It’s always challenging for me to introduce a new collection of sewing patterns. I nurture these styles for months before they are printed and delivered, and they’re my babies.
I was sorting through our spring development samples the other day, making room for fall. The entire time I was exclaiming to anyone within earshot, “Look, here’s the sample where we tried the other yoke idea!” or “I’m so glad we didn’t use this vent option.” It’s both strange to re-live the whole process through those samples and exciting to remember where we started compared to where we ended up.
And now it’s time for us to pass these new styles on to you so that you can make them your own. It’s time for my babies to become yours.
I’ll do a more in-depth show-and-tell for each of these patterns next week. But I know many of you have been eagerly waiting to see what we have in store for you this spring. So here we go!
Croquet Dress
This nautical-inspired dress has two different sweet options and lots of fun, easy-to-sew details. The dropped-waist style has elastic inside the casing so it’s very comfortable to wear, and the keyhole opening at the back means no stitched buttonholes! The version shown on the envelope has a cute little collar, while the alternate view has a simple yoke that lends itself beautifully to embellishment of all sorts.
This pattern is designed specifically for quilting cottons but can also be made up in a wide variety of other fabrics for dressy and casual styles alike. The straight hem of the skirt works beautifully with the border print in our newest fabric collection, The Ladies’ Stitching Club, and we’ve rated this style a two scissors out of four for difficulty level.
Secret Agent Trench Coat
Now all aspiring undercover agents can also look cool under pressure! This unlined trench coat pattern is lots of fun to sew, and the impressive-looking results will amaze even the evilest of villains.
The raglan sleeves and easy collar construction make this a much simpler project than it appears to be at first glance. This coat is unlined and can be finished with bias binding (instructions included) for an extra-special coat that looks as nice on the inside as it does on the outside. And the details, as you’ve come to expect from our patterns, really make this style special. We’ve included a shoulder flap, sleeve tabs, patch pockets, and a vent at the back. And secret agents can be feminine, too, with a dropped-waist version of the jacket for the girls.
This patterns makes up beautifully in laminates, canvas, denim, or home-dec fabrics. And of course you’ll want to pick a fantastic printed quilting cotton for the bias-bound seams.
We’ve rated this pattern as two of four scissors in difficulty. (See? I told you it was easier than it looks!)
Badminton Skort, Dress and Top
Every little girl needs a cute, practical skort for the playground or the badminton court, and we think this scalloped-hem style is both adorable and practical. The coordinating top features a curved yoke that doubles as shoulder straps, and the little ruffles at the shoulders add a bit of sweetness without being too frilly. We love the drawstring detail at the front, which cinches up the gathers a little bit. The top can also be lengthened to an adorable sundress with a scalloped hem.
Designed for quilting cottons, this style would be equally great in dressy fabrics like silk dupioni. We’ve rated it two out of four scissors in difficulty.
The patterns will be available on our website on April 2, so you don’t have long to wait to get your hands on them. I’ll be back next week with more details on each of these new styles to help you start planning your spring sewing.