New Pattern Roundup for May 2018

Wow, did we have a lot of new patterns released this month! I usually try to cap these posts at around a dozen patterns because really, whose brain can absorb more than that? But this month, every time I’d thought I’d capped things off, another new pattern would be released that I thought would appeal to our curvy readers. So, as I often say when posting these longer recaps, sit down, grab a cup of coffee or tea, and enjoy!

Blank Slate Patterns – Catalina Dress (Revised with extended sizing)

So…first up is a pattern that I had the joy of testing for its re-release, now with inclusive sizing up to 3X (53″ bust)–the Blank Slate Catalina Dress! I’d actually had this pattern in my stash for 4 YEARS at this point, but I hadn’t wanted to tackle grading it up and doing an FBA, so I jumped at the chance to test the new size range (and improved armscye fit for everyone) and finally get this sewn up. I will say that all of the testers looked fabulous in their new dresses–this is one of those “looks good on everyone” patterns.

This pattern includes quite a few options, not all of which are shown in the line drawing: knee-length skirt, maxi-skirt, tank top, cap sleeves, and an option for a button-down front bodice.

Cashmerette Patterns – Ipswich Swimsuit

Here it is curvy sewists–your unicorn pattern! A curvy swimsuit pattern with bust support (including the option of a built-in swim bra) for cup sizes up to a H-cup!

I had a chance to test this pattern, too, and I can verify that the instructions are great. I’ve never sewn a swimsuit before, and while I was somewhat intimidated by the idea of tackling essentially the dual project of sewing a bra AND a swimsuit, the instructions are great at walking you through everything step-by-step. I spend a lot of time at the pool in the summer, and I am really looking forward to sewing up a few of these in the coming months.

Closet Case Patterns – Jenny Trousers and Overalls

Overall/dungaree/pinafore patterns have been trendy in the online sewing community for a little while now; however, most of the existing patterns haven’t exactly been size-inclusive and/or curve-friendly. The new Jenny pattern from Closet Case Patterns helps out a bit, in that it has a decent size range (up to a 46″ bust and 48″ hip) and darts for shaping. I left my overall days behind back along with Lilith Fair, but I think these are a really cute option for curvy sewists who want to try out this trend.

Deer & Doe – Spring/Summer 2018 Collection

Popular French indie Deer & Doe released a new 3-pattern collection for spring. If you’ll recall, Deer & Doe used to have a woefully small size range; however, for recent releases, they’ve extended their size range for their PDF patterns (and only their PDF patterns). The new size range isn’t great, but it at least makes their patterns a bit more accessible, which is nice given that their designs tend to be pretty unique and fun.

Deer & Doe – Nenuphar Jacket

OMG, this jacket!  I love the notched collar on this and that the design is somewhere between a kimono and a jacket. This is the type of layering piece that I love to wear over sleeveless garments (gotta love the office A/C) in warm and transitional weather.

Deer & Doe – Myosotis Shirtdress

We rarely see relaxed-fit shirtdress patterns with a waist seam–usually shirdresses are either relaxed, but with no defined waist, or have a fit-and-flare shape; however the Myosotis goes for both a relaxed fit and a slightly defined waist/flared hip. This is the type of woven dress that I love to live in when the weather is warm. I haven’t tried a Deer & Doe pattern yet (due to the old size range), but I’m very tempted by both the Myosotis and the Nenuphar Jacket.

Deer & Doe – Narcisse Pants

So, wide-legged trousers aren’t my thing, but I know that a lot of you love them, and this pattern has both wide legs and traditional trouser details like a waistband, fly front, and back welt pockets. I can think of a few curvy sewists who I bet these would look great on!

Decades of Style: Decades Everyday – TLC Caftan

Caftans have been all the rage of the online sewing community for the past two summers. Decades of Style offers their own take on this trend with the TLC Caftan, as part of their Decades Everyday line. The TLC Caftan features waist shaping to help give your garment a little more shape. Another curve-friendly touch is that this pattern is available in their recently expanded size range. I love Tanya’s version of this!

HotPatterns – Fast & Fabulous Poncho tee

The HotPatterns Facebook group went nuts over this poncho tee pattern when it was released a few weeks ago and for very understandable reasons–it’s a very current, trendy design, incorporates the red-hot fringe or pom-pom trim trend, and should be a fast and easy sew with minimal fitting to do. (The first few people who sewed these up mostly reported they didn’t take more than 2 hours to sew.) I know that I’m seeing similar tops EVERYWHERE around downtown Seattle this spring. This pattern is near the top of my sewing queue right now.

HotPatterns – Classix Nouveau Swingy Knit Top & Tank

Like the poncho tee, swingy tanks are everywhere this spring. On a recent warm day, I think something like half the women on my office floor were wearing some sort of swingy, sleeveless top (usually in a floral or boho print). There’s a sleeved option for those who prefer sleeves, but the Swingy Top and Tank is HotPatterns’ latest take on this trend. The neckline, especially with the lower back neckline, is very current, too!

Itch to Stitch – Nottingham top

Another trend we’re seeing a ton of lately are tie-bottom or twist-bottom tops. Itch to Stitch’s version off-sets the twist, which is a nice design detail for those of us who might be a little self-conscious about our lower tummies. this one should be a relatively quick and easy sew for those who want a different twist (no pun intended) on a basic tee.

Jennifer Lauren Patterns – Pippi Pinafore

Our second overall/dungaree/pinafore pattern for curvy sewists this month is the Pippi Pinafore from Jennifer Lauren Patterns. The nicely inclusive Pippi pattern includes cup sizes up to a D-cup and its size range goes up to a 49.75″ bust (for a D-cup) and a 53″ hip. I also like that the Pippi has multiple darts/tucks to add shaping for curvy figures.

Love Notions – Sonata Dress

The Love Notions Sonata Dress has a feature that I, as someone with an apple-ish figure, love–waist shaping that’s achieved through elastic at the back waist. This dress might not appear to be the most exciting summer dress, but I picked it for this post because it’s got a few curve-friendly features: multiple cup sizes, bust and waist darts, an open neckline (always nice for those of us with a full bust), and the aforementioned elastic at the back waist.

McCall’s – Summer 2018 collection

If you’ll recall, McCall’s last collection wasn’t exactly bra-friendly. Unfortunately to those of us with a full bust, the War on Boobs continues in McCall’s latest collection. (McCall’s! What happened??? You used to be tied with Simplicity as my favorite of the Big 4!) In any case, I didn’t have to scrape as hard to find a couple of patterns to highlight out of this batch, but I miss the days of getting excited about new McCall’s releases.

M7778 – Misses’ Dress, Romper, and Jumpsuit

Strappy sundresses are EVERYWHERE right now, as are corset-inspired lace-up fronts. M7778 combines both of these trends in one pattern….and it includes a few different dress length options, as well as options for a jumpsuit and romper. It’s like McCalls decided to combine EVERY CURRENT TREND INTO A SINGLE PATTERN. I’d make a joke about how this is similar to the time that Homer Simpson got to design a car, but the resulting garments here are actually pretty cute. And I’ll confess that I bought this pattern at the last McCall’s sale. (I tried on a similar dress to these at Old Navy and other than the fact that it didn’t cover my bra in back, the dress was really cute.)

M7782 – Misses’/Women’s tops

As an H-cup, I appreciate princess seams whenever they’re available. This new knit top is fairly simple, but it’s got princess seams for fitting and the flared hem that is popular in a lot of PDF tee patterns. One thing to note, though, is that the flare on this starts lower than say, on the Love Notions Laundry Day tee–although that’s a pretty easy adjustment to make, if you’re so inclined.

StyleArc – Martha Overshirt

Somewhat similar to the popular Closet Case Patterns Kalle shirt and shirtdress, the StyleArc Martha Overshirt features cut-on sleeves and a relaxed fit. The back detail is very unique, though, and is a fun detail, IMO. And while CCP has a fairly decent size range, StyleArc’s is quite a bit larger.

StyleArc – Phoebe Overshirt

At first glance, the Phoebe overshirt looks similar to a lot of relaxed-fit, darted shirt patterns. The two standout details with the Phoebe, though, are the unusual split cuffs and the hidden button placket. FWIW, while hidden button plackets do pop up in other patterns from time to time, I really like those cuffs, and I don’t recall seeing similar cuffs in any other shirt/blouse patterns off the top of my head.

True Bias – Yari Jumpsuit

True Bias doesn’t have particularly inclusive sizing, and in a crowded month like this one, I typically wouldn’t have included the Yari in this roundup….except that the Yari has some curve-friendly design features that are pretty unique, compared to other jumpsuit patterns, so I wanted to highlight those for readers who don’t have an issue with the size range. First of all, this jumpsuit features a nice number of options–you can either go sleeveless or go with a cut-on cap sleeve, and the legs can either be full-length (with tapered ankles) or short for a romper. I like that it includes princess seams for easier fitting/FBAs, and there’s an option to do D-ring ties to bring in as much or as little waist shaping as you’d like.

Final Thoughts

So that was a lot of new patterns to get through. Which ones were your favorites? What patterns are in your sewing plans for this summer? Frankly, I liked too many releases this month to list them all…and of course, this happens when I tell myself to focus on TNT patterns this summer and not try so many new ones (with the muslining, pattern adjustments, and everything that trying new patterns entails).