One thing that I love about being a regular pattern tester is that I get sneak peeks of patterns that are coming up. Tami at LoveNotions* gave LOTS of previews for this one, and I rearranged my schedule to make sure I could test it because I loved every single option. I signed up for View B (Gathered skirt) because that’s the most outside my comfort zone. I don’t sew pretty things often. I mean, most of what I sew looks good, and makes me feel pretty, but I don’t do a whole lot of gathers and florals and laces. Maybe it’s better to say I don’t tend to wear or sew things that are more romantic in style. This was a fun exercise in pushing my boundaries a little more. And then of course, I made a version that is so totally me that I never want to take it off.

Note: I received compensation for testing this pattern, and this post contains affiliate links (*). All information here is my honest opinion. 

View B, Gathered

The waist line is designed to hit right at your natural waist, and the skirt should end at your high hip. I shortened the bodice and skirt on this one by 1″ each according to the adjustment instructions in the pattern (I’m 5’1″). I did not bother hemming the sleeves or skirt. I’m surprised how much I love this- the lace is really soft and drapey (from Michael Levine’s Loft) and the color is perfect for the colder months coming up. I used a rayon blend knit for the neckband and it drapes beautifully.

Credit: Marj Dee, @Fotog.gal

Credit: Marj Dee, @Fotog.gal

View A, A-line

The version that I really wanted, that I knew I would wear all the time to work and on the weekends is the A-line. I just love the clean look and it feels very simple and efficient. The elbow patches are big here- they got shrunk and moved down a bit in the final pattern- I kind of like that they are a statement piece! This is a poly-blend knit from Michael Levine’s Loft that I bought on a whim, then have been stumped by how to use it for more than a year now. I love the bold yellow, but I’m not sure it’s a color that really suits me; I also LOVE the heavy texturing, but that makes it hard to make just a simple t-shirt. I think I had settled on a pencil skirt, but then this pattern came up and it’s a perfect match. I shortened the bodice by an inch, but left the skirt long. I’ll probably shorten the skirt for my next ones (and there will be many), most likely using ponte de roma.

Credit: Marj Dee, @Fotog.gal

Credit: Marj Dee, @Fotog.gal

For these pictures, Marj was an amazing scout! I gave her very little notice and she found that gorgeous stairway in a strip mall in Newbury Park, CA, and the rest of the pictures were taken at a State Wilderness area nearby. There were a ton of hiking trails that were dog-friendly, so I think I’ll go back and make a day of it. In the last picture, it’s entirely possible I was gazing suspiciously at the horde (flock?) of insane parrots and parakeets flying overhead. As always, Marj’s work is beautiful, and I am SO grateful that I get to work with her so frequently.