Hi sewing friends!
This week I am bringing to you yet another pattern I had a enjoyment of testing, however this time it was was a Sinclair Patterns. This was my first time not only testing one of their patterns but it was also the very first time I had a pleasure of sewing a pattern from their broad collection. It is always fascinating to me how every business is unique and a little bit different in their approach.
Similar to SBCC Patterns, Sinclair Pattern target not only regular height people, but also people of a petite frame! This (as you may know) is something I always look for, because it make the whole process of fitting the garment so much simpler! So an a day I sew the call for pattern testers on Instagram I instantly knew I had to apply. The process to test the pattern for Sinclair Patterns looks exactly the same as for any other company I tested previously, but their time line is so much shorter. Normally I would have 2-3 weeks to sew a pattern, take photos and write a feedback. Sinclair Patterns however gives you about 9 days to do it all. It was not a problem for this particular project, but I can imagine it could be more difficult if a pattern is more complex.
Oxana, who runs the Sinclair Patterns company uses a closed Facebook group during pattern testing process, where we could past our in progress photos and ask any questions or share a feedback. This was very helpful and it was nice to see how everyone is getting on with their makes.
Let’s have a look on what I’ve been sewing!…
The pattern
Florence skirt comprises of 8 panels that give it a close fit at the waist and is semi fitted and flared at hips and hem respectively. There is an option to make a front button placket or you can skip the placket and go for a plain front with a side zipper. There are also two lengths variations: knee length and calf length.
I tested the knee length version with a button placket and apart from shortening the hem by 6 cm I did not make any other adjustments to the pattern pieces.
Fabric choice
The pattern is designed for light and medium weight woven fabric and I made mine from light chambray denim I purchased few months ago from myfabrics.co.uk for £8.45 a meter. At the time I wanted to make a casual trousers for end of a summer, but I never came around to doing it. I had 1.5 meter of this fabric and it was a perfect amount. You will definitely need more if you planning to make one out of directional print.
Overall the fabric was easy to handle, sew and press, but during the fitting process I realized that it have a tendency of stretching a little, in a similar manner that some linens do so I ended up having a little bit too much easy at the waist.
Sewing the pattern
The pattern is pretty straightforward, so it did not take long to sew. The whole process took about 2.5 hours, including making 8 button holes and hand stitching all buttons.
The pattern instruction is very detailed and it takes you through every step including recommended seam finish using a French seam method. As this is my preferred method I was happy to oblige.
After realizing that my fabric stretched slightly, even after stay stitching waist edge and being careful I decided to take in 1 cm from each side seam plus inserted an elastic inside the waistband starting and ending on the second front panel. This worked absolutely fine and now it provides more comfort and flexibility during wear.
Final thoughts
Although there is nothing wrong with the pattern, I am not sure it is something I would like to wear. I like that it is easy to pair it with many different styles of tops, but even that does not convince me. I am glad I made it though, because it was a new experience and I am again one step closer to understanding what I like and what I do not like.
Have a great week!
Monika xxx
