this week is better for you!
Agreed on the nightgown thing. What's interesting is that if you remember that shirt-tail t-shirt that HotPatterns released about a month ago, several women on the HP Facebook group are lengthening theirs into nightshirts.
DeleteI wish the Seamwork patterns were more clearly photographed! Front, back sides... it's hard to judge a pattern without more info! (I've seen two people sew the mesa dress and it came out SUPER TIGHT for both, which is odd!)
ReplyDeleteIn better pattern news... Jalie is releasing it's new patterns soon, and they've started teasing them on FB and the blog. The first pattern is running tights, which is not my style, but I'm really hoping they'll come out with a few things I'll make a million times! :)
Hope work improve this week!
Yeah, I'm surprised that the Mesa is running small. Usually the opposite is more typical for Colette. I haven't seen any of these pop up in my blog feed yet, so I didn't realize there were any already out there.
DeleteAnd yes! I am looking forward to seeing what's in this release from Jalie.
I like the tank and its getting super hot here in the south so it may be time. It might be good for using some of the little bits of knit scraps if I can find coordinating solids.
ReplyDeleteI'm really excited that Jalie has running tights coming. I will only wear them for running but the knee length ones look great. I just don't like super short running shorts and the tights help prevent rubbing so I'm OK.
I did like the look of the Jalie tights. I wonder how they compare to the inseam-less running tights that Melissa from Fehr Trade released a little while back.
DeleteI have her on my favorites list on etsy but haven't tried any of her patterns yet. I really like that Jalie allows me to use the same pattern for myself and my daughter.
DeleteI'm with you, nothing here excites me. Again, with you on the Tilly pattern, not the target audience and it does look dated. But I'm actually pleased by all this meh, because now I don't feel compelled to get anything when I have a queue a mile long. The Mesa dress on the model is actually kind of cute, but as said, unexciting. It looks like the knit version of the Laurel.
ReplyDeleteRight? I haven't bought a pattern in several weeks. The last one I bought was that I caved and bought the Morris blazer when I ran across it in one of our local shops.
DeleteKnit Laurel is a good comparison for the Mesa.
Like Stephanie, i think that the Aurora tank could be a nice staple and stashbuster for peeps in hot climes. As one of those peeps i appreciate the effort, tho as i prefer a more figure-hugging, romantic vibe i will be passing on this pattern (i just got hold of the Alabama Chanin corset pattern via my local library, i am so excited!). But other people have other figures and styles, good for them!
ReplyDeleteOh wow i will be keeping an eye on that T & B tee pattern. Those sleeves remind me of Ungaro in the 1980's, man i loved his blouses and dresses! With my square shoulders i have to say that gathers in the cap are the way to go, your classic set in sleeve may look much more 'appropriate' on my fifty three year old bod but it strangles my shoulders! The neckline deet on the other tee is sweet as well. If it gets good reviews i may indulge.
Hang in there, weeks like these are what makes you appreciate the stellar ones!
Ooh, good luck with the Alabama Chanin pattern! Alabama Chanin is one of those styles that I admire on other people but isn't really me. Plus, I hate hand-sewing and can't possibly imagine hand-sewing an entire garment. But I do appreciate the ones that I see.
DeleteOh man, where do I even begin?
ReplyDeleteI've become quite disenchanted with Colette Patterns. I was a major fangirl when they were first released, but nothing from the past couple of years has excited me. I am not into vintage styles, but the femininity of their first few patterns drew me in. It seems as if they changed their target market and I'm just not interested.
Tilly and the Buttons patterns are very basic reprints of stuff that's already available: Agnes (Butterick 5562 and Jalie sweetheart top), Arielle (off-center Colette Beignet), Coco (insert any knit shift here).
I actually have debated over covering some of those Tilly patterns because I am sooo not the target market there. But, they seem to be somewhat popular and it was a slow pattern week, so...
DeleteI'm less disenchanted with Colette, if only because I've liked a few of the patterns in the past couple of years--the Hawthorn (which, no, I still haven't made up) and Moneta being the most prominent ones. I really do love and still wear the Monetas that I made up last year. Not terribly exciting, but very functional. But I am starting to get antsy wondering if they're ever going to release an interesting or challenging pattern again.
Tilly = Emperor. I just keep telling myself either she will actually gain some skill or people will get bored. I chuckle at every "new" pattern because it's like, REALLY?!?! Sheesh.
ReplyDeleteI like that vest a lot but know that I shouldn't. Highly unlikely that it'll look on me.
I like that Seamwork tank but probably won't buy it. I have zero energy for pdf patterns right now. Z.E.R.O. And there's something not quite right for me where the front meets the yoke/strap.
The t-shirt dress is popular with the youngin's. DD wants me make her "a whole bunch of them" and that same silhouette is what we saw at Target today!
That makes sense, re: the t-shirt dress. I'm still seeing tons and tons of flowy rayon challis dresses and chambray shirtdresses around here this summer. (That StyleArc Italia dress seems to be THE style of shirtdress right now.)
DeleteI like the idea of a t-shirt dress as a pool coverup, though. But I'd probably just lengthen the HP pattern for that.
I've made two Mesas now and a third which came out so tight I converted it into a t-shirt. It's actually a nice pattern, but it comes up VERY small, and there are also some problems with the sleeve head being too big and consequently ruching.
ReplyDeleteIt really sounds like they punted pretty badly with the drafting on that one. I wonder if they're not doing any sort of pattern testing (for size) on the Seamwork patterns. There was another one that I remember people saying ran small.
DeleteSnoozefest is right!
ReplyDeleteI guess this would be a topic for another thread/post, but is it just me, or does it seem like pattern releases in general have slowed down from what they were, say, 6-12 months ago?
DeleteHopefully Jalie has a few interesting offerings in their upcoming release.
Although the week in patterns was a snooze fest, I still enjoy your round ups! Clicking on the Style Arc website, I see a lot that I like from previous releases, and there's only so much time in the day, so maybe it's good to have a slow week here and there.
ReplyDeleteI am so over Colette. The last one I bought was the Dahlia and it was a waste of time. Honestly, the only two Colette patterns that I really liked are Parfait and Hazel. Laurel used to be in the list until I replaced it with M6102. Their patterns used to be interesting even if they were a bit twee at times.
ReplyDeleteI don't like a single Seamwork pattern. Meh.
Style Arc has all of my money now, except for these three offerings. Pleated pants, nope not today.
Style Arc haven't done anything remotely attractive for the busty for months now...
ReplyDeleteTilly has made Anne of Green Gables happy- she has her coveted puffed sleeves at last...
ReplyDeleteClearly I am a cranky old woman, and unlike Tinyjunco I don't remember the 80's very fondly 😀 . However, my sister made me a poofy sleeved prom dress and it was beautiful. In fact she made me go because she wanted to make the dress! I have been thankful that my 1986 wedding dress doesn't scream 80's for, oh, nearly 30 years now...
Oh, and pleated pants over my dead body.
Is the Mesa dress very different from the Laurel? I was going to buy the laurel as a good basic shift dress with sleeves...then saw the Mesa. I can't tell from the pictures but they look almost the same. Are they?
ReplyDelete