The Mila pattern is currently being sold as part of the Indiesew Winter 2016 Collection or you can buy it as a on it's own in paper or PDF format. After November 30, it will be available in PDF at itch-to-stitch.com.
Showing posts with label pattern testing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pattern testing. Show all posts
Monday, November 23, 2015
Mila Shirt
I had such a great experience testing the Angelia Shorts for Itch to Stitch that I jumped at the chance to test the Mila Shirt. I don't have much to say about this except that I love it. The instructions are great and the fit is spot on (and the pattern includes cup sizes A to DD!). The only change I made to this one was to lengthen the sleeves by 2" and shorten the body by 2". I like the shorter length but I wish I'd thought to tone down the curve on the side, though -- it shows off the muffin top if I lift my arms up, lol.
Friday, August 28, 2015
Itch to Stitch Angelia Shorts
The timing of the call for testers for this pattern in May (!!) was serendipitous -- I had spent a couple hours the weekend before looking for some new shorts with no luck and these were just the style I had been looking for. I also happened to have a block of time that I could devote to making them before the deadline. I made the testing shorts in denim (pictures at the end of the post), another pair in linen (no pictures, sorry!) and a third pair in twill, which I took pictures of today. I've been meaning to write about these shorts for ages but the hold up has been the pictures. I find it really hard to take pictures of myself!
The testing process was great. Kennis set up a facebook page so that we could communicate with her and with the other testers about any issues we were having. She was very receptive to feedback about fit and the clarity of the instructions (which by the way are great -- very thorough and with plenty of accurate illustrations).
View B is definitely not the quickest to sew but I love all the details that make them look like a pair of ready-to-wear shorts. These totally filled a gap in my wardrobe.
Changes made:
~ In order to accommodate my derriere -- I added a wedge to the back piece to lengthen the back crotch by 1/2" and also extended the back inseam by 1/4". (I think I could still use a bit more space maybe because the twill pair sit higher than my first pair. I messed up the zipper install on the denim pair so the waist is about an inch bigger. That means they tend to slide down under my paunch but also give me a bit more butt room.)
~ I took a 3/8" wedge out of the front in the twill pair
~ sewed the buttons right through tab on the side without doing a buttonhole
~ I left off the pocket tabs on the twill pair. They look good but I use my pockets too much to want to fuss with a button.
The testing process was great. Kennis set up a facebook page so that we could communicate with her and with the other testers about any issues we were having. She was very receptive to feedback about fit and the clarity of the instructions (which by the way are great -- very thorough and with plenty of accurate illustrations).
View B is definitely not the quickest to sew but I love all the details that make them look like a pair of ready-to-wear shorts. These totally filled a gap in my wardrobe.
Changes made:
~ In order to accommodate my derriere -- I added a wedge to the back piece to lengthen the back crotch by 1/2" and also extended the back inseam by 1/4". (I think I could still use a bit more space maybe because the twill pair sit higher than my first pair. I messed up the zipper install on the denim pair so the waist is about an inch bigger. That means they tend to slide down under my paunch but also give me a bit more butt room.)
~ I took a 3/8" wedge out of the front in the twill pair
~ sewed the buttons right through tab on the side without doing a buttonhole
~ I left off the pocket tabs on the twill pair. They look good but I use my pockets too much to want to fuss with a button.
Tuesday, June 23, 2015
Lilith and Eve Drapey Blouse
I've come to the realization that I need a deadline; a realistic deadline but a deadline nonetheless. When I'm sewing for the kids, I tend to finish projects relatively quickly because I know if I leave it for too long, whatever it is wont fit or wont be in season. Theoretically I shouldn't grow out of clothes while they're waiting to be sewn up (haha!) so, despite my best intentions, I often get excited about something else (usually making something one of the kids "needs") and I put my own projects aside partially finished for weeks or even months. So I've putting my hand up to test a patterns for women's clothes that I would like to make anyway.
This is the first pattern from Lilith and Eve, LE101 the Drapey Blouse. I was given a choice of paper or PDF, and I chose paper. The cost of the pattern and shipping was covered by the company. It arrived in a large envelope and was printed on quite thick, good quality paper.
With the dollar being so low and shipping costs so high, I went shopping for supplies locally. My fabric shopping choices are fairly limited and all I found was this rayon which just happens to be covered in a granny-print floral. The weight and drape were right though (Why, oh why can't fabricland get a decent print with this fabric?? It's really quite nice, flowy and soft, but all the prints look like they should be made into Hawaiian shirts!)
The pattern pieces were well drafted and, despite the very, very brief instructions, it came together quite easily. My feedback was that more illustrations were needed, as well as more detail given in the written instructions. I think their intention is to do video tutorials for some of the more difficult parts. That doesn't really excite me since I don't have the patience to stop and watch a video when I'm working on something. Plus I don't have a tablet or laptop and my PC is two floors away from my sewing space; I'd rather just have what I need right beside me.
I also didn't like that the instructions came on a huge piece of paper. I keep my instructions next to my machine when I'm sewing and these were really unwieldy.
Design-wise I think it's a interesting blouse. It takes quite a bit of fabric to make the curved yokes and the drapey back. I'm not really sure about the buttoned-all-the-way-up look the models are sporting on the website (likely I'm just not cool enough for that) and I wasn't really keen on the baggy, long sleeves (really long! I have monkey arms and the sleeves are long on me!). The sleeves are only finished with a band, not a cuff which strikes me as a little too casual for the rest of the blouse but there is a sleeveless version as well.
I finished this in April and I have to confess I haven't worn it. It's comfortable but the fabric is too, ummm, bold for me. I thought about making another one and was under the impression that I would be receiving an updated version of the pattern post-testing but I haven't. I emailed the company (twice!) to ask if there were any significant changes made as a result of testing and they didn't respond. The first time was over a month ago and then again two weeks ago. Not sure what's going on there! I did receive a thank-you package in the mail last week -- a fabric glue stick, some ban roll, a swatch card and a necklace charm -- which was very nice but I'm a little taken aback that they don't respond to emails. All that being said, I may make this again in better fabric and if they come out with any new designs, I'd be happy to test again.
This is the first pattern from Lilith and Eve, LE101 the Drapey Blouse. I was given a choice of paper or PDF, and I chose paper. The cost of the pattern and shipping was covered by the company. It arrived in a large envelope and was printed on quite thick, good quality paper.
With the dollar being so low and shipping costs so high, I went shopping for supplies locally. My fabric shopping choices are fairly limited and all I found was this rayon which just happens to be covered in a granny-print floral. The weight and drape were right though (Why, oh why can't fabricland get a decent print with this fabric?? It's really quite nice, flowy and soft, but all the prints look like they should be made into Hawaiian shirts!)
The pattern pieces were well drafted and, despite the very, very brief instructions, it came together quite easily. My feedback was that more illustrations were needed, as well as more detail given in the written instructions. I think their intention is to do video tutorials for some of the more difficult parts. That doesn't really excite me since I don't have the patience to stop and watch a video when I'm working on something. Plus I don't have a tablet or laptop and my PC is two floors away from my sewing space; I'd rather just have what I need right beside me.
I also didn't like that the instructions came on a huge piece of paper. I keep my instructions next to my machine when I'm sewing and these were really unwieldy.
Design-wise I think it's a interesting blouse. It takes quite a bit of fabric to make the curved yokes and the drapey back. I'm not really sure about the buttoned-all-the-way-up look the models are sporting on the website (likely I'm just not cool enough for that) and I wasn't really keen on the baggy, long sleeves (really long! I have monkey arms and the sleeves are long on me!). The sleeves are only finished with a band, not a cuff which strikes me as a little too casual for the rest of the blouse but there is a sleeveless version as well.
I finished this in April and I have to confess I haven't worn it. It's comfortable but the fabric is too, ummm, bold for me. I thought about making another one and was under the impression that I would be receiving an updated version of the pattern post-testing but I haven't. I emailed the company (twice!) to ask if there were any significant changes made as a result of testing and they didn't respond. The first time was over a month ago and then again two weeks ago. Not sure what's going on there! I did receive a thank-you package in the mail last week -- a fabric glue stick, some ban roll, a swatch card and a necklace charm -- which was very nice but I'm a little taken aback that they don't respond to emails. All that being said, I may make this again in better fabric and if they come out with any new designs, I'd be happy to test again.
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