Disclaimer: The Curvy Sewing Collective was offered this product in return for a review on our site. These are my honest thoughts and opinions.
Hello, readers! I am excited to have had the opportunity to try out Sprout Patterns and share with you my experience. Sprout Patterns is a division of the custom printed fabric company, Spoonflower, and combines indie patterns with fabric of any design you choose. Your pattern pieces are printed directly on your fabric and both the pattern and instructions are available to you in PDF form, so you can use them again.
It’s super easy to design your Sprout Pattern. I was given the Cashmerette Appleton dress to test out. As Sprout is combined with Spoonflower, there are so many options for fabric designs that the possibilities are endless. You can even design your own fabric if you wish. Honestly, as there are so many designs to choose from, it took me a while to decide on this one. With the handy app on their site, you can choose a few options and see how each one looks in your pattern. There’s a 360 and 3D view and it’s really fun to use. You can move the design around the pattern piece layout until you’re happy with it and either save your design for others to see and/or buy it yourself.
I usually grade between sizes when I make the Appleton dress and this option isn’t available with Sprout. Knits are more forgiving that woven patterns, so I picked a larger size and altered the sizing when I sewed it together.
When my fabric came it was neatly packaged and looked exactly like what I ordered. There is a wide white outline to the pattern pieces with the names of each piece printed. This makes it super fast and easy to cut out your pattern and get sewing. I’m slow at cutting patterns out, so this was a treat for me. I cut in the middle of the white spaces rather than on the thin line next to the pattern pieces as I wanted to keep the names of the pattern pieces intact. This just meant that I had to remember the added fabric to my pieces when sewing, which wasn’t a big deal to me, especially as I was altering the pattern size to fit me anyway.
The design is vivid and vibrantly printed on the fabric. The Spoonflower modern jersey is the fabric available for the Appleton. It’s the perfect weight for this dress and very good quality. It’s polyester, which is a fabric I tend to avoid, but it’s a good option for custom printed fabric. I’ve ordered fabric from Spoonflower before with varying results and it seems like the synthetic fabrics take the ink better and look more like what you’ve ordered. This one in particular washes well and doesn’t show needle marks like other Spoonflower fabrics I’ve used. It also doesn’t stretch and distort the design.
As I already have the Appleton pattern, I didn’t use the instructions provided by Spoonflower, but checked and the PDF is exactly the same. This pattern is always a nice one to put together and wear and I was confident with the fit as I’ve sewn a few already.
The Appleton is more of a cold weather dress for me as I tend not to wear knit dresses in warmer months. I chose to make this with short sleeves for more of a summery look. Being polyester, I figured this would be a pretty hot dress for me to wear, especially as it’s very hot here in California in the summer. Luckily, the temperatures were mild (70’s) when I took these photos and I decided to wear this dress the rest of the day. I found it to be pretty comfortable and the fabric is nice to wear.
I really like how the design is printed and how the pattern pieces look nearly seamless on the front of the dress. It would probably have appeared more so if I had paid attention to the placement of the neck bands and ties when I was sewing them together, as I think they also match up with the design. You could play around with the Appleton and have contrasting prints and colors, too.
Sprout Patterns: Final Thoughts
Pros
- Unique colors and prints which are hard to find, especially with knits.
- Easy to cut and sew.
- Print placement is perfectly aligned.
Cons
- Expensive. The pattern/fabric for this dress was $99.
- Not enough patterns to choose from in my size. Currently there are only Cashmerette and Colette patterns that come in larger sizes.
- Pattern is printed on fabric, so no way to do prior pattern alterations.
Conclusion
I thoroughly enjoyed the process of making this dress from fabric design to cutting and sewing. Having the design printed directly on the pattern pieces made this dress so fast to make. I am certainly spoiled now after sewing this. I’m very happy with my dress and I can’t be more pleased with it. Sprout is a good option if you’re sewing with a knit, but I’m not certain how it would be with a woven fabric as I usually make pattern alterations. However, I do far less altering with Cashmerette Patterns, so using those patterns would certainly be a good option. You could custom design an amazing garment with Sprout, or even a super cool bag or dog jacket.
If you want to try out Cashmerette Patterns by Sprout Patterns, you can get 20% off with the code CASHMERETTELOVE until June 27th.
I think bright colors were invented for you! Gorgeous dress and your sewing gets an A+. Love your blog.
Thank you! I’m always attracted bright greens!
Years ago there were fabric/ pattern companies that had a similar service. The customer would select the pattern, fabric, notions, thread, etc. and measurements. I’m not sure if the garment was pre-cut or just marked (like this company). When I saw that, I thought, ‘wow, wish this type of service still existed’ since most of my creative time is spent with adjustments, layout, and cutting. Had no idea such a service did exist. $100.00 for making a dress for most sewists is a bit steep. But, off the rack, it’s a fair price (don’t forget fit issues)–and for a custom fit, it’s on the low side. I’m not so much looking for custom fabric–basic wovens and rpls are my sewing go-to’s–I just want the layout and marking services. Oh, and another issue, Sprout–if you’re reading–the fact that you print according to pattern measurements could be a deal breaker. Custom measurements can be involved and it’s understandable.
I had no idea that such a service existed previously. It would be much more custom and fit individuals better if there was something similar to lekala patterns mixed with Sprout Patterns.
Not sure what you mean by “print according to pattern measurements”? Creating custom measurements without very advanced software isn’t an option. At some point it’s not the same pattern and we do want to maintain the integrity of the patternmaker’s vision.
Being able to have the pattern adjusted for fit is the ideal. Right now it seems there is no option to have a dress grades between one size up top and a different size in the hip for example. Or length adjustments for tall/petite is another. Or if you just need a little more or less room here and there, it would be phenomenal if it was possible. None of these typical fit adjustments harm the integrity of a design, but would increase the value of the purchase.
I’m going to reply to you, Caroline, frankly and as I see it, and doubtless lots of people won’t like what I have to say …
“Creating custom measurements without very advanced software isn’t an option.” Software of varying degrees of sophistication and expense is widely available. A great many individual measurements can be customised from a base draft, or just one or two. Alteration for height and grading between pre-existing sizes are simple, minor customisations.
“…we do want to maintain the integrity of the patternmaker’s vision.”
Who is this ‘we’ to whom you refer? What, precisely, is this supposed ‘integrity of vision’ and who are you to decide whether a person can, or cannot, disturb this so-called integrity by altering a pattern so that it fits? This is nothing less than arrogance.
If a pattern for an everyday garment (which is what a dress like the Appleton *is*, when all is said and done, however skilled or targeted the specific drafting, and it undoubtedly is a very well-drafted and targeted pattern indeed) cannot be altered slightly so as *to fit the wearer*, for fear of ‘disturbing the integrity of the patternmakers vision’, well, I am afraid the only thing remaining for me to do is to laugh like a drain at such pretentious twaddle.
I remember buying fabric printed with skirt and dress patterns in the early 1970s – they were great fun, and fine for me, but my poor friend who was 5ft 10″ was SO disappointed. It’s a good idea in principle, but a pity to see it resurrected without taking *full* advantage of the technological progress made in the past almost 50 years, in both pattern-making and fabric printing.
At the very least, would it not be much more practical to have the pattern printed on the *back* of the fabric, not the front? Common alterations – such as lengthening, or grading out a little past the largest appropriate or available printed size – would then not risk the exposure of unprinted areas, and a resulting unwearable garment.
I agree. I’m 5’11” and have to make a lot of alterations to patterns, both for size and for my age/style. Regrettably I couldn’t buy a kit like this – but would if there were adjustment possibilities before printing – preferably custom sized along the lines of lekala (which I haven’t used just read about). I’m also wary about buying kits that aren’t printed on in case there is insufficient fabric for adjustments. I’m always reading how little fabric people use abs I done find that at all! Okay – I know it’s me that’s out of step!
I agree with these two posts. I am barely 5ft tall, so have very different fitting issues to the two commenters above, and to Tanya – who btw has made a gorgeous dress. There is no way I would be willing to gamble that sort of money on something that might – probably would! – end up unwearable.
Anne, I am a huge fan of Lekala patterns. They are not a perfect answer – nothing is when one has a truly unique (lol!) figure – and there is a definite learning curve and tweaking tricks involved to get the best out of them, but they have enabled me to regain pleasure in sewing for myself, and also to sew for a few paying clients who had despaired of getting nice clothes that *fit*.
That is a good idea to have the pattern printed on the back instead of the front. I’m not sure how they’re printed process works. It would also seem to work better to individualize a pattern to mix it with something like Lekala.
Another gorgeous creation!! What an awesome idea having the pattern printed on the fabric…… definitely a time saver! Bit out of my price range though with US/NZ conversion and the freight would be a killer!
Thank you! Yes, shipping is a nightmare!!!!
If your cart is over USD $100, shipping is free!
We just toured the Spoonflower/Sprout offices last week! It was impressive to see how it’s all printed, but I still can’t justify the price. They were all very nice but they were also very honest with you about the printing process: if you want true to computer colors you should stick with the synthetics as cottons just don’t match as well (especially if there’s any black in your design). Not really what a natural fiber kind of gal wants to hear! Thanks for the review, I’d wondered what working with Sprout was like but I still can’t help but balk at the prices. The dress turned out gorgeous, so now I can’t say it’ll never happen though!
That must have been very cool to see how they do it. It is pricey, which is hard to justify unless you’re making a special dress.
I make my own print designs and buy yardage from Spoonflower (no one to argue with about reselling fabrics if they’re mine). Yes, the yardage is pricey (modern jersey is 26.50 a yard, 56″ wide) but with this I am getting the PDF pattern as well, and I can make a print especially for me (or a client, more likely). Cut and sew is a service that some folks will treasure and others will not need.
The modern jersey has always seemed thin to me, with some show through when stretched. Any issues for you with that?
Hi Tanya! This dress looks terrific on you! I like the bold white lines of the pattern pieces placed on the fabric. I think the green colors looks really good and cool on you – in both meanings of the word cool. That fabric is too expensive for me, but I’ve never thought of making a wrap dress as I thought they may not look good on me. Seeing you in one makes me think it could work. I think it’s a lovely, Hawaiian looking fabric. Thank you for a great review! Kathy from Arizona
Thank you, Kathy! I’ve made several wrap dresses and the woven ones never work for me, so I was happy when the Appleton came out as there’s no gaping with this knit dress.
Wow this is really exciting! It’s cool to imagine that some day we will be able to customize the fit of the patterns AND print them on the fabric. The price to me is worth it for the concept of high quality printing, quality textiles and customized patterns. Digital printing still has a long way to go before it feels, looks and wears enough like screen printing. I would probably pay even more if this concept met all of my dream-dress criteria.
I’m really happy with the quality of this fabric and the way it printed. It’s been washed twice and still looks the same, which doesn’t always happen with custom printed fabrics.
I would encourage you to order some Spoonflower swatches- ypu will be pleasantly surprised!
The pattern placement on the back looks great but the front seems off to me. Is it the style of the dress or can it be adjusted when you order?
On the app, you can move the design around on the pattern pieces to where you want it placed.
Love you in the dress. I would like to make one using spout patterns but to expensive for me. You did a great job.
Thank you Tanya for sharing so thoroughly your experience with Spoonflower. I’m on their mailing list and have often considered their product but so far I’ve been hesitant (although seeing this finished dress on you…!) I love your dress on you! Lovely placement of pattern to material (something I can be duh about) – it looks fabulous 🙂 I’m not keen on polyester myself (I too can comfortably live in a meat locker) and sewing poly can be a horrible experience too. I remain cautious since you do point out that poly seems to be their BEST option for a more exact match of appearance on the ‘net to real life.
Hi Tanya,
You look beautiful. The fabric is stunning, what a gorgeous pattern, the colour looks amazing on you. I think the style of the dress really suits you, a jersey like that would be ideal for most evenings here in the UK, All except those very few very hot days! I’d definitely try a wrap dress like this for myself and as much as I like the fabric it wouldn’t be economical to order it sadly. I’d try find a similar patterned fabric and use the same pattern.
Thank you for a great review. T x
Right now there is a 20% discount code CASHMERETTELOVE and if your cart if over $100, shipping is free – it’s a fantastic time to try this dress using Sprout! Also the material is not heavy – it’s a wonderful lighter jersey. Unless the design is mostly white, the fabric is not sheer enough to see through. ;o)