I love my fabric (of course) and I fell truly, madly, deeply in love with this linen - Autumn Tie Dye - when it arrived in our latest European shipment. I love my Japanese pattern books too (of course) and I fell head over heels for Casual Sweet Clothes and, more specifically, Pattern 'L'. It was the shoulder ties that got me.
This pattern review very nearly wasn't and I don't mind saying that more than a bit of perseverance was needed to get this one done. The top, cut in the smallest size, was way too wide across the front, causing the shoulder seams to sit well down past where they belong. And this was accentuated even more by the shoulder ties. My solution was to create a centre front seam which took in about 3cm of excess fabric. Crisis - thankfully - averted.
The pattern suggests an elastic casing for the sleeve cuff but I created a self-made binding instead.
The other very important thing about this pattern is that there is most definitely a right way and a wrong way to tie the shoulders. At one point in the mid-way-made-and-trying-on stage, the kid told me it looked like I had a couple of birds on my shoulders. Thanks for that. So try (and tie) again I did, and again, and again until they sat flat and behaved like nice shoulder ties should. I used a fine yellow silk/cotton to line the bodice and create a contrast for the underside of the bows.
Ah yes, I learnt quite a few valuable lessons with this pattern. Always a good thing on your sewing journey, she says with the benefit of hindsight...Labels: japanese pattern books, Linen, Pattern Reviews