2016 is thankfully finally almost over! As is typical for this time of year, we had fewer pattern releases around the holidays than we do in most other months. In our monthly roundup for December, we’ll look at some of the more notable new releases.
Dreamstress – Wonder Unders: Knickers, Singlet, and Slip
I wasn’t particularly familiar with the Dreamstress, but there was a lot of buzz on the Facebook group about the release of this pattern, which includes a knickers/underwear/briefs pattern, (depending on what you call them in your part of the world), a camisole/singlet pattern, and a knit slip pattern, all in sizes up to a 50″/127 cm bust and 54″/137.5 cm hips.
Dreamstress – Wonder Unders
If you’ve ever searched for a slip pattern that goes up to plus sizes, you know that they’re difficult to find. So, if you’ve ever wanted to sew a slip to wear under sheer-ish dresses, this pattern is worth noting.
HotPatterns Fast & Fabulous Princess Seamed Trackpants
If you have a hard-to-fit rear end, princess seamed pants can be a huge help. (The Jalie yoga pant has always earned rave reviews for this feature.) Now HotPatterns has a trackpant offering with princess seams. I love throwing on a comfy pair of pants after work or on weekends, so I will definitely be giving these a try.
HotPatterns – Princess Seamed trackpant
HotPatterns Weekender Swingy Sweatshirt and Sweaterdress
Swing dresses and tops have been pretty popular for the past year or so, but they’ve typically been warm-weather styles. HotPatterns Swingy Sweatshirt and sweaterdress incorporates the swing/trapeze trend, but in a style that’s more suitable for colder weather. Recommended fabrics include velour and French terry. If you’re worried about the lack of shaping that’s typical to this style, the HP version has seamed side panels with Dior darts. I love how the pockets are incorporated into the panel seams here, too.
HotPatterns – Swingy Sweatshirt and Sweaterdress
McCall’s – Early Spring 2017 Collection
McCall’s released its Early Spring collection earlier this month. Not to be negative, but I didn’t find the collection very interesting overall. Here are a few patterns that stood out to me:
M7540 – Misses’ (two piece) jumpsuit/tops/skirts
Have you been wanting to jump on board the jumpsuit trend (bad pun intended) but dreading visits to the women’s room? Depending on how you mix and match the pieces of M7540, you can replicate a jumpsuit (or dress) look but skip the one-piece awkwardness. This is also a good option for a conservative take on the crop top trend.
M7540
M7546 – Misses’ Shirts with Optional Attached Sash
“Cold shoulder” style tops have been big in RTW for the past year or so, but we’ve mainly been seeing them in peasant-style tops. M7546 is a take on the trend but in a more traditional button-down blouse. This one has a bit of a DKNY/90’s vibe, IMO, and I mean that in a good way.
M7546
M7547 – Misses’ Flared Jeans, Overalls, Skinny Jeans, and Shortalls
The overall/shortall trend has made its way to the Big 4 pattern catalogue. With the current 90’s resurgence in fashion, I’m just waiting for Rachel haircuts to make a comeback.
M7547
Simplicity – Early Spring 2017 Collection
Simplicity recently released a small collection for Early Spring 2017. There weren’t any patterns that really jumped out at me from this batch; however, they do appear to be increasing their coverage of different styles in their plus size range, so that’s nice to see.
Simplicity 8296 – Misses’/Women’s Dress and Tops
The fabric/samples are awful in the envelope picture, but imagine these tops in a lightweight lawn, rayon, or double gauze, and they become a lot more appealing, don’t they? What I like about this pattern is that it’s a fairly bra-friendly take on the off-the-shoulder trend AND it goes up to a size 28W.
Simplicity 8296
Simplicity 8303 – Women’s Knit top, coat, vest, and pants
Simplicity 8303 is notable for two things: a basic knit top with princess seams and a plus sized trench coat/vest pattern. You rarely see knit anything with princess seams, so I think this would be a useful basic. And while the trench lacks some of the details of a typical trench pattern, there aren’t many trenchcoat patterns that go well into the plus size range. This one does, and I think it would be easier to morph the tabs and epaulets of a typical trench onto this pattern than to go through the work of grading up the zillion pieces of a typical trench pattern.
Simplicity 8303
Simplicity 8291 – Mimi G knit dress
I thought that the seaming/color blocking options on this dress were interesting. This isn’t your run-of-the-mill maxi dress pattern. And like all Mimi G patterns, it’s available in a pretty generous size range (up to 28W).
Simplicity 8291
StyleArc – December 2016 Collection
StyleArc slowed the pace of new releases for the holiday season by only releasing three new patterns this month–a bomber jacket, baseball cap, and a top.
Bobbi Bomber Jacket + Baseball Cap
The bomber and baseball cap are available either as a combo or as separate patterns. StyleArc has a few bomber jackets available in their catalog, but this is the most traditionally styled one. If you wear baseball caps, sewing a custom/matching baseball cap could be a useful way to accessorize.
StyleArc – Bobbi Bomber jacket and baseball cap
The new freebie option for December (along with the older Adele top option) is the Rosemary blouse–a pullover blouse with an interesting twist detail at the neckline. I like the detail, but from my experience, twist details at the neckline never seem to look the way I want with my large bust. Maybe others have had better luck?
StyleArc – Rosemary Blouse
Final Thoughts
What were your favorites out of this batch? Will you be adding any of the new December patterns to your shopping list?
Ah you missed my Knot-Maste Yoga Set pattern! It goes up to a 45in Bust and 48in Hips and is specifically designed for yoga with a lot of unique twist and knot details (and a crotch gusset!) https://shop.fehrtrade.com/collections/frontpage/products/knot-maste-yoga-set
Something about Simp 8303 worn open as a vest that screams AND THEN THERE’S MAUDE! at me. Right on!
I absolutely detest any top with “cold shoulders”. I think they look terrible on everyone! I don’t get it.
I didn’t see any patterns that I had to have.
Hmm. I love raglan sleeves. But I too have problems with drapey blouse fronts. I’m staring at the Rosemary blouse trying to talk myself out of it.
I can’t go anywhere without shoulder pads I even sometimes add them to RTW jackets that already have them. Very sloped shoulders. So raglans are out for me unfortunately because I pin the pads in so I can use them in other garments. Difficult to anchor pads to an unlined garment (seam allowances aren’t close enough together) so I don’t sew or buy raglan patterns. Oh well, I love to look at what others are sewing though….
Loved the entire McCalls release and picked up a handful. Was meh on the Simplicity and the rest of these. I’ve been completely blah on Style Arc for awhile now. I hope that changes soon!
The Wonder Unders is the only pattern I’m interested in – just not sure I would like the knickers for sure…hmm…I will probably just wait Joe some reviews.
…wait for some reviews.
another great round up Michelle. The underwear combo is a winner for me – here in Australia it is Summer and we’ve just had 3 days in a row with over 40C (100 deg fah+) and another one today….So I’m totally into sheer cotton muslin overdresses that need a cotton or viscose cami or petticoat. The layer of cotton or viscose rayon near the body absorbs sweat and slowly oxidises it, while the cotton over layer keeps in the moisture saturated air coming off the undergarments….aragghh!!, nice theory – still bloody hot here though! We are too PC to install air con in the house, but have to have in the car as a matter of survival – you could die within minutes inside a steel box heated to 80C, even with the windows open…
The Hot Patterns sweater and sweatdress is also a winner for me. Having an “apple” figure, with the widest part of my torso at the waistline I prefer garments that hang from the shoulders and have movement.
Hi,
I’m new here, a Swedish sewist living in France.
I just bought the Dreamstress’ underwear pattern, based on this review. So many times I have wanted to have a slip to wear under a dress. I really like the very simple design of this one, I don’t want lace and lots of fuss.
Now I’ll just need to find the perfect viscose knit to make it!
Thank you for all the informative articles on the site, I so appreciate them.
LOVE the articles, Wish that you wouldn’t keep referring to your joy about 2016 being over. A lot of people liked 2016. You will find as you get older that you don’t want to be wishing your time away.
Elizabeth
I really like Simplicity 8303, especially the trench coat. It looks at though it could also be easily hacked to make an office-friendly coatdress.
I looked at that too, but i have a pattern already for a trench coat, and loads of pants and top patterns.
I have such an embarrassing array of riches in patterns to explore already in 2017 🙂 I’m excited to make the dress and cape by the new pattern company Trend Patterns in the UK – I have a couple of lovely vintage inspired dresses by Decades of Style (their “Housedress” is a take on a ’50’s housedress that is so wonderful!) and Now and Then patterns in the UK which are also vintage inspired. I do need more dresses (I only own 2 which after reading this blog for the past year must read like “really”???) I’ve also been accumulating a few cape patterns and I’m just beginning to work on my first Harrison. Jenny’s course is fabulous by the way for any of your considering taking it.
I bought the Wonder Unders so fast, my keyboard heated up. This is EXACTLY what I have been looking for in a pattern. The sizing is AWESOME. Totally made my day. Thank you!
Overalls are coming back!!!! YEA!!! I lived in them in college. Never got any dates but oh well….they were comfortable. Went to Bethany in Lindsborg Ks and wore clogs with them, more like the platform shoes without the heels….McCalls has a 2.96 sale on right now, ordered the pattern.
I want to get the Simplicity 8296 but not willing to pay $12 for it, will put it on my wish list and wait for it to come out on etsy or ebay.
I guess I should also put in a bit about myself as well. I live in Kansas, grew up in northern Kansas in a small town of Glasco KS. I am married with 3 grown sons (no one interested in learning to sew here). I have sewn since I was 13. My Mom was 4-H leader for sewing. She also sewed to make extra money. A neat story, in 1970 she got everyone in the class a new Dressmaker sewing machine by filling out a crossword puzzle they had put in the Grit paper for something like $35 back in 1970. We came home with 10 sewing machines in the back of the station wagon. I used that same machine up until 3 years ago when my husband got me a brand new Brother. I made my own clothes through all that time for the most part, until BBW came out (remember that?) and then Woman Within and the prices for fabric started going up. I still have it, and my mother-in-laws New Home. Getting them refurbished for grand daughters.
Oh BBW, what a lovely mag. I was sewing a lot then. I got in trouble using pictures from it for a style unit in a Color Me Beautiful kind of class.
I love these pattern release roundups. For all that I engaging in sewing talk on social media it seems like I always miss a few good-for-curvy-sewing new patterns.