Pattern review: Giraffe print dress, Knipmode

Pattern Description:

KNIPMODE magazine pattern #3 08/2008 sleeveless dress with cut-on standing collar, pleats at shoulder, elastic waist with tie belt

Pattern Sizing:

European 38 to 46. I used a size 38 at the top and 40 for the skirt.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?

yes, considering I omitted the tucks on the skirt and wore the dress buttoned all the way up!

Were the instructions easy to follow?

KNIPMODE magazine instructions are very minimal and as I am a pretty experienced sewer, I rarely refer to them except if it’s an unusual construction.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?

It’s very comfortable and cool for our tropical weather.

Fabric Used:

A cotton print from Bloomingdales in Shangri-La Plaza.  They still have it in a slightly darker brown and I have seen a navy blue version in one of the smaller fabric stores in Glorietta. I really like animal prints and found this giraffe print slightly more unusual. I pre-washed the fabric and to my surprise I found that the print bled. Usually prints are pretty colorfast, but this one bled quite heavily into the white, so the white looked a bit dirty. If you buy this fabric, I would therefore recommend washing it separately by hand (don’t leave to soak!), rinsing in vinegar, wringing out as much of water as possible ( wringing in between 2 towels generally helps remove most excess water) and drying in the sun so it dries quickly without the print running into the white areas. As the fabric is quite thin, I lined the skirt with thin white cotton from Fabric Warehouse.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:

I removed the tucks from the skirt, as I didn’t think they would be very visible in this fabric.  I also added in darts and the shoulder to stop the back armholes gaping.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?

Yes, I would as it is a very easy dress to make. I’d probably make it in a solid color and put the tucks back in again maybe with contrast top stitching.

Pattern Review: panel print dress

Pattern Description: 

KNIPMODE magazine pattern #2 08/2008 sleeveless dress

Pattern Sizing:

European 34 to 42. I used a size 38 as this looked wide enough to go over my size 40 hips.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?

yes, considering I changed the front neckline

Were the instructions easy to follow?

Knipmode magazine instructions are very minimal and as I am a pretty experienced sewer, I rarely refer to them except if it’s an unusual construction.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?

It’s incredibly comfortable, but not that flattering, as the pattern pieces have a slight balloon shape, narrowing to the hem. This gives a lot of extra weight around the hips. The pattern actually also includes pockets in the side seams which I did not include as that would have added to the hip widening effect! The straps are also well placed to cover bra straps although the back view shows, that I should have shortened the right strap a bit to compensate for a lower shoulder on that side.I also just saw from the photos taken this morning, that placing a panel print with a big flower right on your bum is probably also not a good idea! It just goes to show that no matter how much you think about pattern placement, there are always surprises lurking somewhere. …

Fabric Used:

A rayon crinkle from Expressions in Glorietta which I actually did sew up immediately after I purchased it, but am only blogging about now. It is quite transparent, so I lined it with a very thin cotton from Fabric Warehouse in Libis (near Eastwood). I’ve worn and washed the fabric many times now and the black print is starting to fade. A print like this can fade due to abrasion in the washing machine and the strong sun, so really should be washed and dried inside out. Like most rayon’s, it does crease a lot, but actually lining it has helped to lessen that a bit.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:

I changed the front neckline to a U rather than square as I thought the corners would be weak, as well as a U being more flattering for my skinny chest. I added a lining as especially the lighter portions of the fabric was rather transparent. I also moved the zip to the side seam, as with the panel print I didn't want to be fiddling around matching patterns up the centre back.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?

Yes, I will as it is a very comfortable dress for Manila heat and doesn’t look too much like a muumuu! I would straighten out the side seams though.

Conclusion:

I’ve already worn this dress a lot and even though its not the most flattering dress I own, it is one of the most comfortable in hot summer weather.

Second version of Burda 04-2011 115

My first version first version of this pattern was so comfortable, I made a second one. I stumbled across this fabric at Fabric Warehouse in Megamall. Stumbled is probably not the right word, as this store is so over crowded you can't move enough to be able to stumble over anything! You have to stand your ground somewhere and dig your way through rolls of fabrics. I only saw this rayon jersey because I am tall and could look over the other rolls of 60" fabric and see this one all the way at the back. At P190 (US$ 4.48/ Euro3.11) per yard it was a pretty good buy. I only used 1.5 yds but probably should have gotten a little more so that the print at the back would have been centered rather than draped over one shoulder. This time, I didn't use any facings but some left over black cotton jersey and bound the neck and the armholes.

Downloading Patterns

One of the big barriers to more people sewing their own clothes here in the Philippines has always been the fact that you couldn't buy patterns here. Fortunately nowadays there are many that you can download from the internet. I've been wanting to make a simple dress for the hot weather we are currently having and found one I liked on Burdastyle.

Burda is a large German magazine conglomerate who has been publishing magazines with traceable sewing patterns for decades. They also have regular patterns sold in envelopes which you can also order at various websites online. And now you can also download a selection of their patterns from their different language websites. I speak German so went straight to the German website. Strangely enough the German site has many more patterns available than the english language site and the particular dress I choose (115 from magazine 4/2011 ) is not available on the english language site (yet). Downloading and sticking all the pieces together were pretty easy for this dress, as there were only 2 main pattern pieces and a few facings.

This is my review of the pattern which is also posted at Sewing Pattern Review. There is another review for this dress in a completely different fabric which shows how versatile it is. Funnily enough this reviewer is from Singapore so it shows that this is a particularly good dress for the tropics!

Pattern Description: 

This is a simple straight dress with gathers at front and back in the neckline and elastic dropped waist. The magazine has a blouse and a couple of dresses ( pattern numbers 112 to 115) which use the same pattern.

Pattern Sizing:

I used size 38 which I always wear in European sizing. I just added a bit of width around the hips as I didn’t want the dress too clingy.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?

yes

Were the instructions easy to follow?

I rarely use instructions for easy patterns but I glanced through them ( the german language one) and they seemed pretty easy to follow.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?

The only problem I had was with the neck facings, which kept popping out despite being under-stitched and tacked down at the shoulders. This is mainly due to the gathering at the necklines so the body of the dress is much looser than the facing. I ended up trimming it down to about half an inch and sewing it down with small stitched between the gathers so that they wouldn’t be flattened. The next time I would use a wider facing (more like a small yoke on the inside) so that I can tack it down on to the sleeve facings as well. A one-piece facing including the armhole and neck facings would be better.

Fabric Used:

I used a thin cotton jersey.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:

As above. Personally I don’t like side seam pockets as I find they bulge whenever you put something in and make funny bumps on the hips so I did not make them in this case. I also dislike necklines, which are too high as I feel they are strangling me, so I lowered this around 1/2inch in front. Next time, I would probably lower it a bit more, maybe down to 1 inch. I also made the skirt slightly wider at the hem so that I would be ble to walk more easily and have no need for slits.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?

Yes I would. I live in the Philippines so I am always looking for loose dresses which are comfortable in the heat, but don’t look like a sack!

Conclusion: 

A nice simple dress with good details, which keep it from being boring.