THE DRAPERY BLOG

French pattern company Deer and Doe released the Myosotis Dress in 2018, at the forefront of the ruffles'n'gathers trend. It had a lot of love back then, but despite our best intentions the pattern never made it to the top of our sewing list at the time. Deer and Doe has since released several more 'fancy' dress patterns, which is why I browsed their shop when I wanted to make a new dress for when I perform with my lovely community choir. I hovered over the recent Orchidée pattern but ultimately was drawn back to the Myosotis. The semi-fitted bodice has more room for drawing in a lungful of air, mid-song!  The sateen fabric is one I specifically earmarked for a choir frock when we ordered it. Fiona and I both immediately made 'ooh, aah' noises over it when we saw and felt the samples. That's when we know we're onto a good thing. A beautiful Japanese-made blend of 60% Lyocell (sustainably produced viscose from wood pulp) and 40% cotton, it's tightly

Spanish pattern designer Pauline Alice has recently released several new patterns, and this one, the Diago Top , caught our eye for summer. It's a very simple dolman-sleeved top with a slight high-low hem and stitched down facings. Our new linens came along, and some hot weather, and the deal was sealed. The Diago (available only as downloadable PDF from her website) is designed with beginner sewists in mind. The instructions are not quite as hand-holdy as they could be for absolute beginners but that shouldn't put anyone off, either. This is a lovely pattern with a forgiving fit, nice finishing like the faced hem, and thorough steps like French seams, clipping and understitching. Can anyone tell I was fighting off a cold and had an afternoon nap in this outfit? Sometimes you have to go with messy reality or things will never be blogged. And for a not completely crumpled version, here's Fiona! Fabric hungry? The pattern, in my size (44), calls for 2.1m of 1

The Kalle pattern by Closet Case has been around for a couple of years now. The dress or shirt has a roomy fit with dropped shoulder and no bust dart, a lined back yoke and dramatic curved hem. It's lovely, and we've been meaning to make it up for ages. By the way, the pattern name is pronounced 'Kal - ee' (rhymes with Sally). I checked that with pattern designer Heather Lou when it was first released. It was driving me crazy not knowing how to say it, either aloud or in my head! You can imagine how I felt reading the first Harry Potter book many years ago. Her-mee-ohn? Herm-yon? Hermi-oh-nee? The Kalle has a fair few minor variations that can be mixed and matched as you please: This Kalle, made in our heavyweight natural Lithuanian linen , is a shop sample. You can swing by and have a look and even try it on if you like. It's a straight size 12, dress length, in 'popover' style with box pleat and band collar. Sewing went really smoothly a

Please don't mind us as we slowly sew our way through every Assembly Line pattern on our shelves. After great success with The Puff Shirt , Hoodie Dress , the Wrap Jacket and Almost Long Trousers (unblogged) we’re kicking on with the Box Pleat Dress. A note about these patterns. We sometimes hear from customers that they find the price of the Assembly Line patterns surprising. At $38 a pop (that’s everywhere, not just us by the way!), they are indeed pricier than the average of $30 for other indie patterns - so we understand the surprise. But frankly, we have trouble keeping up with the demand for these, despite the higher price point. We suspect that’s because these patterns are classic, simple shapes with some extra added interest. The kind of wearable things you can sew a few times to get your money’s worth. Plus they’re printed on nice sturdy thick paper. All this makes for a most satisfying sewing experience. So! The Box Pleat Dress. It’s an a-line frock with a

  I’m always on the look out for woven top patterns that have a couple of interesting details. Something that can be worn with jeans that feels slightly less casual than a boxy top. Far be it from me to diss the boxy top - my cupboard is full of them - but, bless them, they are not for all occasions.  Frankly, the Rochester  pattern (named for Jane Eyre, surely?) had me at that neckline. I found the narrow elastic casing really appealing, and you may be relieved to hear that it doesn't sit *too* high around the throat, either (never a comfortable feeling).  The elastic casing can be set right at the neckline edge as I have done, or 15mm lower for a spot of added neck frill. I love how the gather cleverly forgoes the need for bust darts and additional closures. But wait, there’s more! The Rochester also has a nifty pleat in the back plus a nice wide curved hem facing. It’s a dress pattern too, with inseam pockets and a waist tie. Fabric I chose our washed linen

Some patterns sneak up on you. This project started out as a practical shop sample which took me a couple of weeks to slowly cut out and put together, as a job - a not unpleasant one, granted - rather than a passion project. The moment I tried it on however, I wanted one for myself. In a cosy wool. NOW! Adelaide has been so cold lately (by Adelaide standards) and I lacked the mid-length jacket or cardigan this weather demands. The Assembly Line Wrap Jacket combines unlined, raglan-sleeve softness with long, clean lines for a mix of comfort and put-togetherness. This pattern was formerly known as the Kimono Jacket but, as with a number of similarly-named patterns by other designers, has changed name to respect the cultural importance of the traditional Japanese garment. The shop sample shown above is made in 'This Way Up' Japanese Textured Indigo Cloth , a white print on yarn-dyed indigo-coloured cotton. This fabric is 110cm wide, while the pattern only states fabric re