Shortly after I started sewing apparel, I got into a “free pattern” kick. That is, FREE PATTERN! DOWNLOAD! DOWNLOAD! DOWNLOAD!
Some have been great (the Deer & Doe plantain shirt and the Maria Denmark kimono T):
Some have been “good for what they are”, such as the Sew So Easy bolero jacket (embellished heavily), the Halloween Hat Pack from Fleece Fun (made for the Womens’ March on Washington in January) and these three chemo caps I sewed for my mother-in-law’s friend from three different patterns found online):
And then there’s the stuff that just doesn’t work. Maybe it’s me. Maybe it’s the pattern. Maybe it was a full moon and Mercury was rising. Whatever. The latest disappointment was the Noelle racerback bralette from Madalynne:
I am reluctant to be too critical of a free pattern – getting what I paid for and whatnot. But this is really off. I made it out of stretch lace with a stretch mesh lining and about 4 yards of picot elastic.
For starters, the instructions stink. They’re written out but there are no drawings or photos to help. I had three major construction problems:
- The instructions never refer to the lining (when and how you’re supposed to put it in). I just basted it on – basically treated it as an underlining.
- The instructions for how to install the sliders on the straps made no sense. I just figured it out.
- You sew picot elastic around the whole thing (the top, armholes, under the bust and at the bottom of the band). The instructions say to sew the elastic flat. So basically the elastic doesn’t do its job at all. I stretched as I sewed and it was not enough.
I wanted a bralette for Pilates – something soft and breatheable for exercising. I had made the Colette Florence bralette last year and loved it, so I wanted to try this style next. Unfortunately, this was a waste of time and money. The fit is very off – even stretching the elastic as I sewed, the bottom band is way too big and the underbust area does not remotely offer enough support and I can’t make the straps any shorter. And I’m a mere B cup. Also, the whole thing just looks sloppy and unfinished.
So, downloader beware? What are your favorite free patterns?
Shame about the bralette – that’s some lovely lace! I’ve made a heap of the Grainline Hemlock Tee, also Tessuti’s Fave Top and Mandy Boat Tee.
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Thanks for the recommendations.
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I have a folder full of free downloads but shamefully have only ever made one up. But what a pattern: an Alexander McQueen origami jacket. It was a headscratcher to construct but I really enjoyed it! And although it’s a jacket it is unlined and can be made in crisp cotton so it wasn’t a hugely expensive project. The pattern is still available from the Show Studio website along with a few other free ones.
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I’ll have to check that out. Thanks for the tip.
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First, I really love the bolero! It turned out lovely! Second, I’m sorry you had such a bad experience with the race back pattern😢. Did the instructions indicate what type of fabric to use? Maybe it’s a pattern that does support knit/stretchy fabrics. Either way, I totally agree with you! You need to be careful about using free and downloadable patterns.
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Thanks for the compliment. That bolero is fun. The racerback bra was supposed to use stretch lace and a stretch mesh lining – so that’s what I used. Too bad it didn’t work out.
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