Finished Project: Closet Case Files - Clare Coat (Tester Version)

I have been dying to talk about this coat project.  If you're a regular reader of this blog, you could probably tell that based on all of the hints that I'd been dropping about a really well-done coat pattern that I tested with really great instructions. Drumroll...it was the Closet Case Files Clare Coat:

Closet Case Files - Clare Coat

Apologies for the crappy lighting here; I took these photos a while back (note the sandals and lack of tights on my legs), early in the morning. I've wanted to re-do this photo shoot, but if you follow weather in the Pacific Northwest at all, you'll know that we've had an awful lot of rain these past few weeks. (I finally snagged ~10 minutes of non-raininess to photography my StyleArc Misty jeans this morning...which I finished over a week ago and have worn several times.)

First off, let's get a couple of things out of the way. Yes, I pattern tested this coat and therefore received the pattern for free. However, I wasn't asked to blog about this pattern and all of the opinions that I express are mine, blah, blah, blah. And I'm just going to be blunt here; I love this coat. I loved working on this coat, and I'm really happy with how it turned out.

Clare Coat - Side with Zipper

Now let me go on a mini-rant: In blog posts and in the comments sections on other people's blogs, I have two pet peeves that I lament on a semi-regular basis:

1. The lack of details in the instructions for commercial coat sewing patterns. I found this horribly frustrating last year when I sewed my first coat. As a newbie coat sewist, you don't know what you don't know. The Big 4 patterns that I've looked over typically tell you to interface the collar and the facings, and that's about it. There's nothing about back stays, interfacing the hem, or adding interfacing anywhere else that might give your coat the structure that it needs to actually look good. (When I look at the coat I sewed last year, I suspect that it would have benefited greatly from an interfaced hem...which I didn't do because I didn't know that I should do it.) We can cobble together tips from books and online sources, but I had yet to see a pattern that actually walks you through the process of making a coat.
2. So many indie patterns are really basic and beginner-oriented. When you look to the brands that carry more detailed and more advanced patterns (e.g. StyleArc, BurdaStyle), the instructions often leave something to be desired. Where are the Intermediate or Intermediate-to-Advanced patterns with the detailed instructions that could help a sewist advance her skills?

Whether intentional or not, this pattern addresses both of those issues. I feel like Heather was really smart choosing an untailored coat style like this one for her first coat pattern--we dip our toe into things like adding support to the garment, but we don't have to worry about lapels, roll lines, pad stitching, or many of the other things that might make coat-making seem intimidating.

 

But it's $18!

 

I know that a lot of you are interested in this pattern but probably want to hear more about it before pulling the trigger. I've already seen a few comments online expressing hesitation at the price ($18 USD).

CCF - Clare Coat

IMO, if you like the style of the coat, this pattern is totally worth the $18 investment. And while I technically received the pattern for free, I kind of freaked out over the number of pages to print/tape in the standard PDF version and wound up taking it to a copy shop. So yeah, I've already paid over $18 for this pattern (and will be receiving a free copy of the print pattern), and I'm totally fine with that. Here's what you get for your $18:

• Two distinctly different coat views. The two views do share a few pattern pieces, but where the views diverge (other than length), you get separate pieces.
• Separate lining pieces. None of this having to remember to take an inch off the bottom of the bodice pieces, etc. It's done for you.
• Separate INTERFACING pieces.  Yes, you read that correctly. This pattern includes separate interfacing pieces for the coat front, shoulders, zipper area, hem, etc. 
• Two-piece raglan sleeves. Yay!
• Really great instructions. Constructing this coat was a joy. If you're looking to expand your skill set, View A (the one with the zipper) includes clear instructions for constructing welt pockets, when and where to grade/clip your seams, inserting an exposed zipper with a zipper shield, and bagging your lining. (View B is a bit simpler, so if you don't want to tackle those detail, you don't have to, and you'll still get a nice-looking coat.)

Here are a few details/construction shots of my coat:

Clare Coat - Zipper shield

Clare Coat - Neatly bagged lining

Clare Coat - My awesome welt pockets

I realize that I might sound like a commercial for this pattern, but I wasn't asked to write this. I simply feel very strongly that we need more of this type of pattern and fewer boxy woven t-shirt patterns from the indies. I truly feel like Heather knocked it out of the park with this pattern.

On a side note, Heather gave us the choice of sewing View B or View A for testing. I was completely torn as to which view I wanted to make (really liking both views is a big reason why I threw my hat in the ring for testing on this one). I ended up going with View A because I decided that I really liked the zipper and also wanted to try out the welt pocket instructions.

 

Fabric and Notions Used

 

I used the following fabric and notions for my coat:

• Shell: Wool tweed coating from my stash, originally purchased from (now-closed) Fashionista Fabrics. It's quite warm but also quite bulky. This fabric had been sitting waiting in my stash for me to tackle a coat without a ton of seaming, and it felt like a great match for this pattern.
• Lining: Poly charmeuse purchased years ago from Gorgeous Fabrics.
• Interfacing: Medium-weft fusible interfacing from Fashion Sewing Supply.
• Zipper: Custom-shortened separating zipper from Zipperstop. (Pattern testers were given a fair amount of lead time on this coat to source supplies, and I wanted to use a nice zipper.)

Check out my sweet zipper!

PDF Assembly

 

The test version of the pattern had 80 pages to tape and assemble. (Note that not all pages were used for all views.)  I saw that and promptly sent my pattern to a copy shop to have it printed. The copy shop version printed without issue.

Unless shipping is a major concern or you love taping PDF patterns, you'll probably want to pay a few dollars extra and go for the print version of this pattern.

Pattern Drafting, Sizing, and Alterations

 

This pattern is available in Closet Case Files sizes 0-20, ranging from a 31" bust/33" hip (79cm/84cm) to a 46" bust/48" hip (117cm/122cm). I'm a little outside of the size range but wanted to keep my pattern alterations to a minimum, so I sewed a size 20 and added a touch to the size 20 seam allowances throughout the body of the coat. I'm actually really happy with the final amount of ease in my coat, but it is riding up a little in front, indicating that I probably should have done some sort of length-only FBA. (This is to be expected, considering my very large bust.)

You can see that it gets slightly hung up on my rear high hip in back, but that's an easy fit issue to fix in future versions.

Clare Coat - back view

I really like the ease-of-movement that I get from the two-piece raglan sleeves. I did not need to do a full bicep adjustment on this pattern, so that was nice. I can easily drive and take my laptop bag on and off this coat without feeling like my movement is restricted.

I found the pattern to be very well-drafted. There was a small error in one of the sleeve lining pieces that the testers caught, but that is supposed to be corrected for the final version. You might notice a slight twist in my raglan sleeve in some shots--this was also corrected for the final pattern. In addition to the sleeve, Heather altered the draft of the collar piece in View A from the test version so that the collar would stand up better.

Lining shot.

You might notice that I reversed the side of the coat where the zipper opening is. That's due to a combination of user error (I cut one of my pieces wrong) and personal preference (for asymmetric things, I prefer to have the opening on the right side because I'm right-handed).

Another alteration I did was to add a coat loop at the back so that I could easily hang the coat up on our rack at work:

My added coat loop

Pattern Instructions

 

The instructions for this pattern are pretty great; I found them to include just-the-right-amount of detail for a newbie coat sewist. They tell you "sew the bust darts" without holding your hand (I'd assume that if you're sewing a coat, you know how to sew darts) but then go into detail on sewing the welt pockets and bagging the coat lining. 

Final Thoughts

 

Can you tell that I love this pattern? I realize that the style isn't for everyone. Yes, a more open neckline would "suit" my large/large-busted figure more than View A's neckline zipper, but I don't care; I like it. And if I want to break up the large expanse of fabric, all I have to do is throw a scarf around my neck. Problem solved. Would I sew it again? I don't need another version of View A, given that it's pretty distinctive, but I would like to sew View B, which I think is really cute, too. I love the idea of doing View B in a bright color (like Heather's sample of View A), so I think I'll keep an eye out for an appropriate wool for that version.


So that's my take on the tester version of the Clare Coat. Feel free to ask me any questions in the comments section!

This Week in Patterns (13-Nov-2015)

I don't have much of a roundup this week because there weren't any actual releases. I do have a few pattern-related updates to share, though.

• Blank Slate Patterns
• Curvy Sewing Collective
• HotPatterns
• Sinbad & Sailor

Blank Slate Patterns: Denver Tunic and Dress

The Blank Slate Denver Tunic and Dress pattern, which I reviewed over at the CSC, is now available as a stand-alone pattern and no longer requires purchase of the whole bundle.

Blank Slate - Denver tunic

I will say that I've really been loving this tunic--it gets worn nearly every wash cycle. I never actually put the pattern away after my last version because I really want to make another one soon, although I'm still on the fence as to whether I want to make another tunic first or try the flared dress view for my next one.

Curvy Sewing Collective: Nominate Your Favorite Curvy Patterns of 2015

Of course, I'm going to plug my own poll.

Over at the CSC, we're going to be doing a year-end roundup of our readers' favorite patterns. To narrow down the voting for the final poll, though, we're soliciting nominations first.

As someone with access to the data, I will say that in some of the categories the nomination voting is VERY close. So please, if you have a favorite pattern or two that you want to see get some recognition, please nominate it to ensure that it makes the cut for the final vote. You don't have to vote for every category, either--just vote for the ones that you want:

Curvy Pattern Nominations Poll

HotPatterns: Boudoir of Bliss - Bel-Air Lounging Pajama Limited Re-issue

On the HotPatterns Facebook group earlier this week, a member posted a picture of luxurious-looking vintage-inspired pajamas and asked Trudy if she could draft something like that. The picture wasn't terribly different from the Out-of-Print (OOP) Bel-Air pajamas that HotPatterns put out a while back (~ 6 years ago, if I remember correctly). When a number of members chimed in their disappointment that the pattern was out of print, Trudy offered to do a very limited print run for a re-issue of the pattern.

HotPatterns - Bel Air Lounging Pajamas

My understanding is that there are only a few copies left, but if you missed the pattern the first time, it's now available again for a short time, so here's your chance! (I actually own a copy of this from back when it was originally in print but haven't yet made them up.)

Sinbad & Sailor: Shop Closing Announcement

London-based indie pattern maker Hannah of Sinbad & Sailor announced this week that she'd be closing up shop at the end of the year. I've seen her patterns some around the SBC but I haven't ever featured S&S patterns in my weekly posts due to both the lack of recent releases and S&S's limited size range. If you have previously purchased but not downloaded any patterns from S&S, Hannah advises you to download and save your patterns before the shop closes.

 

Final Thoughts

That's it for now!  Any thoughts or questions on this week's updates?

Finished Project: Blank Slate Patterns - Fiesta Frock (Tester Version)

To those my readers who wonder why I don't sew more for my daughter...muahahahaha...  After last week's robot costume post, this week's dress post, I still have yet another unblogged dress that I made for my daughter (ages ago, it feels like) that I haven't managed to get photos of yet. Of course, then if you consider that I haven't photographed my recently-finished StyleArc Misty Jeans yet, written up the Blank Slate Denver Tunic on my own blog for my own record, or blogged the coat pattern that I tested back in September...yikes, that's a lot of unblogged projects.

Anyway, after the robot costume insanity, I needed a palate cleanser project. I lucked out in that Melissa from Blank Slate put out a call for testers for her new girls' party dress pattern, which I fell in love with from the sample photo. This pattern was a very easy sew with no fitting involved, and I think that the final dress is adorable.

Here it is...the Blank Slate Fiesta Frock!

Blank Slate - Fiesta Frock

You can see that the line drawing is pretty accurate:

Fiesta Frock line drawing

I love how the final dress turned out, and given how easy it was to sew, I'm planning to use this pattern for Eva's holiday dress this year.

Fabric and Notions Used

 

I used the following fabric and notions for this dress:

• The main fabric is actually a Mickey Mouse quilting cotton, originally purchased to make a set of pajamas for Eva. I probably wouldn't have chosen this fabric for this dress; however, the skirt is a bit of a fabric hog (but it TWIRLS), and none of my dress-length cuts of fabric for Eva in my stash would have been enough fabric. Eva has been bugging me for a Mickey Mouse dress for a while, so I figured that I'd give her her way this time.
• Collar and sleeve binding: a scrap of white cotton shirting from Gorgeous Fabrics
• Buttons and bias binding (for the neckline) purchased from JoAnn's.

Faux Peter Pan collar

PDF Assembly and Pattern Drafting

 

The PDF for this pattern went together smoothly. One thing that I liked is that although the skirt is just a gathered rectangle, Melissa gives you the option of either printing/taping the pattern piece or drafting it yourself from the dimensions that she gives. I'm a printer-and-taper, so that's what I did.

I ran into no drafting issues, even though this was technically the test version of the pattern.

 

Pattern Sizing, and Alterations

 

This pattern is available in girls' sizes NB-10, so it covers a really wide age span. Eva's measurements best fit the size 3T, so that's what I sewed. I didn't make any fit alterations, and I'm happy with the off-the-printer fit.

Fiesta Frock - back

 

Pattern Instructions

 

Even though this was just the test version of the pattern, I only ran into really, really minor nitpicky things with the instructions, which should be fixed in the final version. (We're talking about a couple of typos here.) I hadn't seen the included method of binding the sleeve hem/sewing the side seams before, but it was easy to do and made for a nice finish. Melissa's method should be much easier, especially for the smaller sizes, than trying to attach the binding in the round on a small sleeve opening.

I'd rate this as a solidly "Advanced Beginner" pattern from a difficulty standpoint.

 

Final Thoughts

It's so nice to have a project where everything goes smoothly, especially after a difficult one like the robot costume.  Of course, Eva loves it--she finally got her "Mickey" dress, and it comes with a big twirly skirt!

Twirl!

This Week in Patterns (6-Nov-2015)

Can you believe that it's November already? I've been making good headway on my sewing goals for fall, but I can tell that a number of the garments that I'd planned to make (and still plan to make) won't get sewn until 2016. And, of course, there's always bright and shiny new patterns to be a distraction, right?

With the start of the new month, we've got new offerings from the following pattern companies this week:

• Colette - Seamwork magazine
• HotPatterns
• StyleArc

Colette Seamwork - November 2015 Issue

Colette is billing this month's issue of Seamwork as "the warmth issue", and its articles this month are largely geared towards the cozy sewing that many of us love. The two new patterns reflect this theme.

Seamwork - Camden Cape

I really like this cape. It looks so chic and cozy, and unlike a surprising number of cape patterns, this one is actually lined. Now, I wouldn't have a hope of sewing this up in the advertised time frame of 3 hours, but I will happily happily HAPPILY take more interesting patterns like this one that are really pushing the "quick and easy" Seamwork mantra over another boring woven t-shirt.

Seamwork - Camden cape

Seamwork - Wembley Cardigan

Unlike the Camden cape, the Wembley cardigan seems like more of a throwaway pattern. The samples all look a bit odd where the two sets of bands meet up, and I've got more interesting cardigan patterns already in my pattern stash.

Seamwork - Wembley cardigan

HotPatterns: Fast & Fabulous Diorella T-shirt blouse

I'll admit that at very first glance when I opened the email announcement, I sort of scratched my head at HotPatterns' new release. "Um, that looks awfully similar to last summer's HP Trilogy Top pattern," but then I looked a little closer, saw the back detail, and went "Oh!"...and then read the pattern description, which explains how this pattern is designed for a mix of knits and wovens and went "OH!" And yes, I know that I'm a bit of a HotPatterns fangurl, but I do really like this one, especially since it has the option of cut-on cap or long sleeves. There are a lot of fun design options here:

HotPatterns - Diorella T-shirt blouse

StyleArc: November 2015 release

This month's StyleArc offerings are fairly interesting, even if they're not all particularly my style. As they've done in recent months, StyleArc is offering two choices for a free pattern with the purchase of at least one other printed pattern this month. Also as they've done in recent months, one freebie choice is new (the Nora) and the other is an older, basic pattern (the Abby cardigan).

Violet Knit Jacket

The Violet knit jacket is a cocoon shape and promises some interesting construction. I think that this one would be really fun to make, although I don't know how this shape would translate to someone with a large bust.

StyleArc - Violet knit jacket

Ebony Woven Pant

These remind me of the wrapover pant style that pops up in BurdaStyle every so often, but without the dropped crotch that usually accompanies the Burda versions. The StyleArc take appears more wearable to me, at least from the line drawing. I've always been intrigued by this style but have never tried a pair myself. I think I'd want to see these on a curvy body before pulling the trigger, but I'm kind of tempted on this one.

StyleArc - Ebony woven pant

Nora Woven Tunic/Dress (freebie for November)

The Nora is all about the neckline. The twisted neckline on this pattern is much easier to discern and looks more interesting in the sample photos on StyleArc's website and that StyleArc recently teased on Instagram. The boxy shape wouldn't work for me, but I like the neckline.

StyleArc - Nora Tunic/Dress

Final Thoughts

The only must-have this week is the new HotPatterns blouse, but I'll be keeping an eye out for how those new StyleArcs look on a larger and/or curvy figure. I actually really like that Seamwork cape, too, but day-to-day separates are up higher on my sewing priority list right now.

So...likes and dislikes of this past week? ;)

Finished Project: McCall's 6814 - Children's costumes

You know it's a bad sign for a sewing project when you have to Google one of the notions from the pattern notion list because you've never heard of it before.

For the record, "headliner fabric" is a soft, spongy foam-like "fabric" that is typically used in upholstery. Also, it's a bitch to sew, and I hope to never have to deal with the stuff again.

Anyway, backing up a few steps, my 3-year-old daughter wanted to be a robot for Halloween this year. Specifically, she wanted to be a blue robot. I really, really tried to push her towards the DC superhero costumes put out by Simplicity, but 3-year-olds know what they want, and Eva wanted to be a blue robot. I'd vaguely remembered seeing a robot costume pattern on the McCall's website and wound up ordering the recently out-of-print McCall's 6814.

McCall's 6814

Note that the robot looks suspiciously similar to the robot Plex from Yo Gabba Gabba (a former favorite tv show of Eva's):

Plex from Yo Gabba Gabba

Several trips to JoAnn's, $65 on fabric and notions, and many hours of work later, Eva had her blue robot costume:

Eva in her robot facepaint, post-office-Halloween party

Given the labor effort and expense that went into this costume, I probably shouldn't be too surprised that I couldn't find any reviews for the pattern on PatternReview or on sewing blogs. This costume was a case where it would have been really helpful to have found a previous review or some tips or anything to help out with some of the tricky bits.

 

Fabric and Notions Used

 

Oh boy...you know you're in for a marathon when the pattern envelope splits the notions list between the actual envelope and the paper instructions inside. If you want to tackle this costume, here's the supply list that you'll be buying:

• Fabric for the jumpsuit (in my case, I used a lightweight poly silver lame that shredded if you so much as looked at it).
• 12" zipper for the jumpsuit
• Poly crepe-backed satin for the vest and helmet
• Headliner fabric to interline the vest and helmet pieces
• A variety of felt squares for the gear and button appliques
• Paper-backed fusible webbing to fuse the applique pieces to the vest
• Velcro (for the vest closure)
• Foam (the disks on the helmet are foam disks wrapped in the silver lame fabric)
• 3 pipe cleaners
• 1 pom-pom

Oh, and to attach the lame-covered-foam disks, pipe cleaners, and pom-pom to the helmet, I had to buy one of these:

I now own a hot glue gun. Is that "Mom" enough for ya?

I omitted the window screen from the helmet for the sake of not obstructing visibility (this is also why the helmet is somewhat collapsing on itself).

Pattern Drafting, Sizing, and Alterations

 

This pattern is available in McCall's childrens' sizes 2-8.  Eva should be a size 3 based on the size chart. I considered sizing down because of the huge amount of ease that Big 4 children's patterns are known for, but I'm glad that I didn't. The jumpsuit would have been too short on her had I sized down; go with the size chart and/or your usual RTW size for your child with this one.

Pattern Instructions

 

Oy.  The pattern instructions are enough to get the job done, but they don't really point out any "gotchas" for working with these materials.  The headliner fabric is a nightmare to work with, and they have you underline all of the outer pieces for the vest and helmet with it. This stuff squishes and stretches all over the place. There must be an easier way to underline your "fashion" fabric with this (I did machine basting), but I have no clue what that would be. There was no way that I was going to hand-baste all of those pieces for a kids' Halloween costume. Also, the seams involving the headliner fabric are all horribly puckered. No one said anything about it, but I was glad that this costume wasn't an entry on Project Runway.

 

Final Thoughts

While this project was a huge pain that took forever to sew, but Eva loved it, and that's what counts. She got to wear it to her preschool Halloween party, trick-or-treating at my office, and trick-or-treating around our neighborhood.

"My name is Eva. I am a robot."

Would I make this costume again?  Hell, no. Would I recommend it...well, there aren't a whole lot of other robot costumes out there that don't involve an aluminum foil covered box, so there's that.  If you are asked to make a robot costume, this pattern will likely result in a happy child, and that's the important part.

This Week in Patterns (30-Oct-2015)

Happy almost Halloween! I am so far behind on my project blogging, it's not even funny. Over at the CSC, I've been busy working on a few things that I hope you'll all like, or at least find entertaining, and that's been eating up a lot of my blogging time.

In the meantime, we have a LOT of new patterns! This week, we had releases from the following pattern companies:

• Blank Slate Patterns
• Butterick
• Muse Patterns
• New Look
• Simplicity

Blank Slate Patterns: Novelista Shirt

Disclaimer:  I tested this pattern and received a free copy of it, so my opinions (which are my own) are based off of my testing experience with this pattern.

A lot of people love the Grainline Archer shirt, but I also know that a lot of people feel that it's too boxy and would prefer a shirt with the same details but more shaping. Here's the shirt pattern that you've been looking for--the Blank Slate Novelista:

Blank Slate - Novelista shirt

Blank Slate- Novelista (line drawings)

You can't necessarily tell from the line drawings and sample photos, but the Novelista has the classic shirt details that a lot of blouse patterns lack: sleeve plackets (long sleeved version), a yoke, and a collar-with-stand. I'm really excited about this pattern, and you'll be seeing my version of it once I've had a chance to sew up a non-muslin/non-test version.

Butterick: Holiday/Winter 2015

Butterick was the last of the Big 4 to release its winter collection. This collection is heavy on sleep- and loungewear, so if that's your thing to sew, you'll probably find a few patterns in this batch to add to your shopping list.

B6285: Gertie Top and Skirt

I'm only calling out this Gertie pattern, which to me is otherwise uninteresting, because it strongly resembles the Cake Pavlova pattern from a few years ago. Gertie's skirt is pleated, and the Pavlova is a circle skirt, but those are the biggest differences that I'm seeing.

B6285

B6282: Retro Dress and Belt

This retro shirtdress is cute:

B6282

B6288: Misses' Shirt

This blouse has an interesting back detail, which is nearly entirely obscured by the fabric choice of the sample, although you can see it in the line drawing.

B6288

B6031: Maternity Vest, Coat, and Belt

I had to pick this pattern just because it's the first pattern that I've seen for a babywearing jacket, period. I see RTW versions of these all over the MLS Sounders games that my family attends. These weren't a thing, really, even three years ago when my daughter was a baby, but I love the idea of it and would have wanted one of these if they had been around. There's a maternity view for the pre-baby mom, too.

B6301

B6292: Lisette Pajamas

This is Liesl's (of Oliver & S and Lisette patterns) take on classic pajamas. They're quite similar to the Closet Case Files Carolyn Pajamas in that both patterns have similar details: piping, pockets, and both long and short views.

B6296

Muse: Tahi Skirt and Shrug

Along with the Blank Slate Novelista, we have another entry in the category of Patterns That Fill a Glaring Hole in Current Pattern Catalogs--this time from Muse Patterns. Kat's new pattern includes a shrug and a skirt with four different views of various fullnesses and lengths. The maxi- view is exactly what I had in mind this past summer when I was trying to find a pattern for an interesting maxi-skirt that wasn't the Sewaholic Gabriola. I really like all four views of the skirt, although I think I prefer the flared versions slightly. I'd never personally sew the shrug (shrugs and large busts don't mix, in my experience), but it's a nice pattern extra to include for most women.

Muse - Tahi skirt and shrug

New Look: Winter 2015

Whereas the previous release from New Look appeared to be made up entirely of refreshed and reissued patterns, the Winter release includes entirely new patterns, as far as I can tell. (Please correct me on this in the comments, if I'm wrong.)  Not a whole lot of it excites me, but there are a few decent basics in the group. Here are the two patterns that stood out the most to me:

New Look 6417

This cardigan/jacket/coat is similar to the popular StyleArc Harper jacket. I've been seeing this style around town for the past year or so, and it's surprisingly wearable on a lot of different body types. If I didn't already own the StyleArc, I'd probably pick up the New Look version.

New Look 6417

New Look 6421

I think that the color used in the sample is hideous, but this pattern includes a nice princess seamed shift-style tunic and cigarette pants. There's also a basic pencil skirt pattern, if for some reason, you need one and don't already have one.

New Look 6421

Simplicity: Winter/Holiday 2015

The online reaction to Simplicity's Winter/Holiday collection this year has been mostly "meh", but I feel like there are a few gems in here. Overall, this collection certainly grabs me more than McCall's and Vogue's Winter/Holiday releases.  There are definitely a few in this bunch that I'll be picking up at a future JoAnn's sale. The Vintage offerings are particularly strong this time around, IMO, but that could be my own bias because I'm one of those odd people who actually likes some 70's fashions.

Simplicity 8019: 1970's Vintage Skirts

First up is this A-line gored button-down skirt. I had a rayon challis skirt from Express like this in college--another time that the 70's were a big fashion influence. I loved that skirt. And I got really excited when I saw Bowfinger because Heather Graham was wearing the same skirt that I owned. In any case, this seems like a no-brainer to pick up when it's on sale.

Simplicity 8019

Simplicity 8013: 1970's Vintage Dresses

This woven wrap dress pattern is unbelievably 70's-tastic in a very awesome way.  It kind of makes me want to curl up on the couch with a glass of Riunite and watch Love Story.

I have no idea where I'd wear this, but I think I need to buy this pattern just for the sake of owning it.

Simplicity 8013

Simplicity 8014: Misses' Shirt Dresses

Can a person own too many shirt dress patterns?  I don't think so. This one is kind of similar to the famous McCall's 6696 (aka "Mary's shirtdress"), but the Simplicity has an option for a partial circle skirt and an option for a shirdress without a waist seam. Like the McCall's the Simplicity has some cup size options, too.

Simplicity 8014

Simplicity 8034: Animal Stuffies

I am so not usually a craft person, but the stuffed unicorn here is way too cute.

Simplicity 8034

Simplicity 8027: Girls' Sportswear pattern

OMG, a girls' moto jacket pattern! And my daughter is big enough for it!  I am so making this. In addition to the adorable moto jacket, there are some really useful everyday coordinates in this envelope, too. There isn't a piece in this bunch that I wouldn't sew or dress my daughter in.

Simplicity 8027

Final Thoughts

There was a lot to like this week, IMO. If you're looking for an Archer with more shaping, the Blank Slate Novelista is your pattern. I also really like Muse's new skirt pattern--enough that I ordered it right away while it was still on sale. There aren't any must-haves for me out of the Butterick or New Look collections, but from Simplicity, I want the girls' moto jacket, 70's wrap dress, and the shirtdress.

What were your favorites this week?

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.