Pattern Love
Tell us about your favorite clothing pattern of the moment! We’re looking for your pictures and reviews about indie/Etsy patterns (not tutorials, but actual patterns) and patterns from the big guys (Is your recent wardrobe Built-by-Wendy? Is there a great McCalls design in your closet?).
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Comment below and direct us to pattern-talk on your blog post or Flickr site, OR email us with details and/or a pic: Email: beth@sewmamasew.com Subject: Patterns |
We’ll feature some of your favorite patterns and reviews in upcoming posts. We especially love to hear about what works for you and why, modifications you’ve made and we like to see the final result!
Here are the patterns in our shop, and be sure to check out Patterns… Demystified! if you’re just venturing into the wonderful world of clothing patterns. That’s the ubiquitous (and fabulous) Built-By-Wendy 3835 up there!
52 Responses to “Pattern Love”
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i have 3
for me i love amy butler Barcelona skirt pattern, easy to fit, easy to sew and quick!
for my oldest son the britches and bloomers pattern again easy and quick, i use it with wovens and knits
for my youngest a self drafted pattern based on a pair of zutano pants. the style is perfect over pocket cloth diapers
Can’t wait to see what you come up with here…it will be wonderfully helpful!
I think Butterick 5206 was the best garment I sewed last year: http://whistlepeaknits.wordpress.com/2008/09/02/butterifick/
Please, if anyone has sewn a hat for adult women, I’d love to hear about it!
My favorite childrens pattern righ now is the wonder jacket pattern from sew baby. I love i because the body of the jacket (front back sides and collar) are one piece! with sleeves that makes 3 pieces total and the seaming is easy. Its also a geat jacket to make reversible and easy to exchange fabrics for all seasons. Love love love it. i’ve made four in the past couple months. I have picures but not sure how to post them in comments.
here are links to pictures:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v307/pennylayne/jackiescoat08-6.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v307/pennylayne/jackiescamocoat08-1.jpg
Oh, and also the sof soled baby shoe patterns from stardust shoes here:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v307/pennylayne/brownsoftsole0-31-4.jpg
and the same pattern from makethemyourself.com which I have in toddler sizes here:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v307/pennylayne/jackiesslippers-1.jpg
Cute Dress!!
I’m using a lot of patterns from Japanese sewing books, at the moment… and since more than one year now. I love the fact that they are very well explained… with drawings. I don’t read Japanese, not even a little. My favorite books are, for myself: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=19308974
for my children: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=18087465
but I have a lot, actually, and I love them all.
I’m also using patterns from the French Citronille (citronille.fr), they are very cute and easy to customize.
Cecile
I am a big fan of the book Sew What Skirts. There are many patterns and styles to choose from in the book. The best part is that you plug in your measurements to end up with a custom fitting piece. I think the circle skirt is my favorite so far. Here is a link to my post about the book and the two skirts I made from here.
http://phoneticallyspeaking.blogspot.com/2008/07/sew-what-skirts-review.html
I also used what I learned from the circle skirt to make the skirt on this dress for my daughter this Halloween:
http://phoneticallyspeaking.blogspot.com/2008_10_01_archive.html
Only trouble being that we wanted the sparkly overlay and I neglected to cut that as a circle skirt so it squished the full spinning goodness down below oppps – learning!
This is a great idea! I can’t wait to see all the fabulous suggestions that people give. I don’t have any fab faves at the moment, because I haven’t been doing much clothes sewing as of late, but I am really excited to see the ideas that others share. With spring just around the corner (I say that wishfully), I am thinking that making a few spring dresses would be lovely!
Here’s a skirt pattern that I just used, and I loved it!
http://stephcupoftea.blogspot.com/2008/12/wow-and-skirt.html
My favorite patterns right now have to be Sandi Henderson’s:
http://www.sandihendersondesign.com/pages/portabellopixie.htm
They are so easy to follow and just so cute too.
I’ve made my girls dresses and pants and some for a craft fair too.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/oneshabbychick/2939200298/in/set-72157605201349537/
http://oneshabbychick.typepad.com/one_shabby_chick/2008/12/taking-a-break.html
I’m really looking forward to hearing about people’s favorite patterns!
I’ve really enjoyed sewing with the Pink Fig patterns. Links to pics…
Olivia top: http://alison.knitsmiths.us/002855.html
Lily top: http://alison.knitsmiths.us/002859.html
Bella pants: http://alison.knitsmiths.us/002857.html
http://alison.knitsmiths.us/002899.html
And I LOVED my first Oliver & S pattern, the swingset tunic: http://alison.knitsmiths.us/002920.html. I can’t wait to make more of her patterns!
I really like the tunic from the book “downtownDIY Sewing: 14 Easy Designs for City Girls with Style”. The cowl neck is fun and the sleeves fit nicely; neither is very complicated. You can adjust the pattern and leave out the pleat (which I did with ease but my fabric selection was a disaster!!!) and come up with a few other ways to change it up. You can see my finished tunic, which I really love because of the fabric, on my blog, http://creativaclaudia.blogspot.com/2008/10/tunic.html.
This is a good book for intermediate “sewists” and has some very cute patterns! I’m all set to sew up the summer blouse!
For little girlie clothes, my vote is 100% for Portabellopixie! I’ve never purchased a pattern that was so well written or illustrated. Very, very clear full color instructions, and I learned three new techniques! (DIY bias tape, shirring, and easy ruffling.)
I’ve used the Burda Style 9678 pattern to make pants for my daughter twice with great results! They take a couple hours total and turn out much cuter than the pattern picture. Both pair were corduroy. One pair had elastic in the side seam of the leg and the other didn’t. Both were cute.
http://thetraintocrazy.typepad.com/the_train_to_crazy/2008/10/cute-easy-cordu.html
My favorite skirt pattern is a Simplicity retro one~the skirt in Simplicity 4044. I blogged about it here in December: http://bennyandheidi.blogspot.com/2008/12/favorite-skirt-pattern.html
I love it! Looking forward to your go-to patterns as well~
I love the Amy Butler Anna Tunic pattern– I’ve made the cami and tunic lengths, and just picked up some amazing peacock-esque fabric to make the dress length for summer. It’s such an easy shape to wear, quick to sew, and I love the yoke design.
My favorite pattern of the moment is this pinafore I found at You Can Make This.com
I’ve made five so far, two where Christmas present, the rest are for my little girl.
It is cute as a dress, and without the ruffle it is a nice length for a smock top with pants or leggings.
I like YCMT.com because the patterns come a e-books. Just download, print, and tart sewing!
Check out a few pictures on my blog!
http://betchashesews.blogspot.com/2008/12/embroidered-rose.html
Another vote for the Barcelona skirt! I don’t think I’ve seen anyone displeased with it yet, beginners or advanced. Butterick 4985 http://www.butterick.com/item/B4985.htm?search=4985&page=1 has been shirt pattern that gets me the most compliments.
I love the Sew baby! twirly dress pattern: http://www.sewbaby.com/shopbaby/product_info.php?products_id=4038
I’ve made it in several different sizes (2T through size 6 from the same pattern!) over the years, with long and short sleeves. My daughter loves every dress I’ve made from the pattern, and I’m bummed that she’s finally grown up to the largest size already so we won’t get to use it again for much longer
I love anything from the Ottobre magazines – the Rose dress was my most recent project, from 02/08.
That’s easy!
Oliver + S 2+2 blouse and pleater skirt pattern.
Cute! Cute! Cute!
In September I made my first little girl dress… it turned out great! It is a very versatile pattern that is sold on Etsy by thatdarncat. It can be worn alone, with a short-sleeve shirt under it or a long one. I will definitely be making it again! It has also inspired me to do more clothes for my girls and I have stocked up on lots of patterns to try. Pictures and links to the pattern on my blog at:
http://freemotion-kate.blogspot.com/2008/09/great-dress-pattern.html
amy butler’s barcelona skirt is my all time favorite for adults and well *blush* i made a really cute skirt for my little one using a bandanna. here’s the link:
http://adayinthelifeofthechristensons.blogspot.com/2008/12/tutorial-bandanna-skirt.html
I must have that dress pattern on the top of the page anyone know which pattern it is?
My favorite new patterns are longies from http://katrinassqs.blogspot.com/ and rita’s rump pocket (got diapers on the brain) just got the jackie clark sweetest little dress pattern from sew mama on monday can’t wait to try it
i tried a crochet wrist warmer that i just loved!! http://whosies.blogspot.com/2008/11/my-wrists-will-be-warm.html was the post AND a super easy fleece slipper pattern for the kids. http://whosies.blogspot.com/2008/10/slipper-mania.html
i am off to check everyone else’s stuff.
This is SO HELPFUL! I am a novice sewer, teaching myself with the help of the blogosphere and a few good books (thank you Diana Rupp!), but I have been having a terrible time choosing patterns. I look forward to reading the rest of the comments!
Oh yes! Pink Fig Girly Skirt – easy peasy and so cute! Also about to attempt this pinnafore from grainandgusset on Etsy
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=17721559
http://pinkfig.typepad.com/my_weblog/the_girly_skirt/
I will be watching the comments and resulting post on this topic. I am desparate for a decent fitting pants pattern for little girls. If the legs are just the right amount of drape/ taper, then the crotch and waist are not quite right…if the upper portion of the pants fit great, the bottom’s a bit to boot leg for a small child. Ahhhh, the perfect child’s pants. Is that too much to wish for…..
What about patterns for boys? I love to sew and will have a grandson in May so I’m looking for baby and toddler boy patterns. Any good ones out there?
I looooove the Sweet little dress pattern from Leila and Ben, it’s easy and super cute.
http://rubychickadee.blogspot.com/2008/07/sewing-anyone.html
you can see it in action here
http://rubychickadee.blogspot.com/2008/08/who-is-2.html
For girls, my two favs are the “Round Neck Top/Dress” by that darn kat and “Miss Madeline” by The Handmade Dress:
http://seemommysew.wordpress.com/2008/07/24/shop-update-and-a-giveaway/
http://seemommysew.wordpress.com/2008/08/12/140/
I love the Emmeline Apron pattern. I’ve made 2 with another one planned.
http://seemommysew.wordpress.com/2008/12/22/christmas-apron/
I made Butterick 6030 for the first time and it turned out really cute. http://seemommysew.wordpress.com/2008/12/15/christmas-sewing/
I do plan on making it a bit trimmer around the hips next time. I’ve heard great things about the shirt included in that pattern also.
Love this thread! I’m always looking for pattern ideas.
I like this Kwik Sew shirt pattern for little boys: http://kwiksew.com/Catalog/cat_detail.cfm?pid=2951&QL=Boys
I’ve used it to make holiday shirts for my 4-year-old son; the Halloween shirt turned out especially cute. I’m going to make him one with monster trucks on it for his upcoming birthday; we’re having a monster truck-themed party. Will do one for Valentine’s Day, too.
Great topic, can wait to use some of these ideas. Thanks.
I love Wendy Mullins Built By You line of patterns (through Simplicity) and her Sew U books. I’ve altered them for maternity and made them the regular way, too. They are a great starting off point.
maternity dress: http://www.flickr.com/photos/supamb/465026544/
regular skirt: http://www.flickr.com/photos/supamb/1040619314/in/set-72157594204770081/
I also love Simplicity 3887: http://www.flickr.com/photos/supamb/979887066/in/set-72157594204770081/
Loving all the kids pattern suggestions here. Sewing for my boys is next on my list.
I’d also really like to try to some Japanese sewing books, as Cecile mentioned — and where’s a good place to get started on Ottobre?
I discovered Butterick’s 4684. It is a “Fast & Easy” pattern. It has 6 different “possible” styles. I use bold, colorful Bali prints. The shirts look great! And the style is soooo comfy.
I have used the “Madeline Dress” ( http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?ref=vt_related_1&listing_id=19369572 ) from the etsy store The Handmade Dress ( http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5164898 ). It is wonderful! Very easy to use, and only 2 “joins” in the pattern. I made the size 7 for my daughter and the size 1 for my niece. I used a vintage linen napkin for the apron on my daughters, and it is so cute!
I like the Ottobre Design patterns – I have a skinny 4 yr. old boy, and being able to trace off the correct waist/hips (close to a 68) and length (110) plus the neat designs is fabulous – much easier than altering to remove the extra! And the pieces fit together almost perfectly (my tracing isn’t always accurate!).
For me, I like some of the Ottobre Women designs for t-shirts and blouses; I’m working up the courage to tackle pants from them. I also have a couple of Simplicity’s patterns with fronts already adjusted for different cup sizes – which require much less tweaking to get a reasonable fit for me.
(Ottobre I usually get from Sewzannesfabrics.com but it can also be found on eBay or at supercrafty.com; Simplicity from Joann Fabrics when they are having a good pattern sale)
For my 8 yr old daughter, the Children’s Corner Sara’s Skort pattern. Easy, fun, super cute–so far, my daughter likes the blue/white seersucker lined in bright grass green kona cotton best. For my son, the plainest, simplest Kwik Sew pants pattern. I think my tiny 3 yr old boy has a dozen pairs of great pants now. For myself, the self-drawn skirt pattern that I used to make a silk skirt to wear to a ball on NYE. I need to tweak the pattern and make it a little smaller, tho. Too big!
http://www.childrenscornerinc.com/store/cart.php?target=product&product_id=393&category_id=61
This is my daughter’s favorite thing to wear. If she could wear it every day she would. It’s the Kaiya Eve Pettiskirt featured on Martha Stewart. Not the easiest thing to sew but would have been so much easier with a ruffler foot.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=27776&id=508721098#/photo.php?pid=632524&id=508721098
OOps.. here’s the public link.
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=632524&l=ad2f0&id=508721098
I love the Jacki Clark britches & Bloomers pattern and just finished the babydoll top. I am also a big fan of the portobello pixie patterns. I teach sewing classes and these have definitely been my big hits!
My “desert island” pattern — http://www.folkwear.com/119.html — Sarouelles. I make the ones in the middle, the African pants…. love, love, love these. I wear them almost ALL the time. When it’s cold, I wear thermals under them = } The most comfortable thing in the world to wear. If you’re feeling daring, use different fabrics for each leg, or even patchwork fabric. I also make them for hubby for jammies.
i love the “built by you” patterns by wendy mullin. and i have also had much success (and compliments) with simplicity 3887.
I really love that dress pictured above! I would love to get into clothing, i even have an overlocker, not that you neeed one but i would love to actually use it more, although the chopping part scares me. so yeah for getting me started!.
Thanks for the Ottobre info, Jean Marie! I have a skinny 4yo boy, too. And I’d much rather go by cm then shaving two inches off the sides of a “size S”.
I just found this site and am new to sewing but I am in love with the “wonder jacket” that Juliana posted pictures of. Is there any way to find out where the pattern came from??
I’ve made this dress a few times for my daughter:
http://www.youcanmakethis.com/info/clothing-creation/Round-Neck-Top-Sundress.htm (pattern)
as seen on my blog: http://tracyandlizsblog.blogspot.com/2008/11/mom-can-you-make-me-dress.html
This Bolero Jacket is different and fun. Very easy to make. (I want one for myself!): http://tracyandlizsblog.blogspot.com/2008/09/bolero-jacket.html
My friend who I share a blog with made this:
http://tracyandlizsblog.blogspot.com/2008/09/something-for-me.html
great thing about Burday patterns is that they are free or way cheap – $3
If you’re still taking comments on this I just posted a review on my blog for simplicity 3881
tracyandlizsblog.blogspot.com
My favorite patters are from Fashion by Connie. I wear a size 24 and her patterns fit without altering. It is just great. Many of the patters from the big 3 are graded up from a small size. The shoulders end up too wide. They don’t account for the rounding of the back and arms that happens with round women. I have used Connie’s patters for over 10 years. I just make them over & over again. I am not sewing for myself right now. I am making my niece’s wedding gown and blogging about it http://www.sewbobbi.wordpress.com.
-Bobbi