Perfect choice for first ever make!

This was the first pattern that I purchased to try and start making myself come clothes after finally admitting (after over 40yrs of clothes shopping..) that as a 6ft curvy hourglass with very long arms I was never ever going to find anything that fits me perfectly. I’d done a bit of quilting before but this pattern was the first thing I tried – because every tall girl knows that perfectly fitting basics are like the holy grail!

I went for the t-shirt first. As a tall girl I normally stay away from boxy shop bought styles, but having read the very clear and well illustrated instructions through, I was brave enough to add length and grade the silhouette a little to make boxy work for me. I did make a tester first, and adjusted the fit a bit, but I suspect that more experienced sewists probably wouldn’t need to. I chose to put the split hem from the dress pattern onto the t-shirt as I really like this detail and its flattering on those of us of a taller/curvier disposition.

The t-shirt came together really well. I found the pocket tricky (as the instructions noted I would – and I did do a practice one as suggested) and the neckband got redone a couple of times, but I think this was probably due to inexperience on my part rather than the pattern which was very clear on this point. I love the final piece and wear it regularly.

I loved the t-shirt so much, and the pattern had given me so much confidence that I decided to have another go at it – this time as a sweatshirt. I reused my adjusted front and back pieces, created some fabulously long sleeves and again went for the split hem. This time I adjusted the neckline into a slightly wider/lower neckline and used matching ribbing for the neck and the cuffs, which I did find much easier to manage. The result is fantastic, the nicest sweatshirt I own, gets worn weekly, and receives so many compliments. I think mostly because its such a simple and classic pattern (and no-one has ever seen me in something that actually fits me!)

I would highly recommend this pattern as a fantastic base that you’ll use over and over again, very suitable for less experienced sewists and can be easily adjusted to create many options –  I’m currently cutting out a third version to make a sweatshirt with a low back and definitely want a dress too!