We have a LONNNNNNG post for you today, as many patternmakers released their spring patterns in the past month, and that’s without any new releases from the Big 4! So, without any further word from me, let’s take a look at the new offerings!
Blank Slate – Fairelith Top and Daintree Skirt
In line with the ballet-inspired necklines that we’ve been seeing recently, the Fairelith Top has an open, scoop neckline with raglan sleeves and two fit options. There’s a more fitted version that looks very dance-inspired when tucked in. If snug tees and/or tucking your shirts isn’t your thing, though, there’s also a swing version that’s got a bit of a fit-and-flare shape.
The other new pattern from Blank Slate is the Daintree skirt, a ballet-inspired wrap skirt with three length options. I did not personally test this pattern, but I had some visibility into the testing process, and I’ll pass along that making sure that this skirt was wind-proof to wardobe malfunctions was VERY important. I’m not normally much of a wrap skirt person, but I loved the tester photos that I saw for this one–I mean, who can resist a twirly skirt that holds up in windy weather?
If you’re large-busted, you’ve probably repeatedly told that surplice necklines are a “flattering” style, but when either trying on RTW or sewing your own versions, you’ve probably run into issues with gaping necklines or possibly exposing more cleavage than you’d like. The Cashmerette Dartmouth tackles this issue by offering a faux-wrap-style top with the no-gape neckline that’s been so popular among Cashmerette Appleton dress fans. Like all Cashmerette patterns, the Dartmouth offers cup sizes C-H, helping you to avoid figuring out how to do an FBA on a non-darted, wrap-style knit top.
Colette – Curvy Sorbetto (Revised)
The free download Colette Sorbetto woven tank pattern has been a perennially popular pattern among internet-attuned sewists. Unfortunately for some of us, the Sorbetto used the older Colette size range and only went up to a size 18. However, in conjunction with their new plus size block for curvier sewists, Colette recently released a revised Sorbetto, which now goes up to a size 26 and also includes additional options, such as a tunic-length hem and set-in sleeves. I know that many busty sewists had a lot of fit issues with the original Sorbetto; I’ll be curious to see if the new version remedies some of those problems.
Deer & Doe – Spring 2017 with expanded sizes for PDF
In huge curvy sewing news, popular French indie pattern maker released their Spring 2017 collection. While the collection is cute (yay!), the even bigger news is that they are finally releasing PDF patterns AND those PDF patterns will have an extended size range up to a European size 52 (45 5/8″ or 116 cm bust and 48″ or 122 cm hip). So, no, it’s not a huge bump up in sizes, but the new size range is more in line with what other pattern makers offer and will certainly open up the pattern line to a lot more sewists than before without having to grade up. As of right now, the three new patterns and the popular, free Plantain tee are offered with the new size range for the PDF version.
First up of the new patterns is the Hoya blouse, a faux-wrap style blouse for wovens. I think that the non-curvy version is really cute. I’m not crazy about how this looks on the curvy model, though, it could just be how it’s styled. I feel like they tried to disguise the lack of shaping by tucking the blouse into the elastic waist skirt, but I just really don’t care for how the blouse is paired with that skirt. I’ll be curious to see how this turns out if any of our CSC community members tackle this pattern.
Deer & Doe – Goji Skirt and Shorts
Geez, I really hate that metallic copper fabric used for the curvy sample here. As with the Hoya blouse, I’m having some trouble looking past it. That said, I have a pair of RTW shorts similar to the Goji shorts in a linen blend, and they are hands-down my favorite, most comfortable shorts. I’m kind of tempted here, if only for an easy way to replicate those RTW shorts. The princess seaming through the front and back should also make fitting and grading easier.
Deer & Doe – Luzerne Trench Coat
The Luzerne trench coat is an unlined take on the classic trench coat. It’s got the fit-and-flare shape that’s very popular with our curvy readers, and in this case, the sample does look great on the curvy model.
HotPatterns -Metropolitan Jermyn Street Shirtdress
Shirtdresses and shirtdress patterns are a perennial favorite in the CSC community. Given how easily many shirtdress patterns can be adapted to curves, and how easy it is to wear shirtdresses, this should come as no surprise. HotPatterns latest pattern is a shirtdress with an actual twist: it has a twist detail at the raised waist for the pattern–a placement that should add waist definition on most sewists. As a shirtdress fan myself, I snapped this one up in the pre-order stage and am looking forward to making it up for spring.
Itch to Stitch – Tierra Woven Joggers and Newport Top
Joggers of various styles have been pretty popular over the past few years. The new Tierra Woven Joggers are (duh) designed for lightweight but strong woven fabrics. A pair of these in a linen or rayon blend would make a nice, comfortable summer pant option.
The Newport Top is a casual knit top with a boat neckline and envelope folds at the shoulders. This top looks like the sort of garment that I gravitate towards when the weather hasn’t really warmed up for spring yet, but I’m tired of wearing additional layers over everything.
Indie stalwart Jalie debuted their 2017 collection earlier this month. For those who aren’t familiar with Jalie, they typically release a new collection only every 1-2 years, and their collections are usually a mixture of athletic and everyday wear type patterns. Jalie patterns are beloved by many for including a size range starting in toddler sizes (typically 12M or 18M) up into the plus sizes (typically a 50″/127 cm bust), so that you can just trace off whatever sizes you need for multiple family members or clients. This collection was no exception. The 2017 collection included 13 new patterns; I’m highlighting three of them in this post.
We see a lot of requests on the CSC Facebook group asking about rashguard patterns. And why not–they offer more beach coverage both from a functional and sun protection standpoint. With a size range from a 2T up to a 50″/127cm bust, the Valerie can be the go-to rashguard pattern for all of the women in your family.
Jalie – Pika Sports Bra and Layered Blouson Tank
Jumping on the activewear trend of layering an open tank over a sports bra, Jalie’s new Pika pattern offers the option to sew just the sports bra or make a built-in bra/tank combo. This one also has a size range of a 2T up to a 50″/127cm bust. If you’re wondering about cup size, Jalie drafts for a B-cup like many other pattern makers, but they tend to grade the shoulders gradually, so that you don’t end up with linebacker shoulders/necks in the larger sizes.
Bomber jackets have been pretty popular for the past few years, so this pattern isn’t exactly groundbreaking. BUT what’s nice about it is that if you sew for differently-sized women in your family (like me, who sews for my 5T-wearing daughter and my plus sized self), you’ve got a nice basic jacket here with a size range that includes both of us. I like that this version includes both welt pockets and ribbed trim–those are details that I find lacking in a lot of bomber patterns (especially those that go up to my size).
Liesl & Co – Spring 2017 patterns
Like Jalie, another patternmaker to recently appear after an extended break is Liesl Gibson of Liesl & Co. (and children’s pattern line Oliver + S). Liesl took a break from designing new patterns (outside of her Butterick line) while spending a year living in Spain with her family. I actually really like both new patterns.
Are there other classic shirt patterns out there? Sure. (*coughs* Archer.) Does this one still grab me? Yes, because unlike the Archer, the Liesl & Co version includes a bust dart and cup sizes up to a D-cup, plus it’s got all of the classic shirt details of the Archer and the Harrison. I love the Harrison for its fit, but sometimes I want a looser fitting shirt, so the Liesl shirt fits the bill for that. The largest size (size 20, D-cup) has a finished garment measurement of 54.5″/138cm, so it’s one of the more inclusive button-down patterns available.
Liesl & Co – Soho Shorts and Skirt
The Soho shorts and skirt gives two options–a pleated skirt and a pair of pleated shorts that look like a skirt (yay!) In her blog post introducing the pattern, Liesl explained that she designed this pattern for a friend who wanted to be able to wear shorts to her workplace. I am very onboard with that–in the summer, I’d love to wear shorts to work but would rather not dress quite that casually in the office. These shorts look enough like a skirt that I doubt most people would even notice. Plus, it has pockets!
Named – Playground collection (now includes extended sizing for some patterns)
Previously, the size range for the popular indie pattern company Named Patterns was out of reach for many curvy sewists. However, they have slowly started to expand their size range recently, with this spring’s collection including X patterns that to up to a EUR size 50 (45 3/4″ or 116cm bust and a 48 3/4 or 124 cm hip). The patterns with the inclusive size range are the Anneli Double Front Tee and Dress, Mintuu Swing Top, Reeta Midi Shirtdress, Maisa Denim Jacket, and the Ninni Elastic Waist Culottes. Given that there are already a ton of patterns in this post, we’ll just look at two of these.
Named Patterns – Reeta Midi Shirtdress
If you skim over this post, you’ll see several unique takes on a shirtdress pattern. And personally, I kind of want to buy all of them because outside of a knit skater dress (secret pajamas!), a shirtdress is probably my next-favorite style dress to sew and wear. I’m still a bit outside of Named’s expanded size range, but I LOVE this midi shirtdress and am seriously considering buying it and grading up as needed. I love how it has the effortless look of a maxi-dress but is easily appropriate for my casual office.
Named Patterns – Ninni Elastic Waist Culottes
Remember how last spring, every pattern maker was offering a culottes pattern? Admittedly, I love the idea of culottes, even if we’re not seeing a ton of them in RTW. And honestly, the ones that I saw around Seattle last summer were typically in drapey/rayon fabric and tended to look more like the new Ninni from Named, rather than some of ones last year that looked more like cropped trousers.
As we do every month, we’ve got a few new StyleArc patterns, mostly for transitional weather as the Southern Hemisphere heads into autumn and the Northern Hemisphere heads into spring.
Similar to the Itch to Stitch Newport top, the StyleArc Savannah is an easy-fit knit top with an envelope shoulder detail. The big difference here is the hem; the Savannah has sleeve and body hem facings that can be done in a woven for contrast. StyleArc suggests doing at least the sleeve hem facings in a contrasting woven and then wearing those facings turned up for interest. The Savannah is also one of the freebie options for the month, if you order paper patterns directly from StyleArc’s website.
Are you looking to sew an interesting new coat? The unlined Lux Coat is somewhere between a cape and an actual coat. Without having the tailoring details of a traditional coat, this will probably be a fairly easy sew by comparison.
One of several shirtdress/shirtdress-esque patterns this month, the Autumn dress will give you that shirtdress look, but without needing to sew the buttonholes and buttons. It’s got a collar and an interesting v-neck/placket, but is a pullover style dress. There isn’t a lot of shaping here, but it is a pretty fun design for a throw-on-and-go dress.
Victory Patterns – Jackie Dress
The always unique and stylish Victory patterns released their latest offering in early March. The Jackie dress is a high-necked knit dress with princess seams and a fit-and-flare shape. While the basic description sounds like something we’ve seen many times before, take a look at the line drawings, and you’ll see that this dress isn’t something that we see in all of the Big 4 catalogues:
Final Thoughts
Wow, we made it! For reference, this post is over 2300 words long…my typical pattern roundup posts are typically ~1200 words. So yeah, that’s a lot of new patterns this month. Which were your favorites?
Suzanne Mills says
I really liked the Goji/Hoya, but I almost bought the regular paper pattern until I read the fine print on the sizing. I could have so easily not even looked at the little asterisk directing me to the smaller letting at the bottom…but I’m a lawyer, I can’t help myself. I hadn’t read this post about the extended sizing being only on PDF yet, but thought the testers versions were so cute. I really think think they need to be more prominent about that because I dislike PDFs, so I ended up not buying it.
darkroomlove says
I’m most excited by the Classic Shirt pattern, with the simple lines and bust dart / cup sizing (woot!). I love a good basic.
And also the Jackie Dress which stopped me in my tracks and is the exact kind of DRAMA I love when I am not wearing basics as I feel like a statuesque badass in that kind of silhoutte.
I hadn’t seen either yet- so thanks for putting them on my radar.
Psyched that D&D and Named are expanding sizes; although the new releases aren’t much my thing. I’ve been just on the cusp of their ranges. I *hope* some or all of their catalogs will be expanded, too, as there’s a couple pieces in each catalog I’d 100% LOVE to make if I fit in comfortably in the size range (hello Inari, Melilot and Arum).
fat_lady says
This is a really helpful roundup, with some interesting patterns. I like the StyleArc Autumn dress very much; it’d make a lovely Lagenlook piece for layering if you’re that way inclined.
My real favourites, though, are the Goji and the Soho shorts/culottes – I need to decide which to get, I favour the style of the Soho, but herein lies my problem.
I have the finished measurements of the Goji, and want to compare them with the Soho. Does anyone know if there’s a finished garment measurements chart *anywhere* for the Soho? I can’t find one on Liesl’s site, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t one, as I have a visual impairment and often have problems searching images among text, and vice versa.
A big virtual ((hug)) of thanks to anyone who can help!
Ibijau says
re: the Deer and Doe collection
from what I’ve seen, most people were rather unconvinced by the official versions of the shirt and skirt, but there’s been some nice tester/reviewers version going around. I’m made the Hoya for myself and I honestly like it a lot. I wish they hadn’t tucked it into the skirt on that picture, because it’s doing it a great disservice
Michelle says
Thanks Ibijau! I checked out your blog and it seems that the only change you made to the Hoya was raising the neckline but since English is my language I’m not sure. No full bust adjustment?
Ann says
I love these pattern roundups. They really get the creative juices flowing. I so wish I could wear the Autumn Dress. It’s just “my” style. But no shaping, no darts, no nothing. I’d look like a sack. I might try to make it work as a tunic top though, add an FBA and re-cut the back so the crossover is placed right. I wonder how it will look on other curvy gals.
Jennifer Parker says
Wow! Great job putting this roundup together, Michelle. It is certainly appreciated! I have to say that Victory Patterns Jackie dress stopped me in my tracks! It is so stunning with its fit and flair silhouette, interesting seamlines, and unusual funnel neckline. You don’t see those too often in rtw or patterns. Plus, the styling is so hip, especially the view in the mod 60s floral fabric!
I also dig the Savannah top. I’ve always liked boatnecks, and this particular overlap variation is especially cute! I could see myself sewing up a version of this top in solid black with plain hemmed elbow length sleeves as well as as drafted. The Soho shorts and skirt are quite cute, as well!! Dressy secret shorts: how great!
I mostly prefer my garments fitted because of my particular shape, so I can’t really get on board with many of the currently trendy silhouettes that have no defined waist. Oh, well. I learned looong ago how to sit out trends that I feel don’t agree with me! 🙂
So it seems like there’s suddenly been an uptick of indy patternmakers expanding their size ranges!! They’ve listened to us and taken action, hooray! Now, I feel we should do our part by purchasing them. 🙂 I’m so excited to be a sewer in this day and age!!
L'Anne says
Thanks, Michelle, for these posts. They are definitely a favorite read here for many of us. This really was a banner month for releases! The new HP shirtdress is one I’m looking forward to getting. I did the pre-order too.
Those larger sized Deer and Does are styled horridly. HORRIDLY. Those metallic shorts look like something a PR competitor would come up with on a hardware store challenge. I really think if they’d used a different fabric that would have made a huge difference in showing off the shorts/ skirt themselves and anything paired with them. I think the top has really cute lines, but it is dragged down by being paired with an ugly flammable fabric and a paper bag waist that takes away from the top-s design features.
The Named midi shirtdress is really nice too. It really is great that Named and Deer & Doe are expanding their sizes, at least for some pieces, and I will probably get this dress and the D&D top at some point. Gotta say that the pose for the Named cullottes is kinda hilarious.
I really like the Lux coat, even though it looks like a fashionable clam. It reminds me of the white coat the oldest daughter Brianna wears on Grace and Frankie, with its dramatic lines and bold shoulders.
I love Jalie, but the Pika top is nearly the same as some of the offerings from 5 out of 4 patterns. The similarity to the Agility is noticeable, as is the similarity to the Stitch Upon a Time Spoxxy top.
My fave new pattern this month was Love Notions Olympia dress.
Thanks again for doing these posts!
Hedda says
I love these round ups! Lost of patterns I hadn’t noticed. Just a small correction: Deer&Doe sin european but french sizes. French is generally one size up from regular european.
Hedda says
*isn’t european (damnyouautocorrect)
MARSHA LONEAGLE says
So very many to want want but my biggest jaw dropper has to be the Lux Coat and Autumn Dress. A coat I would actually wear! And while I vastly prefer multiple layers when coat season is around, this would be perfect for those days when more than 2 layers is needed but inappropiate for what I want to wear.
Manju says
This is a great round up michelle. Well done!