Jocole Crossover Tunic/Dress Pattern Review

This is getting to be a scary habit, I am yet again blogging about an awesome sewing pattern I have just made up.

This pattern is another one designed to be used with knit fabric and it looks so much more difficult than it actually is.

The designer is Jocole Sewing Patterns and she has a great range of patterns for Ladies and Girls.  There are some for woven and some for knit fabric also.

I have a large number of her patterns already but this is the first that I have actually cut and sewn up.

The Crossover Tunic/Dress caught my eye as it looked to be flattering and also has a number of lengths you can choose from.  It comes in a Girls or a Ladies option. There was mention of a Sew-a-long so I thought I would take part and see how I go.

There is also a number of free modification tutorials you can download from her store.... yes I said FREE.
This designer is very generous with her tutorials both on her blog and with free modifications for her patterns from the Store.  Blog

The original pattern comes with a cap style sleeve but I chose to modify the pattern to put sleeves on it as I do try to cover my arms up even in Summer due to my large number of Moles on my skin.  

The pattern also comes with great instructions, lots of pictures and many options/instructions on finishing your edges and neckline, these are also free tutorials on her blog.

Here is my finished tunic, it's quite flattering I think, I can wear it with pants, shorts or skirts and I only used 1 meter of fabric for this whole thing.

I mostly used my overlocker but for some parts I did some test sewing on scrap pieces of fabric before doing things like the neckline, hem and sleeve ends.

I am sure you an see the ripples at the front bust, that's my sewing, not the pattern, I rushed a little but it's still VERY wearable and next time (there will definately be a next time) I will be more careful when make a dress length.

It's very versatile, I also want to try mixing up the fabric on top and bottom and using binding around the neckline.

I suggest anyone that has wanted to try sewing with knits go and take a look at some of Jocoles tutorials and instructions on her blog, it has a huge amount of free information and her patterns are wonderful to follow and sew up.

The store has some great Bundle Pack Pricing options too so you can buy multiple patterns for a fraction of the price. Along with some great Mix and Match options you could be set for anything in one visit.

Again I stress I have not been paid or bribed in any way to write this review, I just throught i would share another adventure in my sewing world......

Seafarer Top Sewing Pattern Review

I am fairly new and still a a little scared of sewing with Knit fabric so when I saw this pattern being talked about a month or so ago I thought it looked easy enough to have a go.

The Seafarer Top Pattern by Sew Much Ado

I printed the pattern out, taped it together then it sat around for the next 6 weeks until I had a clean up on the weekend and found a nice piece of fabric I thought would be perfect to try out.

So I cut it out, decided on my options, yes there are a number of options you can choose from, you can have bands on the arms or not, a band around the bottom/hip area, and one around the neckline if you choose.... OR you can choose to do all of those without bands or a combination as I have done.
I nearly forgot there is a pocket option and instructions on adding a lace or ribbon detail down the front

I wanted to experiment too so I cut it out 1 size smaller than I measured to see if it would fit a little closer like a regular t-shirt.

The instructions are VERY good.  Lots of great explanations and pictures to follow, some good suggestions for working with knits for newbies like me and also for handling them a little better to stop it getting out of shape and stretching while sewing.

I think it took me less than 1 hour to put together, that includes cutting fabric and sewing it to completion and it was soooooo easy to do.  I have to admit, I do have an overlocker so that made it super easy, I just had to make sure I did a test run on some scrap and adjust the feed so it didn't stretch the fabri cout.

I didn't feel hesitant or confused at any point and it just worked.  Here are my photo's, I have put bands on the arms and the neck but done the longer bottom hem.

View of the Arm and Neck band.

Please excuse the thread hanging down on my arm, I totally missed that and it's too cold to strip off and do it again.

Just for the record I have not been paid or bribed in any way to write this review, I just throught i would share......

Also I know some of you may hate my fabric but it was an odd end and I will wear it for Netball training and working out, it's super comfy and I quite like it.

Washi Dress pattern review.

I have not done a review of a sewing pattern before but this dress has got me so excited that I had to do a review.
Just so you know I am in no way affiliated with this designer or getting any profits from this review, it's merely my joy in a great pattern.

Washi Dress - Made by Rae



There is also a long sleeve tutorial which is free:  Free Long Sleeve tutorial for Washi dress.

This pattern comes in both Paper and PDF format and is multi-sized.

I purchased the PDF so that I could get it right away. It was easy to print the pattern pieces and they are very well marked for sticking together and cutting out.
These days I tend to not cut out a particular size, I use a wheely marker thing (yes very technical I know) and some tracing paper to mark my fabric by rolling along the appropriate size lines and marks, then I cut out the fabric.

There are only a few pieces to the pattern.
The back of the dress is 1 complete piece and shirring across the middle back adds a lovely fit to the body without needing to add zipper.
The front, comes as a bodice and skirt that need to be attached after the skirt has small tucks folded.
The bodice has side darts which are very flattering and you can choose to do a keyhole in the front or leave it straight.
The dress has pocket option, with length options of tunic or knee length and again on her blog there are free tutorials for maxi length.
There are so many great options to this dress. The pockets can be sewn in separately if your fabric is not wide enough to cut them in one piece with the skirt.
Short capped sleeves are included in the purchase but as I said above there is a free pattern and tutorial for adding lovely sleeves (this is the option I put together).

I made my dress using 100% quilting weight cotton by Riley Blake, part of the Alphabet Soup range.

I have to say I was worried, it can be very hard to find a tunic style dress that does not make my tummy look pudgy (or even pregnant) and the pockets had me worried that I would look wide around the hips.

However, upon finishing and putting it on I was so very pleasantly surprised and so very happy that I made this dress.

The tucks at the front skirt are small and not over done and do not add weight to my tummy. The pockets sit beautifully and you would not even know they are there.  The shirring across the back brings the dress around the body in a very flattering way and eliminates the need for a zipper so it can pull on and off with ease.
I used the 3/4 sleeve option as I try to stay covered up even in summer and often am self-consious of my upper arms. The sleeves have a slight gather at the shoulder and are flattering.

Overall as you can probably tell, I am in love with this pattern and the many options open to it.
I will be sewing up another one very soon and I am going to mix up the fabric and maybe even add some lace or trim.
I am going to try it in a slightly heavier weight fabric for winter too and wear it over some long sleeves.  For this option I will probably make it one size bigger too for layering purposes.
Here is a pic of me, see what you think.....