Just Patterns Devon Skirt

When I was switching over my winter and summer clothes in my wardrobe recently, I realised that I have lots of lovely summery tops and blouses, but not many skirts, trousers or shorts to pair them with. At around the same time, Just Patterns released the Devon skirt pattern. I loved the look of it and decided it was just what my wardrobe needed.

The Devon skirt is a relaxed midi skirt that sits at the natural waist. It has eight inverted box pleats at both the front and back, creating lovely volume, and an elasticated waist. It also has slanted pockets and a deep hem.

The pattern covers waist measurements from 23⅝ to 49⅝ inches, and hips from 33⅞ to 59⅞ inches.

The Devon skirt is a fairly simple pattern, and it has excellent instructions. I think it would be perfect for beginners. The steps are all quite straightforward, and the instructions will explain anything that might be unfamiliar. 

If you've got more sewing experience like me, it's a nice satisfying project that comes together quickly, whilst still being interesting.

I liked the fact that the instructions include directions for finishing the skirt with overlocked, bound or fully enclosed seams. I also think the deep hem is a nice touch and makes the finished skirt hang really nicely. 

I made the size recommended for my waist measurement, and it turned out nicely. It has to be said that the elasticated waist makes fitting a breeze – the main thing is to make sure you cut your elastic to the right length. 

I always try to test the actual elastic I'm using before cutting it – I've found that some elastics are much stretchier than others, and that could affect the fit of your finished skirt.

The fabric that I used is a lovely vibrant yellow cotton twill. It was the last fabric I bought from Jenny Stitches before the shop closed recently. It is a bit heavier than the fabrics recommended for the pattern (the instructions call for lightweight wovens, and this is definitely medium weight), but having used and really liked other colours of the same fabric before, I was fairly confident it would work. I wouldn't want to use fabric any heavier than this though.

The colour of the fabric is great! It feels really summery, and will go nicely with lots of my tops (in the photos, I'm wearing it with my Sew Liberated Joanie shirt). Who knew that lemon yellow would be a good "neutral"?!

I'm really pleased with my Devon skirt – it was a joy to sew, it's lovely to wear and it's a very good start to filling that gap in my wardrobe.

Style Arc Hampton Woven Dress

Today's project mainly came about because of a sale that Style Arc had on their patterns a little while ago. Ever the bargain hunter, I was browsing their site to see if I "needed" to take advantage of the discount and was reminded that I've always liked the look of the Hampton Woven Dress, so I decided to give it a try.

The Hampton dress is a modern take on a classic shirtdress, featuring princess seams, a curved high/low waist seam and a gathered mid-calf skirt. It has a classic collar and collar stand, button plackets, in-seam pockets and a hem facing. There's a long-sleeved option in addition to the sleeveless version that I made.

The sizing covers bust measurements from 30.3" to 67.75, and hips from 32.6" to 70.1".

All the shirtdress features are lovely, but they do mean that this isn't a quick project. That's completely fine by me though – I like a slightly more involved project every now and then. I enjoyed gradually working through all of the steps and seeing my dress slowly take shape.

I'd say the instructions are on the brief side, and they're the kind that can sound confusing if you read them through before starting your project, but I found them perfectly detailed enough and easy to follow during my sewing process. I'd say the diagrams are fine as a support for the written instructions, but if you're someone who prefers to use visual instructions then they might not be the best.

The only real problem that I had when making my dress was when I was tracing my pattern pieces – I found it really difficult to distinguish between the sizes. I eventually realised that when I ordered the printing of the A0 pattern, I'd asked for colour printing but for some reason the printing company printed it in greyscale, which obviously wasn't very helpful! So make sure you have the pattern in colour to make life easier for yourself than I had it!

I made a size 12 as recommended for my bust measurement. My waist and hips would be in the size 14 according to the size chart, but I could tell from the finished garment measurements that there was no need to blend out to the larger size. I think the fit turned out nicely – it's shaped but still very comfortable.

The only fitting alteration that I made was to take a triangular wedge out of each bodice side seam going from a centimetre at the underarm and rejoining the original seam line just above the waist. I find that I often need to do this on bodices of dresses with sleeved and sleeveless options that don't provide different armscyes for the sleeved/sleeveless versions.

The fabric that I used for my Hampton dress is a pretty printed chambray that I bought from Croft Mill. I'm a big fan of printed chambray, and Croft Mill have a lovely range of them. I thought it would be a great option for the pattern, and I'm pleased to report that I think I was right. It was very easy to work with and hangs nicely as the finished dress.

I'm glad that the sale prompted me to buy the Hampton Woven Dress pattern – I enjoyed sewing it and I think I'll wear my finished dress a lot!

Little Rosy Cheeks Maize Dress

Usually when I write a blog post it's to share my first version of a pattern and some thoughts about the sewing process. While that's true again for this review of the Little Rosy Cheeks Maize dress, today I already have a second version to share too. It'll therefore be no surprise to hear that I'm a fan of the pattern!

The Maize dress is like a classic t-shirt dress, but reimagined to use a knit fabric bodice combined with a woven fabric skirt. The pattern covers bust sizes from 32 to 55¼" and hips from 33½ to 59⅜". It's drafted for a height of 5'7".

Maize has two views, with view A featuring a pleat at the bottom of the bodice and a maxi length skirt with patch pockets. View B has a simple bodice with a midi skirt and in-seam pockets. Both of my dresses are view B.

This was my first time using a pattern from Little Rosy Cheeks, and I was definitely impressed. I ordered a paper pattern, and it comes printed on regular paper (rather than pattern tissue paper) and is presented in a sturdy plastic folder – perfect for storing the pattern without things getting ripped.

The instructions were also excellent. I found them very clear and easy to follow, and they're accompanied by helpful diagrams. I didn't have any trouble sewing either of my dresses, and they both came together pretty quickly. I found Maize an enjoyable project to sew, and I'd happily make the pattern again.

I made my dresses in a size 14, which is the size recommended for my bust and waist measurements. My hips are closer to the size 16, but there's plenty of ease in the hips so I didn't feel the need to blend between sizes in the skirt. 

I lengthened my bodice by an inch (a very standard adjustment for me – I'm about 5'9"). I also made my skirt slightly shorter than intended in the pattern – the hem is intended to be 3 cm, but I ended up cutting an inch off the bottom of the skirt and using a 2" hem to get the length that I wanted.

The pattern is intended to have a semi-relaxed fit, and I think that's a good description and it comes out true to size. My dresses fit me well on the shoulders, and then have a relaxed fit without straying into the too big/sack-like territory.

For both of my versions, I used cotton jersey for the bodices and linen viscose for the skirts. Both of the jerseys were left over from other projects. I bought the denim blue linen viscose that's paired with the pastel spotty bodice from Oh Sew Crafty, while the turquoise linen viscose that goes with the bright multicoloured bodice was from Jenny Stitches.

I wondered whether the linen viscose might be a bit heavy (at 220 gsm), but then I reasoned that my jersey was pretty much the same weight so it should be OK. I probably wouldn't go any heavier for the skirt fabric or you'd risk it dragging the bodice down. As it is, I think the linen viscose works really well and the skirts hang nicely and swish beautifully.

By now it's probably fairly clear that the Maize pattern gets a big thumbs up from me. I'm very happy with both of my dresses, and I think they'll be worn a lot because they're very comfy. My mum quite likes the look of the pattern, so I might have to make a version for her too!

Summer Haus Patterns Spero Skirt

It's been a while hasn't it? At the end of each year, things tend to go quiet on my blog because I'm busy making Christmas presents. Now we're into a new year, I'm happy to report that I'm back to making things for myself, starting with the Spero skirt from Summer Haus patterns.

The Spero skirt is designed for knit fabrics, and is a simple high-rise, pull-on skirt. It has a relaxed silhouette and an elastic waistband, and falls to midi length. It has a slit at the centre back, which means that there's plenty of room for movement so you're not restricted when walking.

The pattern covers waist measurements from 23 to 58" and hips from 32 to 67".

Proceeds from the pattern go to supporting causes that are important to the designer. As I'm writing this post, they're going to Community Aid Network MN.

Spero is a fairly simple pattern, with just two pattern pieces – one for the front (cut on the fold), and one for the back (cut as two pieces). The waistband is formed by folding over the top of the skirt.

As a result, it's no surprise that the skirt sews up quickly and effortlessly. The instructions are very good; clear and easy to follow, with just the right level of detail and helpful diagrams.

The sizing is good. The pattern recommends that you choose a size based on your hip measurement, which I did. My hips are 42" so I made a size 10 – my waist is 32.5", so between an 8 and a 10, but it's easy to adjust the waist a bit by cutting the elastic to your preferred length. Personally, I think the skirt has the perfect amount of ease to make it comfy and relaxed for everyday wear, without being baggy or shapeless.

The skirt is drafted for a height of 5'5" (side note: I love that this information is stated clearly in the instructions, often it's the kind of thing you have to hunt down on a designer's website). I'm closer to 5'9" so I lengthened my skirt by 2". 

There is a lengthen/shorten line on the pattern (another plus point; they're often not included), but it's in the lower half of the skirt below the slit. I thought that I'd probably want the extra length above the slit so I drew in my own lengthen line in the top half of the skirt, and I'm glad I did that. The slit (and the skirt as a whole) falls at pretty much the perfect length for me now.

The fabric that I used is a French terry that I snapped up in the Threadquarters closing down sale. This fabric is now out of out of stock, but there are some other beauties still available at the moment if you're after a bargain.

My Spero skirt is so comfy to wear, and I love the colour. All in all, it was a really enjoyable project and I could definitely see myself making another Spero or two in the future!

McCall's 8553 zip front dress

This year two zip front dresses have been taking the sewing world by storm. After watching from the sidelines and seeing lots of lovely versions of both patterns pop up on my Instagram feed, I finally decided that I needed to jump on the bandwagon and sew one of my own. Here's my take on McCall's 8553...

The McCall's 8553 is a zip front dress, with a wide pointed collar, front bodice patch pockets, gathered long or short sleeves, and a gathered skirt in two different lengths with in-seam pockets in the front section. 

I made view B – the longer skirt (more on that below) and short sleeves, and I omitted the patch pockets.

The pattern is drafted for bust sizes from 30.5 to 46" and hips from 32.5 to 48". 

The reason that I chose M8553 for my zip front dress is that the zip opening and front neckline are finished with a facing, meaning that the neckline looks neat if you have the zip slightly open. 

In contrast, I read a review of the Fabric Godmother Aspen dress (the other popular pattern) that said there's no facing so you can see the zip tape on the inside of the dress when the zip is open. In the Aspen's favour, it does go up to a 57.25" bust and 56.75" hip, so it is more size inclusive.

I enjoyed sewing my M8553. You need to be quite accurate when sewing the collar and zip, but other than that it's not a particularly difficult pattern to sew. I found the instructions easy to follow and didn't have any problems during the sewing process.

As is often the case with Big 4 sewing patterns, this pattern is split into two size ranges (6-14 and 16-24). This always gives me a bit of a dilemma because my measurements put right between a 16 and an 18, but I know that there's often a lot of ease built into these patterns so it would be handy to have smaller sizes too. For me, it seems easier to reduce size than add extra width so I got the bigger size range. 

I ended up making a straight size 16, but having made a toile I decided to use a ⅞" seam allowance on the side seams instead of ⅝" to take it in a bit. I also lengthened the bodice by 1.5" (a standard adjustment for me).

One thing to note is that the skirt pieces for views B and C are LONG! I could tell the skirt would be longer than I wanted when cutting out, but I wasn't quite sure how much I'd want to shorten it so I cut out the full length pieces. When I added the skirt to the bodice, the dress ended up ankle length on me, and I'm taller than average (about 5'9"). I ended up cutting 7" off the skirt and using a 2" hem instead of the ⅝" called for in the instructions. You could definitely save a bit of fabric if you know you don't want the skirt to be quite so long.

If I make this pattern again, I'd possibly use a different skirt. The front skirt on this pattern is cut in three pieces, with the pockets between the side front and centre front panels. I think I'd prefer a more "normal" skirt with one front piece and the pockets in the side seams.

The fabric I used is a cotton twill that I bought from Jenny Stitches. It's not currently in stock in this colourway, but it is available in red, royal, yellow, emerald and cerise. Its a great quality fabric, really good value for money and a perfect weight for this pattern. The zipper tape and slider that I used were also from Jenny Stitches.

I feel like the plain fabric of this dress doesn't come across brilliantly in photos, but it's lovely in real life and it's a great dress to wear. I'm already considering a long-sleeved needlecord M8553 for the autumn/winter – let's see if I find time to make one!

Simplicity 8384 dress

I enjoy hunting out bargains in charity shops, and always keep an eye out for sewing patterns. A couple of months ago I stumbled upon a box of patterns and treated myself to a couple of them, one of which was Simplicity 8384. I particularly liked the look of view A, which is what I've sewn here. 

Simplicity 8384 is a shirt dress or top with various length options. All the views have a collarless rounded neckline, and buttons at the centre front of the bodice. There are sleeveless, short sleeve and three-quarter sleeve options. The dress has a handkerchief hem for the knee and mid-calf lengths, and a straight hem for the ankle length and peplum top versions. The back of the waistline is cinched in slightly with elastic.

The pattern covers bust measurements from 30.5" to 46".

I enjoyed sewing my dress. The neckline/collar band in particular turns out really nicely and was very satisfying to sew. 

The instructions in Big 4 sewing patterns often get a bad reputation, but I usually find them clear and easy to follow. They maybe don't hold your hand as much as indie patterns and they're generally a lot more concise, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. I had no problems while I was making my dress.

That said, I did take a slightly different approach to inserting the elastic in the back of the waistline. The instructions call for you to sew the edges of the seam allowances together to make a channel and insert the elastic into that. I thought that might be irritating to wear because the seam allowance could move about. Instead, I pressed the seam allowance up and made my channel by stitching the seam allowance to the back bodice to anchor it in place. It worked nicely, and isn't irritating at all (although, to be fair, I don't have any evidence that the version from the pattern would have been irritating either!).

Another thing that Big 4 patterns are renowned for is having lots of ease, and that's very much true for this pattern. It's definitely always best to look at the finished garment measurements (on the pattern paper) – I think in this case the pattern includes 5" of ease. 

That would have given me a dress that was looser than I wanted, so I went down a couple of sizes. I made a straight size 14, whereas my measurements would put me between a 16 and an 18.

I lengthened the bodice by an inch, which is normal for me (I'm 5'9"), and actually shortened the skirt by 3". Those skirt pieces are long! It's intended to be ankle length, but it would have been on the floor if I hadn't shortened it, and I'm a bit taller than average. 

It's also worth mentioning that if you have a non-directional print/plain fabric without nap, you can definitely get view A out of less fabric than the pattern suggests. It calls for 3.4 metres for size 14, but I managed to cut my dress out of just over 2.5 metres. 

Talking about fabric, this is a cotton poplin that I bought from Minerva but I can't seem to find it on their website now – sorry!

My finished Simplicity 8384 feels lovely to wear – the elastic in the back waist cinches it in nicely to give it some shape, but it's still really comfortable. It's a bit different from my other dresses, which is nice. I'm glad that I found the pattern in that charity shop box!