August Indie Pattern Update!

I hardly dare say it but it feels like August was a slightly slower month in the indie pattern community as designers ramp up to releasing their autumn/winter patterns. Although I have an uneasy feeling that perhaps a combination of too much work and that pesky Instagram algorithm has just meant that I've missed a lot! If there are any other releases you know of feel free to add them in the comments for other readers to peruse.

New Patterns

• Grainline Studio released the Hadley Top which is a sophisticated swing style which would be a great addition to any wardrobe. I prefer the sleeveless version with v-neck but there's also the option for long sleeves and a jewel neckline.
• The two new releases with this month's Seamwork Magazine were the Julia Tank Top and Laura Wrap Skirt. The simplicity of the wrap skirt definitely has a place in my wardrobe and the article on how to hack this pattern has some great ideas.
• New from Style Arc this month were the Thea and Tully Pants, Gem Knit Tee, Agatha Woven Skirt and Kirsty Woven Top. The two trouser patterns in particular are bang on trend and really interesting.
• Hey June Handmade released the Durango Tank which is FREE to download. This figure skimming tank features a high neck and high cut shoulders.
• The Tailoress had a handful of new releases this month including the Gabriella Jumpsuit, Joey Tee which comes with an optional hood and Rosanna Top; an off the shoulder top style for both women and children.
• Itch to Stitch released the Chai Shirt & Dress. So classy, flattering and wearable. I love the addition of the wide waistband to this traditional shirt dress.
• Some of the most recent designs Kommatia Patterns have added to their growing collection of contemporary, youthful designs are a Denim Mini Skirt and Bodysuit; a turtleneck style great for layering.
• I've been working away from home for a large part of this month but one releases which had me desperate to run home to my sewing machine is the Kew Dress from Nina Lee London. The version with the cold shoulders in particular has an effortlessly feminine yet contemporary appeal.
• Congratulations are in order for Tilly & the Buttons who is pregnant and consequently has released maternity patterns of two of her most popular patterns! The Maternity Bettine and Maternity Agnes are now available in her online shop.
• Jennifer Lauren Handmade released the Mayberry Dress which is a twist on the classic shirtwaist dress; featuring an off centre curved button placket and drawstring waist.
• New from DG Patterns is the Alamo Dress, the wide tie belt with large belt loops nicely balances the length of the dress and ruffled hem.
• The PDF release from Sew Over It in August was the Coco Jacket. This classic, collarless style inspired by the iconic Chanel boucle jacket is exactly what my wardrobe needs for wearing over all those occasion dresses I can't resist sewing!
• Greenstyle Creations released the Tie Back Tank. I kind of wish that this had been released earlier in the summer as it's just what I've been after for running in the heat! I love that it comes with various neckline, back and finishing options.
• I was hunting high and low for the perfect maxi dress pattern for a piece of floral viscose in my stash when the new Summer Dawn Wrap Dress from Striped Swallow Designs popped up in my feed! It has just the cut and small sleeves I was after except it's designed for knits...back to the drawing board or maybe an excuse to shop for some jersey?!
• New from The Maker's Atelier is the V-Necked Shift Dress. This is a great addition to their collection of clean lines and contemporary cuts. Perfect to showcase a special fabric.
• Sew Sin City released two new lingerie patterns just this week in the form of the Brittnee Thong and Dana Tanga Pant. One of these days I'm going to stop talking about sewing my own lingerie and actually just do it!
• As is traditional with any girls pattern release from Made for Mermaids the Nina Swing Top, Tunic and Dress is also available as a Mama version.
• Last but by no means least, Chalk and Notch released the Fringe Blouse and Dress. Now we're heading into cooler weather here in the UK these kind of swingy dresses are high on my list to sew and wear with dark tights and boots.

Pattern Updates and Expansion Packs

• The Tailoress released an updated version of her body contour dress pattern which has been renamed as the Jennifer Dress.
• Along with their two new pattern releases Seamwork launches an updated version of their Hayden woven tee pattern. It now includes bust darts and has been widened across the back plus the neckline and armsyce have been reshaped for a better fit across the shoulders.
• Waffle Patterns released an add on for their Dropje Vest which provides you with the pattern piece to add sleeves. This addition turns it into a lovely sporty hoodie.
• The regular Daphne Day Dress features a cut out design in the back but Sew This Pattern have just launched the Full Back Extension should you wish to make yours with a closed back.

Sew-alongs

• There is a skirt-along for the Cleo Skirt running over on the Made by Rae blog. This is the IDEAL beginner project.
• Pauline Alice released a video tutorial for the Lliria Dress which she launched last month. I've tried out a few online courses and videos now and am finding them increasingly useful alongside regular pattern instructions to perfect tricky techniques.
• The sew-along for the new Grainline Studio Hadley Top is all set to commence on September 4th.
• There is currently a sew-along running over on the By Hand London blog for their Orsola Dress. I adore this back wrap style and the hack for creating a version with a full circle skirt has got me me desperate to make another!
• The sew-along for the recently released Elsie Dress is just about to conclude over on the Sew Over It blog. If it's your first time making a fit and flare style dress this series has some great clear photos and tips to help you along.

Upcoming!

• Half Moon Atelier will soon be re-releasing their Roma Midi Skirt pattern. I love this easy wearable style but am ashamed to say I have had the PDF ready and waiting to be sewn up for months now!
• The Tailoress has certainly been busy of late. As well as this month's new releases and updates she has a new wrap dress pattern coming soon.
• Friday Pattern Company have a number of patterns coming our way for fall which I'm really looking forward to seeing more of after a couple of sneak peaks on Instagram. Included in the release will be the Cambria Duster and Lucida Dress.
• Itch to Stitch are currently testing the North Point Pants which are a beautifully tailored classic style and a departure from the summer dresses and tops Kennis has been releasing of late.
• Laura from Sew Different has been working on a number of FREE add on hacks for her existing patterns giving you even more mileage from your pattern stash.
• Coming on Monday is the new pattern from Designer Stitch. Named Kristen the dress features delicate ruffled details.

Other Exciting News

• Maven Patterns have up until now only released their patterns in PDF format but will be launching their first paper patterns at the Great British Sewing Bee Live on 21st September! 
• Sarah from Ohhh Lulu launched her first paper patterns earlier this month. Jasmine and Ava are the first two of her collection of lingerie designs to be released in this format.

I can't wait to get home and sew up a storm. I'm always sad to say goodbye to Summer but the thought of a whole new season to sew for gets me through! Here's some inspiration to get your September sewing started.

• I thought I'd run out of useful neutral fabric options for Flint Trousers which would be useful in my wardrobe until I saw Heather Lou's camel ones. Teamed with an Ogden Cami like she has is basically what I've been living in all summer!
• I had the pleasure of checking out Elena's Joni Jumpsuit in person at the Sewing Weekender earlier this month and it is a total knockout. I must admit I wasn't drawn to this pattern when it was released but now I need one immediately.
• Helen's Acton Dress is possibly the prettiest I have seen. What a gorgeous fabric choice. I love it in something drapey and will definitely be looking for something with a similar light weight when I finally make my own.
• The Named Sointu Tee is another pattern I hadn't looked twice at but Helen's amazing windowpane check version has completely changed my mind. It looks great styles with jeans but I also love the idea of it with wide legged cropped trousers or culottes.
• Lara's tester version of the new Chalk & Notch Fringe Dress is a stunner. The fabric is delicious and I love that dusky pink for this style.

Military Inspired Archer Shirt

Today I've got a garment to share with you which hasn't turned out as successfully as I hoped but was still an enjoyable project which I learnt a lot from. I spend less time on Pinterest nowadays but still enjoy a browse from time to time and the board I probably pin to most is my Sewing Inspiration board. It's an accumulation of all kinds of things that inspire my sewing, from complete outfits, to fabric, to little details I'd like to incorporate. For the last year or so I've been making more of a conscious effort to look back through these pins and actually make something of them! At the moment I can't stop pinning maxi wrap dresses and solid tops with interesting sleeves. Over a year ago I had a spate of pinning military green shirts in a slightly heavier weight, to be worn open over vests and t-shirts almost as a kind of lightweight jacket.

Around the same time I came across the perfect shade and weight of khaki green oxford cotton in Classic Textiles on Goldhawk Road and decided to go for it and make my own. I combined it with the Archer Button Up Shirt from Grainline Studio as it is a pattern I already own plus has all the lovely classic details I was after including two patch breast pockets. I have already used this pattern once, pairing it with some white swiss dot cotton a couple of years ago. That version I felt was a little snug across the bust and at the time I mentioned using the size 4 at the waist and shoulders as I did but grading out to a 6 at the bust. Now my knowledge of fitting has improved I realised that a full bust adjustment would probably do the job better so I spent some time doing this using the size 4 as my starting point. I used this a no dart tutorial (I can't remember which now but here are a few clear ones from Paprika Patterns, Helen and Maria Denmark) and spread my pattern 1cm width ways and 2.5cm downwards. I also added 2cm to the length. I needed almost the full two metres I had to cut this size.

The FBA has helped but I think maybe I should have just gone up a size or even two to achieve the relaxed look I desired. I should have looked more carefully at the relaxed, loose fit of my inspiration pictures and gone more oversized but I think I was tentative as it isn't my usual style. I wish I'd read my previous blog post more thoroughly and remembered that when I made my white version I was keen to have a closer fit than the pattern samples so opted to stick with the smaller of the two sizes I fell between. I think a softer draper fabric would also make a huge difference as both of mine have been quite crisp so stick out below the bust, although this fabric has softened up nicely with a wash.

As well as the general fit of the pattern I don't think the length (or lack of it) is helping. I haven't seen anyone else mention that they felt this pattern came up short but I'm quite petite and do feel like I could do with an extra inch or so. Perhaps I was expecting more of a relaxed fit than it is. The arms also seem strangely short which doesn't bother me as I've been wearing the cuffs rolled up anyway but I would need another inch again to make them the length I prefer.

As you can probably guess from when I found the inspiration and fabric for this project it's been a long time coming! I actually made the majority of this shirt shortly after buying the fabric but things ground to a halt when I came to attach the cuffs. I didn't like the finishing of the slits in the sleeve where the cuff attaches last time as it's just bound and is tricky to get looking neat. This time I wanted to switch in the sleeve placket pieces from the Colette Negroni Shirt pattern as I love the professional look of these and have had great results every time I've made with it. Silly me didn't think through the fact that this style of packet would add a little width to the end of the sleeve so when I came to attach the cuffs I found they were too short to fit.

At the time I lost the patience to cut a new pair of cuffs to fit, despite being so close to finishing and the shirt then sat around for a year before I went back to it again. I don't usually have UFO's on the go (discounting projects I've cut out and not started yet) so this is definitely a record length of project for me; I think I even moved house with it in pieces! This seems silly now as it was of course so quick and easy to recut and interface slightly larger cuffs and I had the whole thing finished within a matter of hours of returning to it. Lesson learned to never leave a project with a step you're dreading as the next one as it will put you off picking it up again!

Anyway enough about what I found tricky about this project, I actually love shirt making and am really pleased with my finishing and what I learnt on this one. The fabric is exactly as I had imagined it and with the closer fit I'm wondering if I might get more wear out of it layered under dungarees which are my new favourite thing! The way this pattern is constructed means it is easy to get a lovely inside finish; I did a good old burrito on the yoke and only needed to overlock the side seams.

I used a lightweight black woven fusible interfacing and would recommend always using a lightweight for shirt plackets even if you use something a bit heavier for your collar as you want to keep that centre front fairly soft so it doesn't do strange things when you sit down. I did all the topstitching in a slightly darker green standard thread rather than thicker topstitching thread as I wanted to keep it subtle. All the topstitching involved in this design is perfect for the utilitarian feel I was going for. I love topstitching so really enjoyed that part of the process. My trick is to make a note of exactly where seam you are topstitching along hits your presser foot or throat plate so you can keep the width even throughout. I try and make it easy for myself by choosing something obvious to line it up with like the edge of the foot. Keep your eyes on that mark when you sew rather than the needle.

Another top tip for shirt making is to invest in a point turner. They're pretty inexpensive but will make such a difference to getting nice crisp corners on your collars, plackets and cuffs. If you haven't got one a chopstick or similar works pretty well too. As always I followed the Four Square Walls tutorial for assembling your collar in a slightly different order and think this is the neatest I have managed yet. The buttons I hit upon I believe in MacCulloch & Wallis and knew they were just what I needed. I wanted to keep them standard shirt size or only very slightly bigger but wanted them to have a practical, heavier duty feel to fit with the military style. These little brass shank buttons make the shirt feel a little more like outerwear.

I've had this finished for a while now and in all honesty it hasn't seen a lot of wear. Now my sewing has improved I feel like if something doesn't feel quite right on and I feel like I could have done a better job of some aspect of it it's not going to win out over some of my other favourite handmade garments when it comes to deciding what to wear in the morning. I do feel like having this kind of shirt in my wardrobe would be handy though so I might revisit this style in the future.