Reviews
Amanda, UK
I visited your stand at the Knit & Stitch show Harrogate with a major (on my part) dilemma. My friend was to be married June just gone, and had requested I wear a dress... - my dilemma - I don't wear dresses, they don't suit me or so I thought. I came to you last November, having used a number of your patterns before and found them simple and easy to use, easy to adapt and straight forward. You suggested the Pleat Detail dress and showed me a sample you'd adapted. So off I went, I already had a beautiful piece of midnight blue Irish linen - perfect. I made a mock up in lightweight denim - no adaptions - it was hideous - looked like a maternity smock! The dress sat in a corner, in a heap for a few hours... then I remembered the dress you had showed me and checked your web page for the adaptions ! I set about the dress with pins, shortening the pleat at the front to under my bust, and taking out the pleat at the back... made a mental note of how much longer I'd need the sleeves and length. It could just work ... well it did! And I made a slight adaption of my own to the neckline, I hate interfacings, so I made a 1cm stand up collar, in matching fabric ...almost mandarin.
I road tested the dress in February at wedding number 1, I made a bed jacket from boiled wool using the Big Easy Top pattern as a guide to go with it.
At wedding number 2 - my best friends - i had to go all out - for one day only ! I revamped a hat I'd had for 20 years sitting in a hat box, using some spare dress fabric, feathers and vintage buttons not forgetting my trusty glue gun.. that worked too... i was on a roll, I remembered some of your Instagram blogs of how you accessorised outfits , one of my two pairs of high heals are sequined sling backs. I found a matching bag on the net and the necklace I'd made some years ago using vintage buttons and pearls. I didn't want to ruin the look with a cardi so I found a lovely shawl. I even fake tanned exposed body parts... I looked like a girl ! I had a great day , felt a million dollars , and didn't need the emergency safe outfit sitting in the boot of the car! The dress will be making a 3rd airing in October for Wedding no3.
However my tale doesn't stop there, I liked the way I felt in the dress so much, I've made 2 more 1x linen 1x chambray, and have a 4th in progress... I wear these with converse or my trusty Birkenstocks but I always get complements!
Fabric and Trim Suggestions
This style can be made in most light to medium weight woven fabrics; cotton shirtings, chambrays, lightweight linens, Broderie Anglaise through to more fluid silks and viscose mixes.
Printed and Digital pattern formats
Our printed patterns are produced on durable but lightweight paper with fully illustrated instruction sheets, packaged in a specially designed card envelope with string and washer closure. Each pattern comes with The Maker's Atelier woven back-neck label.
Our digital patterns are immediately downloadable with files for AT HOME printing on A4 or US paper sizes and COPY SHOP printing on 36"/ 900mm wide paper.