Revisiting Dressmaking - Indie Pattern Ideas

[starfish8]

I'm planning to revisit dressmaking after initially learning to sew about 10 years ago. I'm competent with a sewing machine, but the garments I made never really fit properly. (I have a big bust so dresses are a pain).

I'm starting to look around for some 'stylish' patterns to try, though a lot of the patterns from the main brands are so dull.

I've picked out New Look 6843 - A Line Skirt as a starter

But keen to look for others that are more interesting. Can anyone share any Indie pattern brands they like and have had success with?

Patterns for Pirates, Halla Patterns and Rebecca Page are some of my faves. They cater for all sizes so I find them better for my bust and bicep, which often need adjusting.

One of my favourites is Closet Case - store.closetcasepatterns.com/collections/sewing-patterns-all

She's got lots of challenging patterns - but with such exhaustive support on the blog that you can make your own jeans/parka/swim suit starting from just the basics.

For larger bust sizes, take a look at Cashmerette - www.cashmerette.com/collections/cashmerette-patterns . Again, on the blog there's a ton of support around altering patterns for fit, especially for curves.

But what kind of clothes do you want to make? Dresses? Separates? Work stuff? Exercise gear?

Thanks for the reccs so far, all feels like a bit of a minefield.

I'm keen to start on separates, and bottom separates at that, so I don't have to do bust fitting. I'm keen to learn that longer term but I'm just not ready for that (especially with my knackered mum brain!)

I work in a very casual office, so my work/leisure wardrobe is the same. I'm keen to add some skirts into the mix as I spend my life at work in jeans now.

Look at Tilly and the Buttons - I am eyeing them up for myself , and have good reviews . The other one I have just bought to make, also with good reviews is Made By Jacks Mum - mostly children's, but have just bought the beachcomber dress pattern to try

The Fold Line have a pattern search feature on their website. They also have reviews. Searching Instagram for the pattern hashtag is also a great way of working out the fit.

I find that with indie pattern companies, their patterns tend to fit the body shape of the founder. So, Tilly and the buttons are quite pear shaped, Sew over it are hour glass to slight pear, cocowawa are very straight up and down, and petite, Collette are tiny of boob. Which is fairly obvious, I suppose, but still took me a while to work out.

Not too much of a minefield, and there's no smugness like the smugness of actually fitted trousers

Why don't you find a picture of something you'd like to make and we can see if we can find a pattern that's close?

I say we, because I'm headed off on holiday and don't know when signal will cut out...

@YouWereRight that is super useful! I am very straight up and down, and so far have made patterns from all three of the Indies you mention except for cocowawa. Always had to make adjustments before so I'm definitely going to look up cocowawa now...

I’ve had disappointing experiences with indie patterns. The drafting is often badly done.

Example - see this Tilly and the Buttons dress. shop.tillyandthebuttons.com/products/seren-digital

The fabric is pooling at the side seams. Most likely because the a-line shape was created by adding width at the sides, instead of slashing and spreading. This is poor, and frankly, lazy drafting.

These things crop up in indie patterns all the time, but if you are new to sewing you may not be able to recognise these issues.

The other factor is that indie designs are often very simple. Usually the same design has already been done by the commercial pattern companies, with more variations and at half the price. You have to ignore the frumpy photos and just look at the line drawings, as this will tell you what’s really going on with the design.

It’s also helpful to look up the pattern name and number in google images as this often shows examples of people who’ve sewn it up.

For fit, look into a large bust adjustment, this is a common alteration and there are plenty of good tutorials around

I love the maker's atelier patterns as they work brilliantly, never had an issue with any of them. Also very easy vogue as sometimes a make needs to be straight forward and if you want it made in an day these work. The fold line as mentioned before is great to see reviews and to search.

I don't understand the love for the Tilly Serena dress. The samples used don't even fit the models particularly well, the pulling and twisted waistband particularly grate on me, especially when there are so many other very similar sun dresses around.