I had been looking at this pattern by April Rhodes for a while wanting to try it but I honestly just didn't want to pay the $15.00 price tag for a pattern I'd have to print myself. So when I saw that it was included in the current Pattern Parcel I immediately purchased it! If you don't know about Pattern Parcel, you should! Every 2 weeks they put together 5 patterns that you can purchase for one price. There are several price points to choose from (yes! You pick your price!) and the higher price points include a 6th bonus pattern. The money raised goes to a charity that helps schools or something...can't remember the specifics. Anyway, follow them on IG @patternparcel to keep up with the current parcels and to see pictures of completed projects!
Before I get into the review, a few things to keep in mind:
- I am not an expert, awesome, perfect seamstress. I do my best and call my mom when I need help! I almost didn't do this review because of that but I figure there's a lot of not so perfect seamstresses out there that can relate to my experiences!
- If you've never used a PDF pattern before you should give it a try. They're usually cheaper than the "real" pattern and it's instant, which is nice for me because I usually decide to sew something at midnight and I want it right then! Just be prepared to put it together because it will take some time. My suggestion would be to print, put together and cut out the pattern ahead of time.
Ok so here we go! I took my measurements and I fell in between 2 sizes so to be safe I decided to round up. I usually have issues in the bust area so that's the measurement I'm the most concerned with. I got it cut out and had the shoulder and side seams done (French seams, she gives you step by step instructions for them) and held it up to me and it was HUGE. I spent about 45 minutes playing around with the idea of cutting it down before deciding to go with it as is. Since it has a shirred waist I thought it would be ok, plus in the instructions it mentions how it looks like a hospital gown before you put in the waist.
So I moved on to the neck and arm hole facings. I used a tutorial from Grain Line Studio on how to get flat facings and the only step the original instructions didn't include was the under stitching which I really thinks helps it lay flat. I put it away for the night and took it to my mom's house the next day to finish. I tried it on again, this time with a belt to get the effect of the shirring, and it was just HUGE. I was completely bummed! So my mom helped me measure to see exactly how much needed to be cut off and we decided on a total of 8"!!!! Yes...I cut off 8" from the original finished width. My bust measurement was 45" so I went with the size that corresponded to a 46" (since my fabric didn't have any stretch) which was the XXL. I wound up having to resew the side seams and arm hole facings so I was quite frustrated at this point. Ok, moving on!
So after hemming it I went on to the shirred waist. I had never used elastic thread before but I was excited to give it a try. I did everything I was supposed to do and the bobbin just wouldn't move. After hours of watching tutorials and messing with the bobbin tension, I finally got it to load! I did a row of shirring and it was too tight...I took it all out and worked on the tension again and I just couldn't get it right. I was having to take the entire bobbin case apart every time to adjust the tension and I was beyond frustrated. I just decided to skip the waist shirring and wear it with a belt which I was planning on anyway!
It turned out super cute despite the issues I had with measurements and that darn elastic thread. I will definitely make this again (already have the fabric!) but I'll be using a much smaller size. I'm also planning on making a casing and just using a flat elastic for the waist (I've seen some other people doing that and it looks great!). Of course my shirring issues had nothing whatsoever to do with the pattern. Apparently Brother machines are notoriously bad at shirring! And as far as my sizing issues go, it was frustrating but I've had the same issues with Vogue and McCall patterns. If you have someone to help you, I suggest pinning the patterns pieces on you to see if the size you cut out will fit. That's what I did with my current Vogue project and I wound up sizing down 2 sizes from what the measurements suggested.
So HURRY over to Pattern Parcel and get this awesome pack of patterns (the other ones are great too!) while it's still available! Today is the last day!
-Elizabeth-
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