I'm looking to create a sort of "capsule work wardrobe"and I really love the jacket & skirt/ coat & dress two pieces that you rarely see on the high street. I'm thinking very simple, understated patterns.
I'd love to start with a coat like in the picture (I think its valentino) but I've trawled through the usual simplicity/ butterick etc and can't find anything. They all seem to have much more going on than the coat which looks simple and plain. Is it me? I find it really hard to visualise what a garment will look like using the illustrations, and I find the made up photograph is usually in a busy pattern which puts me off!
Does anyone have any ideas? Is there anything else out there (maybe online blogs or pdf shops?) with the kind of thing I'm looking for? I don't really feel like simplicity or the others reflect what I'd see if I looked at the coats in JL, HoF etc. I'd love some help or inspiration!
Discover knitting, crochet, scrapbooking and art and craft ideas on this forum.
Arts and crafts
Sewing Patterns
Hamiltoes · 29/01/2016 23:25
Well I've never successfully sewn clothes using patterns. I seem to end up leaving them half finished, but have you tried looking for clothes patterns via Etsy or Pinterest? Etsy has lots of makers who draft and sell their own patterns, even wedding dress patterns for e.g. You may have to tinker with the key words in the search boxes to get results for what you want specifically, as there are pages and pages of clothes patterns, but I'd say there was a good chance of finding something. Pinterest is great, as it goes by image first, and again people link in their self-drafted patterns, try putting the word 'classic' or 'vintage' before the item you're looking for.
Another idea is to go to websites that sell vintage patterns or re-drafted vintage patterns. There are bound to be some classic simple designs 1930s/40s/50s/60s available there, although the non-redrafted ones may be tricky to work with. There's a very popular one which I think is called So Vintage Patterns or something; some do PDF downloadable reprints. Also try typing classic simple coat design pattern in Google image search. I swear by searching Google images for virtually everything. I use it more than the main website search default by far.
Hope this helps a little
Sorry, just thought of one more pattern resource - thefoldline.com !
Have fun ( you can tell how I spend my free time ) !
I've just made view B from Vogue 1456 in a thick textured black fabric. It is a marvellous pattern. I chose this after seeing it on a Blog called Fool for Fabric and also because I saw how useful a Zara long line waistcoat is for work wear.
I may be able to sew but a photo is beyond me ATM Will try a photo tomorrow. PS It is very flattering 
Omg
where have I been? Just checked out the foldline and Named clothing as I had Never. Heard. Of. Them. Why is this? The patterns are gorgeous! How dare you keep this to yourself getmeout how bloody dare you
. I had given up trying to make clothes, now I have to try and squeeze this in with all my other crafting responsibilities (which I take very seriously) . You're clearly the sort of person who only cares about their own projects, and doesn't think about other people's lives being squandered away web surfing sewing one beautiful project after another in a hopeless loop. Do you know how much a week in a craft rehabilitation centre costs? No. I thought not.
Oh alright then getmeout. Although you really do have to commit to it 100%, or you may find that despite attempts to help you, you keep falling off the wagon, like I do
ROFL getmeout I've already broken rule No.4 this afternoon, taking a surreptitious journey to the fabric shop enroute to Sainsburys, where I fell in love with a sunflower print cotton, and brought half a metre for a future unspecified project and then more for another quilt I will procrastinate on will make straight away and am wondering where to stash it away from discovery. Relationship expectations of truth and honesty do not apply!
Should add rule no.6: I will not spend outside my budget and justify that it's O.k. because I don't really buy lots of shoes or clothes etc etc.....
I'm afraid I'm just incurable as a craftaholic. I try to go tee-total but I always succumb. Pathetic
I'm already thinking I should cross stitch the craftaholic manifesto and frame it. It would be really cool!
But go for it, I'll be rooting for you ( if you achieve teetotal and no longer require your craft stash I'll er happily put it to good use dispose of it for you
Sewing Pattern Review is a really useful resource, too. You have to create a (free) account, but after that you can browse details of just about every pattern from every company (the big ones plus indies) and read what actual people thought about their finished garments. Usually with photos too.
Just prepare to lose hours at a time
Wow, this thread never showed up on "i'm on" for some reason and I completely forgot I started it! 
Some excellent reccomendations so thank you so much. Will update if I ever finish my intended goal (I'm a starter, and a reader.. i need to work on being a finisher haha!)
Newsletters you might like
To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.