The weather around you might or might not be warming, but summer patterns are on their way! We’ve got a lot of new dress patterns in this month’s roundup. If dresses aren’t your thing, we’ve also got some interesting new layering pieces, including a cami with cup sizes and a few jacket patterns.
Designer Stitch – Kate Vintage Tea Dress
Many curvy sewists love fit-and-flare style dresses, as they can either enhance or help create an hourglass figure. The new Kate Vintage Tea dress offers its own take on this style by offering a boatneck neckline, ample shoulder and back coverage, and the choice of either a 3/4 circle skirt or a gathered box skirt. Its curve-friendly sizing includes base sizes up to a US 22 (52″ / 130 cm bust) and cup sizes up to a DD-cup.
Designer Stitch – Kate Vintage Tea Dress
While not super curve-inclusive, the Hey June Amalfi dress has a decent enough size range (up to a 43.5″ high bust/48″ finished bust measurement) and checks a lot of the boxes that our CSC Facebook members ask for: a simple summer dress with sleeves that’s designed for woven fabrics. The Amalfi has a faced v-neckline and includes two sleeve options. There’s a hidden elastic waist casing and bust darts to provide waist shaping.
Hey June – Amalfi dress
MyImage Magazine – Special Edition #1 (Summer)
If you’re looking to dip your toe into the water of magazine sewing, the new MyImage special edition might be a good place to start. For €4,95, you get 10 new patterns for summer basics (most of which have fairly inclusive size ranges), and you can order a single issue directly from their website. I particularly like the cap sleeved tee (should be a quick and easy sew) and the 90’s style (of course) button-down princess seamed dress.
MyImage – Special Edition #1 (summer)
It’s been a long time since we’ve gotten a new pattern release from petite-focused/curve-friendly SBCC Patterns (and their last pattern was a shorts pattern that didn’t extend to the plus range), BUT their new pattern is something that I know a lot of our readers have been asking for: a curve-friendly blazer pattern! The Rickey has princess seams and inclusive sizing that goes up to a 54″ (138.4 cm) bust. It also includes separate lining pieces (with separate PDF files, even!), two collar options, and all around looks like a great pattern. The PDF version of this was in my Inbox within minutes of seeing the email announcement.
SBCC – Rickey Jacket
Simplicity – Summer 2018 Collection
Out of the summer collections released so far by the Big 4, Simplicity’s has been my favorite, by far. In addition to the two patterns that I’m highlighting here, there are some nice staples, like a woven wrap dress and woven tees with sleeve options. There are some cute retro pieces, too, including a men’s cabana set.
Simplicity 8631 – Wonder Woman Active Wear
As a feminist nerd, I freakin’ love that Simplicity has released this collection of female superhero (and anti-hero) inspired activewear patterns. In addition to the Wonder Woman set, there are two Batgirl and a Harley Quinn sets. They’re really cute collections, too!
S8631 – Wonder Woman activewear
Simplicity 8648 – Misses’ Duster in Two Lengths
I don’t know that I’m cool enough to pull off a duster, but whereas I usually gripe about samples, envelope pictures, the model on this envelope is definitely working that effortlessly/casually stylish thing. I don’t recall seeing any similar patterns out there to this one in current catalogs, and I think this one both makes a really cool pool/beach coverup and a more fitted alternative to the kimonos that have been so ubiquitous in warm weather for the past few years.
S8648 – Misses’ Duster in two lengths
StyleArc didn’t have quite the usual number of new patterns in their April release batch, but the ones that we got were pretty cute and wearable.
So, as I’ve mentioned before, I’m not really a statement sleeve person, regardless of current trends. I just don’t find them practical and always seem to be dipping them in food or whatnot when I dip my toe in the water of that trend. That said, I think the sleeves here are pretty subtle, and frankly, it’s a just a cute top. I’ll also add that I had a similar RTW that I really adored, where the body of the top was made up in a knit, and the flounces were made in a sheer woven–I’m guessing you could probably do something similar with this pattern.
Yes, we all know that I’m a sucker for 90’s fashion. I mean, of those of us who wore them, who doesn’t have a fondness for pairing Doc Martens with rayon dresses? The Ariana woven dress reminds me of the ubiquitous rayon slip dresses that I wore and loved throughout my university years. Given my fondness for fit-and-flare sundresses, I may have already purchased this pattern. I’ll be widening the straps, but 90’s or not, this style works well on a lot of curvy figures, and I’m looking forward to revisiting it again this summer.
StyleArc – Ariana Woven dress
StyleArc’s mid-month release for April is the cute and on-trend Meghan Jacket. I love the tie detail on the sleeve. I saw someone on my work campus wearing a similar jacket, and I really liked how it looked in-person. Designed for ponte knits or other stable jacket fabrics, the Meghan is also rated as an easy sew. I’m going to guess that this will be a pretty popular sewing pattern in the coming months.
StyleArc – Meghan Jacket
Behind the scenes, the CSC editors all collectively went nuts when the release of the Tropo Cami was announced by Seamstress Erin, who recently rebranded her patterns as “Tuesday Stitches”. Knit camis are such a universal layering piece for many of us; yet sewing patterns for them are rare–especially cami sewing patterns with inclusive size ranges. Even better, the Tropo Cami has three different cup size options–up to a G-cup. There are also options for a shelf bra, several different necklines, and even an option for nursing mothers.
Tuesday Stitches – Tropo Cami
Vogue – Summer 2018 Collection
Vogue’s last collection was so “meh” to me that when I did my round-up post, I posed a question to ask if you, as readers, would mind if I stopped including anything more than a link to Vogue collection updates, as their patterns so rarely appealed to me these days. Now, with the new Summer collection, I wouldn’t call it a slam-dunk, but I also didn’t struggle to pick out a couple of patterns to highlight this time, so that’s a big improvement, IMO.
Vogue 1590 – Sandra Betzina / Today’s Fit Jacket Belt and Skirt
I picked this pattern for the fun use of eyelet. I recall seeing eyelet jackets and lined eyelet skirts around town in Seattle the past spring/summer or two, so I like seeing a pattern that is designed to replicate that look. Sandra Betzina’s sizing also is more curve-friendly than standard Vogue sizing, so it’s also nice to see a trendy design with an inclusive size range.
Vogue 1590 – Sandra Betzina Eyelet jacket and skirt
Vogue 1577 – Guy LaRoche Dress
This Guy LaRoche dress is exactly the sort of dress that I’d eye, covet, buy the pattern during a Vogue sale…and then never make. I’ve cut way down on my buying-patterns-for-stash during JoAnn’s sales, but I might have to make an exception for this one–I just think it’s a really cute, fun design, and the seaming should make this dress fairly FBA-friendly.
V1577 – Guy LaRoche dress
Final Thoughts
As a lover of 90s fashion, I ordered that StyleArc Adriana dress within days of it being released. In fact, I already have the paper version on my sewing table (even with it being shipped from Australia), and I can’t wait to muslin it. I’m also a fan of the new SBCC Rickey jacket and Tuesday Stitches Tropo cami. (Expect to see the Tropo cami making an appearance in an upcoming CSC post.) Finally, I kind of love that new duster pattern from Simplicity. If nothing else, it’d make a really cute pool coverup. What were your favorites from this batch of new releases?
Great round up, thanks!
The duster pattern looks very similar to one that came out in the 1980s, make unknown but it was out in New Zealand, which came with a halter dress as well. The design is near identical and I remember my mum making it for me when I was about 16. The fit then was great and I wore it into holes (mum made it from a fancy net to be worn as a form of sun protection during the summer) and even though I was only a UK size 8 then if there is any similarities between the patterns the fit will look as good on a larger curvier figure as on my then skinny but curvy (hourglass) figure. The same goes for the Ariana wovcen dress. Again nearly identical to one I had aged 15 back in the 1970s, and one which to he honest would look much better in a fuller and curvier figure than the one I had at the time.
Do you ever look at the Burda printed patterns? They are on the Simplicity website and in Joann stores. They tend to have a larger size range (up to 34 in some styles) than the digital patterns, and completely different styles. Thanks for the roundup!
I do usually look at Burda printed patterns when there’s a new collection out. The past few printed Plus collections have been a little lackluster, IMO, which is why I haven’t chosen any individual patterns to highlight from those.
I agree, they can be weird, or just minimal in the range of choices. Thanks!
Check out the Samantha dress as part of the first smyly magazine. Sizes 4 to 28 http://www.smyly.eu
BTW, the Scroop Otari hoodie (nayy) also goes up to a 52in bust and is a great hoodie out this month (I think) https://www.scrooppatterns.com/products/otari-hoodie
Thanks for the shout out for the Otari Hoodie Lyndle!
It was launched at the end of March – just after the CSC did their March round up. So it would have been really nice to see it featured in April.
Always love your round ups. I’m almost down for the Rickey, but as an 80s teen I’m still traumatised by the shoulders of the time. I think I’ll wait to see if these are as square “in real” as in the samples. I hesitated over the Megan jacket but looking at again here might go for it. Coming into winter here so I’ll sit on the others a while. ,
Thank you for the inclusion of the Kate Tea Dress from Designer Stitch in this weeks roundup.
Kind Regards
Ann at Designer Stitch
This is fantastic roundup, On paper, the SBCC blazer looks fantastic. Michelle! can’t wait to read the reviews.
I finally figured it out…The Guy LaRoche dress reminds me of London By Hand’s Polly top!
Can I also add how amazing it was to see how inclusive the pattern drawings were for Tuesday Stitches? We focus on body shape and size here, but seeing other marginalized bodies represented actually made me cheer out loud when I saw it.
Yes! That cami pattern doesn’t appeal to me, but 8m going to visit the website to see what else is available, 8n hopes of supporting the designer. The drawing of the model with the cane made me cheer! As a middle aged woman who is not really plus size (I don’t really know lol, but I certainly used to be much heavier), and have ongoing health issues that make even walking difficult some days, I almost cried. Who ever thinks about us?
Yes! That cami pattern doesn’t appeal to me, but I’m going to visit the website to see what else is available, in hopes of supporting the designer. The drawing of the model with the cane made me cheer! As a middle aged woman who is not really plus size (I don’t really know lol, but I certainly used to be much heavier), and have ongoing health issues that make even walking difficult some days, I almost cried. Who ever thinks about us?