I found the cutest little pattern online at Butterick. Like I often do with new patterns, I put it in my shopping cart and did some online research. I found that a lot of ladies had chosen this pattern, and it was truly getting trashed in the reviews. Still, there was something about this retro pattern that just begged me to try my hand at it. I truly didn't understand how a pattern could be so popular in one decade and be so maligned in another.
The next weekend I was in a fabric store, I bought the pattern, required fabric, notions and found myself growing excited at the prospect of tackling this famous pattern. The first thing I did was pull out the instructions to study them. I always study the instructions before I ever begin to look at the pattern or the do any measuring and especially before I do any cutting. Due to all the bad press surrounding it, I knew I wanted to make a dry run of the fitted portions. I immediately noticed at the beginning of the instructions it stated to take measurements and adjust the pattern accordingly. I also made mental notes of little tiny things like snap and bias tape placement and hemming. Looked at pattern piece placement and then the steps to completing the project. Still, I could not see how this great little retro number was so horribly received in our millenium.
I went back online to the reviewers and images and it didn't take long to see the downfall of some of these talented seamstresses. Very few of these ladies followed the instructions. There was tape where there shouldn't have been tape and buttons where there shouldn't have been buttons and best/worst of all the fabric choices were all wrong. Very few of the finished projects actually fit the models or even looked like the pattern pictures.
Knowing what I now know, I am more than excited to put this thing together and wear it. After studying the instructions at great length, I am certain following the instructions, measuring for accurate fitting and being careful to stay true to the pattern is the answer.
Friday, February 25, 2011
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