Forgotten Patterns - Some good and others not so great
As I look at all the new pattern releases so many of them are just not exciting to me. At the time I write this blog post I have yet to see any new releases for Butterick or New Look Patterns (they may be released this week… or not!) and trying to keep with my goals for this year which are:
Buy only patterns that are flattering to my figure and that I will in fact sew- I’m doing pretty good on this one!
Buy fabric for the exact amount you need and make sure you have a pattern selected for it BEFORE you buy it. If I’m giving myself a score on this one its 9/10. So far I’ve purchased one fabric for the pure joy of loving it and no pattern selected. But its bright red, orange and fuchsia so I better find a pattern soon because it screams summer!
Don’t bite more than you can sew and sew slowly. I’m for sure sewing slowly… super slow if you ask me. A little bit slower than I would prefer to be honest. I’m my defense I’m really looking at the details and making sure the finishes are exactly what I want them to look like, at times this means taking out the needle and thread … and finishing things by hand, or ripping stitches out and going back at it again.
Don’t be a perfectionist. I’m failing at this one and that’s why its taking me forever to finish anything. Trust me I’m working on it, but it’s hard.
It just leads me to ask you… what amazing patterns do you have in your stash waiting for you to make them? Is it a Vogue Pattern, that may be a little complicated but give you that feather in your cap that you will learn something new, is it a Simplicity pattern which I must say some look simple but they are quite the opposite, is it a Vintage Pattern in all its single size glory, is it a, perhaps a Butterick pattern, there are so many great ones! Or is it McCall’s pattern that perhaps may look a little youthful and no longer fits. Or is it one of the many Indie patterns that are released. I have a list of ten I want to get but I have very little time on my hands these days so I’m trying to be a little bit more selective on what I’m choosing and buying. At $20 per indie pattern the costs on these can add up rather quickly.
As I have been doing a hard pass on some of the newly released patterns; a lot of them just don’t sing to me. I have been looking back on some of my much older patterns that have a great styles but they have just been collecting dust and mostly forgotten. I came to this Cynthia Rowley dress and jacket combo S2443 (see picture of the cover below). I loved the colors and I felt it was a great transitional piece between winter and early spring. I love the dress and although the fabric on the jacket was quite the interesting one to sew, I actually like it after I added buttons. Lets just say I didn’t feel that way two thirds of the way, but now I do love it.
S2443 - This Pattern is almost ten years old, hence why its out of print
S2443 Cynthia Rowley Dress and Jacket
I also worked on The Romy Dress by Tilly and the Buttons. I believe this pattern may be two or three years old. There are not a lot of reviews of this pattern out there, perhaps because it looks as a rather simple sew (and it is) but fitting the pattern to your shoulders is key.
Romy Dress from Tilly and the Buttons
What are some of those older patterns, that are just waiting for you? Perhaps its time to shop your pattern stash and come back to some of those really good ones. Check out Sewing Pattern Review and see what others have to say about it before you dive in.
