Hello! I have something to tell you.. I’ve gone completely off my sewing schedule and have fallen in deep pattern love. This may sound ridiculous but I’ve found THE PATTERN. The one that I will make a thousand times over.
Just when I thought I was going to step away from indie designers and try the bigger companies, I discovered Charlotte Kan. She is the designer and it looks like, for the moment, she is realising her old designs to sewing patterns. I am eagerly awaiting to see if she turns her long sleeved top into a sewing pattern because the second it does, I’m buying it!
I love how contemporary the style is, it looks very high street, which is the style I like and want to sew more of. It got me thinking about how much indie pattern companies use a lot of vintage inspiration and how in my first year of sewing I have sewed up clothes that aren’t my style or what I will up up wearing. I still liked the look of certain patterns I bought but too many I probably won’t ever sew or if I do I will hardly wear. I think a few of us get into that problem when we first start sewing and want every pattern ever!!
The Fabric:
I made a special trip to the man outside Sainsburys in Walthamstow market especially to get fabric for this dress. The hype is true. This guy has amazing stuff at such good prices! The fabric I used was Cupro, now my favourite fabric ever! Easy to work with, sooooo soft plus it looks super expensive and elegant. Not bad for £3 a metre!!!
The Pattern:
Construction was pretty straightforward, the dress is simple. Putting the PDF together was great because of how few pieces make up the dress (only 4, YAY). Given that the dress is easy I didn’t expect a massive guide but even so, the instructions with were really too sparse for me. I felt it didn’t give me enough options and room for my own input. Straight away the pattern wanted you to zig-zag or overlock your seams, I always french seam (in my head I refer to myself as the french seam queen…please don’t judge me). So after making my choice to deviate from the pattern, I just went through the dress my own way. I didn’t look at the instructions again until I got into a problem. I hope that in future (especially if the patterns are more complicated) Charlotte Kan will give more guidance.
The changes:
I usually go up a size on patterns at the hip but I didn’t need to for this pattern. I might in future versions because if I put on a any more weight on my bum I feel it would be too tight but for now it’s fine.
I took 5cm off the shirt length….and I really should learn my lesson and start being more cautious. I feel it’s a tad too short (the story of all dress/skirts makes) and next time I’m going to just take 2cm off. For this version I will mostly wear it with some leggings.
I’ve started my second version of this started for a christmas party in silk (oooh la la) and another one with longer sleeves. I contacted Charlotte about making the pattern with longer sleeves (winter is here and I’m only not wearing a coat for the pictures!) and she drew me a little sketch showing me how to add a sleeves.
I want to thank my wonderful mum for the pictures and being so enthusiastic about it! She insisted on this location, chose my accessories and really got into the part of being my official photographer haha
Thanks to everyone who gave me feedback on which coat to sew. Burdastyle was the favourite and I’m going to buy my tracing paper and give the Burdastyle jacket a try 🙂
It is such a fun, easy and quick make! and so on trend at the moment with the tie waist! Love this pattern and can’t wait to see your version. I’m sure it will turn out super cute 🙂 xx
I’m making plans to make this dress at the mo! Got some fabric for it today!
Hope it turns out as cute as your one!
I like this! I’m thinking that one or more of my daughters would go for the style, either as a dress or as a tunic. Thanks for posting about it.
Brilliant! 🙂 Now it’s starting to get really miserable so you’re not missing anything in the UK! xx
I would definitely take you up on that! No plans to visit the UK as yet, but I can’t stay away forever! I’ll be in touch!
Walthamstow is definitely a must go spot! If you want company we could arrange a little meet up?? It would be great to meet you in person and I know others won’t say no to a trip to Walthamstow 😉
I’m really happy there are still new pattern companies coming out. I was a bit scared that indie companies would be dying out. I think she has a new pattern due out soon and I can’t wait to see what it is! 🙂
Thank you!! I’m so happy I’ve finally found something I know I will wear! Sadly a few of the clothes I made just sit in my wardrobe.
Thank you!! I’m really happy with how it turned out! I was a bit scared because I couldn’t find anyone else who reviewed this pattern. Definitely a pattern designer to watch! 🙂
This dress is GORGEOUS!! Thanks for sharing a pattern company I haven’t heard of. I’m definitely going to plan a trip to Walthamstow next time I’m back!
Lovely dress! It’s always wonderful when you find a pattern worth repeating!
It’s absolutely lovely, fab shape and really suits you! Well found and I think I’ll have a look too!
hahaha I should really change it to the unofficial queen of French seams 🙂
I have seen Burda and have a few that I bought when I was living in Poland, Burda is so much more popular is the rest of Europe!! but because it’s all in Polish I’m scared!!! I’m going to start buying it again in England because you’re right they do so many styles that suit me better and at such a good price for all those patterns. I have a patternmaster so I’m definitely gonna try your way for that!! Thanks so much for the advice 🙂
Thank you! It was so hard to not pick a print!! I’m definitely going to give solid colours more of a chance now 🙂
That dress has come out really nicely! I had to laugh at the “queen of French seams”. Surely an honourable title 🙂
If you get on well with the Burda pattern it might really be worth your while looking into the Burda magazine. They do a lot more high-street than vintage patterns and really the tracing isn’t all that bad. I also speed up things by not adding seam allowances to the traced pattern (unless I want to make multiple repeats). I add the seam allowance at the cutting stage, simply by cutting with a cutting wheel along a quilting ruler offset by 1/2 inch from the pattern edge. Seems to work well enough and takes some of the tediousness out of preparing the paper patterns.
Thank you! Now just the looooong wait for summer :'( haha
It looks great and the colour really suits you!
Looks lovely!