Friday, October 23, 2015

This Week in Patterns (23-Oct-2015)

We had a pretty interesting week of new patterns this week, including a couple of major indie releases and a new BurdaStyle Plus collection. Here are the new entries:
  • BurdaStyle Plus
  • Colette Patterns
  • Pauline-Alice
  • Peekaboo Patterns
  • StyleArc 
BurdaStyle (Plus): November 2015 collection (Canal Walks)

I've been so impressed with BurdaStyle's plus collections as of late that I recently spent a chunk of birthday money on a trial subscription (after not having subscribed in ~5 years). While maybe not as outstanding as the September 2015 collection, November's collection has a few pieces that are right up my alley.

11-2015 #130: Cuffed Culottes

First up is a completely unremarkable pair of culottes.  Can you even call these culottes--they don't really have any of the volume associated with culottes and look like long shorts or short capris to me. This is probably the worst design out of this group.

11-2015 #130: Cuffed culottes
11-2015 #129: Button Up Blouse

Up next is a nice basic: a darted button-up blouse. I think that this could be a nice alternative to the Grainline Archer for those of us who wear larger sizes. Note that the Burda (unlike the Archer) has a bust dart for shaping.

11-2015 #129: Button up blouse
11-2015 #128A & B: Shirt Dress and Tunic

Next up are my two favorite pieces of the collection--a retro-inspired shirt dress and tunic. I love the gathered shoulders, open neckline, and tie option on these.

11-2015 #128A: Shirtdress

11-2015 #128B: Tunic
11-2015 #127: Long Sleeve Dress, Skirt with Flounce, Pencil Skirt

This collection has three views that all use variations on the same skirt pattern. There's a long-sleeved dress, a skirt with a flounce, and a plain pencil skirt (which I'm not including a photo of because...it's a pencil skirt and we all know what that looks like).

11-2015: #127: Long sleeved dress

11-2015 #126: Pencil skirt with ruffle
11-2105: #124 Long Pea Coat

Finally, we have a coat and jacket pattern that uses the same base pattern. I'm not a huge fan of the lack of shaping here, but I do think that it's a sharp-looking coat and jacket, and it has nice details. The coat has an optional removable fur collar.

11-2015: #124: Long pea coat
11-2015 #122: Belted jacket
Colette Patterns: Wren Dress

We finally have our latest non-Seamwork release from Colette Patterns, and it's a knit surplice/faux-wrap dress. It's a pretty enough dress, but I'm a little wrap dress'ed out at the moment. The gathered front bands are a nice detail, and I like that it comes with two different choices of skirts. As far as whether I'd purchase it, though, I think I'll wait to see some reviews and how it looks on a curvy figure first.

Colette - Wren dress
Pauline-Alice: Rosari Skirt

OMG, this is such a cute skirt!  Love the 70's vibe and the different length and pocket options. Yes, you could find a similar skirt in a vintage pattern, but this one has a decent (not great) size range, and the PDF is only 8,00€.

Pauline Alice - Rosari skirt
Peekaboo Patterns: Bristol Button-up

I haven't typically included Peekaboo patterns in these roundups because the early women's designs in this line all had similar alternative patterns that were available many other places (e.g. a raglan tee), the samples appeared to have fit issues, and they lacked line drawings. They still lack line drawings, but to give credit where it's due, Amy released a cute hoodie with an asymmetrical zipper a little while back that's been getting rave reviews, and now she's released a shirt-jacket that's a fun 90's callback: the Bristol Button-up.

Peekaboo - Bristol button-up

Remember those flannel shirts with the knit hood? That's what this is. I had a neighbor in the dorms who used to wear one of these all the time. The main things that I remember about him were that shirt and the fact that he used to play Wolfenstein at all hours, blasting the sound over the speakers from his IBM 386. ("Guten Tag!") This pattern comes in sizes from an XXS-XXXL and is fairly reasonably priced for an indie. (And if you question whether these are actually coming back in style, there's a kids' version of this shirt in the December Burda preview.)

StyleArc: Louisa Dress/Top

I'm either in an unusually good mood, or there have been some really cool patterns released this week. The latest from StyleArc also falls into the "want" category.

StyleArc - Louisa top/Dress
I love the seaming/darts and how they open up into pleats to make a full-skirted dress. On the other hand, I know that that neckline (when zipped) isn't going to work for me, so I'll wait to see a review or two on this one to make sure that the zipper can be worn semi-open to give more of a v-neck-style neckline.

 

Final Thoughts

 

What were your favorites out of this week? Mine are actually the Burda Plus shirtdress (no surprise there) and the new Peekaboo Bristol (I'm wearing Doc Martens while I type that, BTW) AND I really like the Pauline Alice skirt. I quite like the StyleArc dress, too, but think I'll need to see it made up a few times first. 


26 comments:

  1. That Style Arc dress is really cute! And I'm tempted by the Burda button down blouse, but as a busty lady I can't imagine ever putting pockets on my shirt. Especially with the little top flap. Not a good look!
    Thanks for another great round up!

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    Replies
    1. I'd likely be leaving the flaps off the shirt, but I'd probably still use the pockets. I feel like pockets help break up my vast expanse of boob-age on a plain shirt like that.

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  2. Ha! Your reference to Wolfenstein (Guten tag!) made me laugh. My memories are of my husband bringing it home for the kids (all girls) to play. I was appalled- especially when they loved it!

    As for patterns, that Style Arc dress is calling my name. I've only made one of their patterns and it was just ok on me. It was pants, though, so perhaps the dress will please me more. I agree that neckline looks a little choke-tastic.

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    1. Ha! I also remember the Woflenstein guy managed to find a topless picture of Cindy Crawford online somewhere, and he modified the game so that all of the "walls" in the castle were a picture of Cindy Crawford's boobs.

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  3. I really liked the plus patterns and especially that shirt/ruffled skirt ensemble. I like the coat and since it flares out a little think the belt will work to give it shape. I did not like the shorter jacket version, it just doesn't seem to work as well there.

    I think I may buy the Colette pattern. Unless versions start popping up that don't look good. I have a Jalie and a Sewaholic that I also want, so I'll be buying from PR for free shipping. So it may be a little while.

    I totally feel like the only person who didn't care for the Pauline Alice skirt! I was completely underwhelmed by it. I've been looking for new skirt patterns (I have SO many straight skirts or something with a flounce) but that one didn't get me.

    I love the SA dress a lot!!!!! But yeah, that full zipper is just a big 'ole no. I did think about sewing up the Cynthia Rowley Simplicity tunic with that same kind of darts opening out to pleats.

    I've sewn a Peekaboo patterns kid's pattern and didn't even know they sold women's designs. Ahhhh I just went and had a peek. I think I did know about that zip hoodie.

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    Replies
    1. That's a really good point about the coat and the flared shape. If you pull the trigger on the Colette, I'll be really looking forward to seeing your version.

      I'd forgotten about that Cynthia Rowley pattern that's similar to the StyleArc. Good call on that one!

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  4. I was looking for a blouse just like the Burda one, so it's great timing. I'll be leaving off the b-flaps though. I'm not a culottes person, but I did kind of like the Burda culottes. It's easier to see in the magazine, but they are made up in a herringbone or tweed wool. I like the menswear vibe of that, but I would have styled them with a different top. Thanks for the roundup!

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    1. Me too! I'll be leaving off the boob flaps, too. I've been looking FOREVER for a classic, darted, everyday blouse that was available in a size that's at least close to mine.

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  5. I like the Burda tunic but it is just me, or is it too big for the model? The shoulders slipping off and the very deep, wide neckline would be problematic for me, and if it's intentionally dropped shoulders...well, they don't look good on me. But the line drawing looks okay.

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    1. I noticed that too. The dresses and the tunic are falling of her shoulders and the jacket even looks a bit off.

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    2. I noticed that, Burda has earned a pass from me on that. Burda does have a lonnnnnng history of using "plus" models who are several sizes smaller than their actual Plus pattern samples. BUT, I've made enough of their patterns to know that their sizing and drafting are usually consistent, so I try to focus on the line drawings, rather than the modeled pics. Every few months, they'll use a larger, curvy model who actually does fill out the sample clothes, and it makes a huge difference in how the modeled pieces look--I wish they'd do that consistently.

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  6. That Style Arc pattern gave me a choking feeling.

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  7. I love Pauline Alice's patterns. Love. But I don't love the shipping charges from Europe or the meh size range. Boo. I would own so many if one were to change.

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    1. Right? I'm okay with taping PDFs on a small enough pattern (like, this skirt would be fine), but that Quart coat looks gorgeous, and I'd hate to tape together that PDF. I'd also be more inclined to buy her patterns if she'd added a few more sizes to the size range.

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  8. What about the new Simplicity patterns? I thought for sure you'd be swooning over the little girls moto-jacket!

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    1. I do love the girls' moto jacket! I'll talk about the new Simplicity release when it finally shows up on the Simplicity website. ;)

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  9. Here's my worry with the Lark dress - I don't see how the pattern is going to fit over boobs but then have the neckline sit flat. There's no gathering anywhere to act like dart, and the band doesn't look like it's pulled tight to add shaping... so... how is it not just going to gape open?

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    1. I know that Mary (Idle Fancy) has made it and was quite happy with it. I'm looking forward to seeing her version. I know that I, personally, won't consider buying this pattern until I see it on Mary or someone else with a full bust.

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  10. Thanks for this round up. I was going to give Burda a miss this month and order a couple of Ottobre back copies but that shirtdress has swung it. Thank you! :) Xx

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    1. Ottobre has some great patterns for women, too, and I love that they include sizes 34-52 for nearly all of their patterns. But the great thing about them is that you can pretty much *always* get a one-off back issue, so there's no rush. ;)

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  11. To me the cuffed culottes are more like the gauchos that were so popular about five years ago. Everyone was wearing them with tall stiletto type boots. I like the Burda Ruffled Pencil Skirt, but I know that it just isn't going to work for my body type.

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    1. Yup, I remember those! I like the ruffled pencil skirt, too, but like you, that isn't going to work on my body. I seem to have one of the few figure types that can't really wear pencil skirts--so I just admire them on other people.

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  12. I'm really liking the dresses this time around but I rarely wear dresses so I probably won't bother. The Bristol Button-up is more like me. If I figure out how to make that work, for work...I'll probably jump on it. Plus I think my daughters would like it too.

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