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...

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...

Sometimes a sewing pattern seduces you, despite it being outside your usual comfort zone. The new Wilder Gown by California-based Friday Pattern Company lured me in with its siren song. The magic of sewing would instantly transform me into the amazing model in the photographs, right? I mean, swoon. Just add a floral headpiece. Back in the real world... I made a sketch of the Wilder on the 'My Body Model' fashion sketching croquis, based on my own dimensions. (I highly recommend this as a sewing project tool.) Hey, this could work! I bought the pattern (pdf only at present) and had it printed in large format at Aish on Glen Osmond Road. I have a 'fancy' evening version of the Wilder in mind for later on, but as a first run I thought I'd try it in our favourite all-occasions standby, Lithuanian Natural Linen . The earthiness of this fabric helps dress the design down a bit. With all that volume and gathering, I want this dress to feel either super-relaxed or...

The new pattern range by Swedish company The Assembly Line has been selling like hotcakes, and we've been hearing many positive reports back from customers about their garments. We like to be able to advise our customers from our own experience and The Hoodie Dress looked more and more appealing as the wintry weather set in here in Adelaide. The pattern says: "The Hoodie Dress slips over the head, there are elastic cuffs at sleeve and skirt bottom. It features large front pockets and a hood. If you prefer the dress without the hood, this pattern includes a pattern part for neck facing to be used instead." To help choose your size, the pattern includes body measurements plus comprehensive finished garment measurements. This showed that there's a decent amount of ease built in, but I made a muslin of the bodice and sleeves to check whether I should do a full bust adjustment (which I often require). The deeply angled 'French' style bust darts actually prov...

We’ve had the Merchant and Mills Ellis & Hattie pattern sitting in the shop for years and I’ve often thought I’d like to give it a try. Gathered waists, however, are not necessarily my bag. Then there was the question of which one to make: Ellis with its sleeves and in-line pockets, or Hattie with a dropped waist, lined sleeveless bodice and impressively voluminous patch pickets. It was all too hard! The pattern stayed on the shelf. Then, earlier this year one of our lovely customers, Alisha walked in wearing her gorgeous version of Ellis , and - BAM - straight it went to the top of my sewing queue.  Weeks later when actual sewing was due to commence, we had just taken delivery of some beautiful fabrics from Japan and I was smitten with these linen/cotton  light twills, especially in this lush deep teal . After cutting (of course, AFTER) I recalled that I may have unintentionally completely copied the version that inspired me: same pattern, same colou...

Heckin' fancy! We don't do a lot of 'fancy' here at The Drapery. But sometimes, occasion calls. And fabric and patterns answer. I sing in a choir and as with many similar musical groups, black is the main requirement for performance wear. It's not a colour I wear otherwise, and I needed a new option for our concerts in the Adelaide Fringe. We recently received these very special Hemp/Silk fabrics (leftovers from a local designer/maker). I teamed the black one with the Ravine Dress pattern from Papercut Patterns' latest 'Geo' collection.  Bias cut and backless, in slinky black... who even am I? It was quite out of my comfort zone but it somehow seemed promising. On the roll this fabric has a slight pleated texture. A close look reveals intermittent shiny stripes, which we assume is the silk portion, and the matte part the hemp. I gave it a prewash and the pleating became more pronounced, and the width of the fabric therefore reduced. ...

Personally I love the style of patterns by Jennifer Lauren Handmade of New Zealand. They combine a little vintage flair with everyday wearability. I had great success with the Laneway Dress last year and her latest release, the Pippi Pinafore , was impossible for me to resist. Pinafores, jumpsuits and overalls are my favourites! I bought the pattern immediately, and by the time Jennifer put out a call for pattern reviewers I had it sewn up and happily volunteered. ( Just for transparency: reviewers can be sent a free copy of the pattern but I had already purchased it for myself, and in any case Jennifer encourages entirely honest reviews. ) From the pattern:   With a fitted bib, deep patch pockets and fun side button fastening, Pippi is a fresh take on the classic overall dress, combining comfort with a sleek and playful silhouette. The Pippi Pinafore is your new favourite weekend dress — darts and gently curved sides shape the bib, creating a flattering silhouette for mu...