Pattern Description: Basic Wench/Pirate/Renaissancy costume, 3 pieces
Pattern Sizing:Made in 22
Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?: Yes - just wider!
Were the instructions easy to follow? Yes.
What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?:
Like - very easy, straight-forward
Dislike - as noted by others, vest shoulders slide down in a serious way. The only way to "fix" this in construction that I can think of involves re-drafting the pattern back higher. I added ribbons at the center shoulder seams and tied them behind my neck (hidden by long fluffy hair) to fix the problem.
Fabric Used:
Vest - Upholstery velvet, tapestry trim
Dress - old cotton sheet with tapestry trim (thanks FabMo!)
Skirt - gold metallic organza
Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:
Vest: Added tapestry trim in front; changed grommets to metal loops on inside for lacing; ribbon ties at shoulder seams to stop slippage.
Dress: Used only lower elastic casing on sleeve, added tapestry trim on sleeves and at bottom of ruffle hem (thus lengthening by about 2.5").
Skirt: Just chucked the pattern altogether. I didn't want to deal with seams or hems on this fabric, or even cut it much, so I sewed the whole 3 yards that I had into a giant tube, using an enclosed seam, then folded it to the correct length, sewed the folded edge into a casing and inserted elastic. This created an extra-poufy skirt with two tiers, hemmed by the selveges. The waist is pretty bulky, so at some point I may remove the elastic and gather it into a waistband.
Would you sew it again?: Probably not. I made this because I wanted to have a half-ass Ren Faire costume by April 2013, and with my very limited sewing time, it looked like I could still be working on that lovely Simplicity Tudor dress pattern in April 2014 - especially since this vest showed me that the upholstery velvet I planned to use is at the limits of my poor old sewing machine's capacity. Now that it's done, I have one, and can spend my time on a masterpiece.
Would you recommend it to others?: Yes, but with reservations, because of the sliding shoulders. I used size 22 based on my bust measurements and the finished garment measurements printed on the pattern; the vest came out looser than expected, even fully cinched, so I would reccommend going down a size if you want the under dressed, cinched lacing effect. I could also have gone down a size (or 2!) in the dress. I'd also strongly recommend boning the front so it doesn't collapse when laced.
Conclusion: Nice looking, easy to sew costume pattern, but you might want to consider a different pattern for the extra engineering that needs to go into dealing with the shoulders.
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Costume looks great in the thumbnail - could you get it to expand?
2/2/13 0:35 AM
Hope you will expand the photo - I made this for my daughter and would love to see your version!
2/2/13 11:29 AM
Ok. Fixed photo - as far as size. Now editing out dog's legs and behind, and husband's coat on chair - another day, better software.
2/2/13 5:40 PM