Pattern Review – Sew Bittersweet Designs

A Simple Vest for Anne – Pattern Review

10 Comments / Clothes, Pattern Review / By Melissa Dunworth

On Black Friday last year I went a bit spend happy on Etsy and bought a couple pdf patterns. I decided to buy Anne the Simple Vest pattern by Lily Bird Studio. I had never sewn with her patterns before but I had heard good things from several friends.

I sewed it up at the beginning of March using a remnant of fleece that I bought at JoAnns and a really cute purple and white chevron flannel for the lining.

My original intention was to put the welt pockets on it but after one horrible failed attempt I decided I didn’t want to waste anymore fabric and went with no pockets.

I found that the sizing for the pattern ran a bit small. Based on her measurements Anne would be a 4 according to the pattern, I am thinking that I should have made it a 5, and will definitely do that next time (I have plenty left of both fabrics to make a second one).

You can see that it is just exactly right for Anne at the moment.

It goes right to the end of her shirt, and I personally like her clothes to have a bit of room to grow. The nice thing is that the pattern has sizing from 12 months all the way to 8 years so I will be able to use this pattern for a couple more years.

Whatever size issues there might be, it really didn’t matter because that smile made it a win!

The next time I make this pattern I am going to find a reversible separating zipper so that I can have 2 vests for the price of one, I think that will be super fun for Anne.

Pattern Details: Simple Vest by Lily Bird Studio

Pattern Sewing Level: Advanced Beginner

Would I recommend this pattern: Yes

Materials – Blizzard Fleece from JoAnns, Separating Zipper

Special Skills: Installing a Zipper, Welt Pockets (I omitted those)

Model – my precious Anne

Lucy Hobo Bag – Pattern Review

12 Comments / Pattern Review / By Melissa Dunworth

Recently I was given the opportunity to review a pattern by Clover & Violet, I picked the Lucy Hobo Bag. I fell in love with this bag because of the unique shape, the fact that it is patchwork and quilted, and it looked big enough to fit everything I carry day to day.

After making the purse I realized that not only was it big enough for my every day items, but it was big enough to toss in Anne’s water bottle as well. This is huge for us considering her kidney condition!

Check out the inset zippered pocket that I learned how to make!

See that solid magenta line that goes across the lining at the top of the photo? That’s my zipper! The directions were super easy to follow and I was very excited as this was a skill I have been dieing to learn!

There are 3 pockets total, the one on the outside fits my phone or my car keys perfectly. The zippered pocket on the inside is now holding my gum and a few things that I want secured. The loose pocket on the inside (bottom of pic) is holding my bluetooth headset and hand sanitizer, which is convenient for quick access.

I can’t wait for the first night we go out to dinner with this purse because I can already tell that it will be plenty big enough to toss in a coloring book and crayons to entertain Anne at the restaurant.

Things that I love about the pattern:

The instructions are written very clearly

There are lots of color photos (I’m a visual learner)

I learned several new skills – including an inset zipper pocket!

You could easily turn the outside panels into other items such as place mats.

Would I recommend this pattern: Absolutely!

The pattern is well written with lots of details. I firmly believe that any advanced beginner sewist could easily make this bag. I had it together in about 4 hours total – start to finish.

The pattern is available for purchase from Clover & Violet and you can find it right here in their online shop.

*** I was provided this pattern for free, the review and opinions expressed here are entirely my own. ***

The “Babette” Skirt – A Pattern Review

12 Comments / Pattern Review / By Melissa Dunworth

When my friend Rebecca asked me if I would like to review her latest skirt pattern I immediately said yes! Prior to sewing this skirt it had been 16 years since I had made an article of clothing for myself. The last time was kind of a disaster…I made pajama pants with the print upside down. This time, however, I had completely wonderful results!

Rebecca and her husband are the design team behind Rebecca Ruth Designs. They design patterns that are easy to follow and very versatile – which is what I need. This is the third pattern I have sewn from Rebecca. The first one was her Smock Monster Pattern and I also made her E-Book Reader Tablet Case. I have thoroughly enjoyed sewing each of these patterns.

What I love about the “Babette” Skirt is that it feels as though one pattern will truly fit most women. All you need is your waist measurement and where you want the skirt to hit on your leg and you can easily fit this skirt to any body. I decided that I wanted my skirt to hit just below the knee. I took the measurement from my waist to just below the knee and it came to 23″. I bought extra fabric, mainly because I loved the print I found. The nice thing about this pattern is that it is a paper pattern, no printing out tons of sheets of paper. I decided to trace out the size I wanted onto freezer paper so that I could reuse the pattern again if I ever want to make it in another fabric or in a different length.

All the supplies to make this skirt could easily be found at your local JoAnns, which made it a one stop trip for Anne and I. Total sewing time for me, a relative clothes sewing novice, was 3 hours. I think it would have been less but I did a bit of ripping out when I sewed in the buttons. Apparently I’m not very good at sewing a straight line!

I opted to make the Circle Skirt version and it has a truly unique closure method that I have never seen before. The skirt closes at the pockets. No zippers! You use buttons and some woven cording. Truly inspired. The skirt has 2 pockets, but you cannot tell when looking at it straight on unless your hands are in them.

Final Thoughts:

Skill Level: Beginner (because I am definitely a beginner!)
Materials: Easy to locate at your Big Box Fabric Store (my skirt is made with quilting weight cotton)
Time: 3 hours for me, but I think the second time around it would be much faster!
Size Range – Fits waist sizes 24″ to 51″

I loved sewing this pattern. I have already decided that this will be my Christmas Eve Skirt (with an extra thick pair of tights because I know it will be COLD).

Pattern Review and Giveaway

41 Comments / Hopeful Threads, Pattern Review, Remember September / By Melissa Dunworth

Hi Everyone! Happy Saturday! Today I have a great pattern review and giveaway for you! The pattern is E-Book Reader Tablet Case by Rebecca Ruth Designs.

: Image Courtesy of Rebecca Ruth Designs

I first bought this pattern for myself at my local quilt shop (where Rebecca works part time and teaches!) when Kristy and I were first planning the Remember September project. I already knew how to do pillowcases but I really wanted to make an e-reader cover. I fell in love with the fabric on the cover and it looks like something I could easily do. Here is the one I made, it is the medium size and fits my Blackberry PlayBook perfectly.

What I love about Rebecca’s patterns is that she offers so many options and the directions are clearly written. For this pattern alone she offers 3 different sizes, 4 different closure styles, 2 different types of padding (peltex and batting), as well as directions for string piecing if you want to make the case out of scraps.

As you can see in the picture above, or at least I hope you can see, I went with the batting and quilting option. I wanted something extra padded and the batting and extra layer of muslin really provided that, my Blackberry isn’t going ANYWHERE!

I also decided to go with the velcro closure option. The other options included buttons or a strap to slide the top under. I stayed away from buttons because I was concerned about them possibly coming off down range and if you lose the closure then it wouldn’t function very well. However, in lovely everyday use, I think the button option would be gorgeous!

Observations:

The pattern is well written, any sewing experience level could easily sew this project
There are extra materials required: either peltex or batting (scraps can be used) as well as closures (buttons, cord, or velcro)
This is a hard copy pattern and all pattern pieces are included on one large sheet of paper. I did not want to cut my pattern apart so I grabbed my trusty freezer paper and traced the pattern pieces on there. That way I can continue to use my pattern for years to come and keep it stored in it’s original bag.
As an added bonus, Rebecca also includes directions for altering her pattern for size, so if the 3 sizes don’t fit your e-reader, you can make it fit!

In Summary:
I would definitely recommend this pattern for all skill levels. I was able to use scrap fabric from my stash and scrap batting as well. The only special techniques involved is the closures and Rebecca has included very detailed instructions making them easy to accomplish.

Now, thanks to the generosity of Rebecca Ruth Designs, you have a chance to win your own copy of this e-reader case pattern!

Simply follow the Rafflecopter prompts below to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway open to all. Winner will be randomly selected, emailed and posted here 9/13/12. Winner has 48 hours to respond or alternate winner is selected. *Please note – This is a paper pattern and will require shipping.

Good Luck to all!