May 14, 2015

One Thimble Edition 7!!!!!


I'm so excited to be a part of the One Thimble Blog Tour for Edition 7 of the ezine, which is released today!!! I haven't seen the whole edition yet, but I know it will be full of fabulous articles and the patterns look great. Today I'm sharing with you my thoughts on the Alyss Dress by Ainslee Fox Boutique Patterns, and also the Jukebox Duet Pattern from FLOSStyle. I really like them both and they are completely different sews, so here are my opinions on the two of them. I'm going to start with the Alyss dress.




I don't know about you, but I always feel a thrill of excitement when I see that Jen (Mrs Ainslee Fox herself) has a new dress pattern coming out, and I did a little fist pump and wanted to yell "nailed it" when I saw the first picture of this dress. I absolutely love it. It features a curved yoke, options for a faux or full button front, two different zipper options, a peter pan collar and a full twirly skirt. It's adorable and so unique.

I actually tested the pattern for Jen and have two different dresses to show you. The pink one with the flowers is the faux button version with the zipper up the back. Zoe is just a few cm shy of the size 3 measurement, and as we are coming into Winter and the dresses will be popped away until the warm returns, I made a straight size 3 for her, so that they would fit in the Spring and into the Summer.

This dress takes time and effort to sew. It is not a fast, or an easy sew, but it is totally doable. The easier version (with the faux front and zippered back) has an intermediate rating and this is, in my opinion, a very accurate rating. There are finishing details that are well explained on the pattern, but they are important and cannot be skipped, and it is a sew that requires a little patience. That said though, it is well worth the effort. I think the pictures speak for themselves personally.

Jen also included an advanced option for those wanting to stretch themselves and learn new techniques. This version has a buttoned front and a side zipper. It is available only from sizes 4 and up, as proportionately those under this size tend to need the extra opening at the back to get into the dress easily. She could have left it out completely and still had a fabulous pattern, but I love the way Jen really wants to teach people to sew and has included this option.

I think my favourite thing about this dress is that all of the inside seams - every single one - is hidden. Whilst this is not absolutely necessary, I personally have never sewn in a sleeve before and had the seam completely hidden and I loved learning something new. It's so neat on the inside.

I cannot say how much I adore this dress - and I cannot wait for winter to be over (even though it hasn't even started) so that we can get it out again. I am a massive fan!!

I also sewed up the Jukebox Duet dress/tunic. This pattern also has two versions - one for woven fabrics, and one for knits. They look quite different all sewn up and I think it is quite clever really that they both came from the same pattern.

Naturally I sewed the knit version. I used an European cotton/lycra for this and I found it to be an incredibly fast and easy sew. Cutting was very straight forward - there were only three pieces to cut, and sewing took me 20 minutes from start to finish. I added a pocket because Zoe loves pockets, and I wanted to get some pink into the dress too, because she does like it when I sew with pink.

This is a fabulous dress for layering as the seasons change, and in the cooler months, or for transitioning from cool to warm (so jealous of you northern hemisphere peeps). It could easily be sewn in a warmer fleece or loopback, which is the genius of the pattern being suited for both types of fabric - it means you can use something with a little less stretch than some traditional knit patterns, and still get a great result. I think it would be fabulous on older girls with more contemporary fabrics than what I have used too.

The instructions are clear and very straightforward and I will definitely be sewing it again. I did find the sizing chart a little different in measurements than quite a few of the designers I usually use to make clothing from, and was very glad I bothered to give the sizing chart a once over before cutting. Please double check this prior to cutting - the designer has included it for a reason, and using it will ensure you get the most accurate fit.

I am so looking forward to sitting down later this evening and having a good long read. I look forward to One Thimble every quarter and it has become such a resource for me with all of its useful articles. Keep following along on the tour and run straight to the One Thimble website to purchase your copy. Also, don't forget to join the One Thimble Sewing Enthusiasts Facebook group to share your creations and be inspired by all the other creations that you see.

Happy Sewing!!!

Marnie


Are you looking forward to seeing more of the range of patterns from One Thimble's Issue 7? Follow the blog tour using the links below;




Posted by
Labels: , , ,

No comments :

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments ( Atom )