The g&g team pattern review

The g&g team always have various projects on the go, especially with all the new fabrics that have been arriving recently! Then every few months we get together and spend a bit more time reviewing the details of a a pattern we have made. It's a great way to share our knowledge of the patterns and fabrics that we stock in the shop and to see designs on different body shapes.

Meg's Tilly and the Buttons Etta Dress

Meg used our Liberty Tiger Lily stretch cotton fabric to make a lovely sleeveless version of the Etta dress, which is a fitted wiggle style dress with dart shaping around the bust, waist and at the back neckline.

Her measurements fell in-between a size 1 and 2 so she went for the 2 but ended up taking it in. Fabric wise she used 1.2m and the pattern recommends 2m but that includes the cap sleeves and collar which she didn't do. Instead she just used bias binding to finish the arm holes and also raised the wait seam up by 2-3cm.

She felt the instructions were really good and clear. She tried putting the cap sleeve on but felt it didn't sit quite right for her, so next time she plans to use the longer sleeve length pattern piece and just shorten it.

Overall it took her about 3 hours to make and now having completed the dress she things choosing a fabric that has a bit of stretch in it is much better.

Alex's Liesl + Co Maritime Knit top

Alex used the Lisel + Co Maritime knit top and our cotton loopback wide striped jersey to make this classic breton style top. It has a neckline facing which adds a lovely crispness to the neck and makes it sit nice and flat. Alex used regular interfacing on the facing as the cut is wide enough that the neckline doesn't need to stretch to get it on and off.

Sizing wise she made a size 8 and graded out to a 12 at the hips. Following the instructions in the pattern she also did s full bust adjustment which added a dart to the front bodice. Initially the dart was too low so after trying it on for size she moved it up a bit. She used 1.2m of fabric but reckons she could have squeezed it out of less.

She's really pleased with the top and I think it looks great too - so comfy! Next time Alex makes this pattern she plans to do a sway back adjustment to take some of the fullness out of the lower back area and also make the split hem a mitred corner for a neater finish.

Jo's Deer and Doe Nenuphar Jacket

Jo used the Atelier Brunette stardust fabric and the Deer and Doe Nenuphar Jacket to make version A of the pattern with large patch pockets and wide 3/4 length sleeves.

The pattern is advised as an intermediate level but Jo thinks a confident beginner could manage it too. The trickiest parts were getting the shaping of the notch on the lapels. You have to cut really close to the stitch line to get the shaping. It can be tricky on a fabric like gauze as it frays a bit more, so using forming tape interfacing would help to stabilise the fabric.

Jo made a size 40 with no adjustments and found it did come up quite over sized, which is just the style of the garment. If you wanted it to sit a bit neater on you then size down. She used 1.6m of fabric and the pattern recommended 2.2m. In total it took her about 5-6 hours and that included playing around with the pocket placement for a while.

I think it looks gorgeous and a lovely piece to layer while the weather makes its mind up if it's spring yet or not!

Lesely and Lauren's Megan Neilsen Jarrah sweater

Lesley and I both made the Jarrah sweater but used two totally different fabrics and choose two different variations. The pattern comes with 4 options which you could easily mix and match. The design is a loose fitted drop shoulder sweater with either cuffed of split hem sleeves. There are two neckline options, either a loose funnel neck or a neckband. Finally there are 4 hem options, traditional sweater band, asymmetrical tie, curved dipped hem or straight hem.

Lesley made the funnel neck with the split sleeve hem and curved dropped bottom hem using our fleece back maroon cosy colours sweat-shirting fabric. She used 1.2m of fabric and the pattern recommended 1.4m.

She made a size 4 and found that the sleeves were much too long. She also feels like the curved hem curls up too much despite lots of steaming and pressing with the iron. She plans to shorten the sleeves and level out the bottom hem to just have a straight regular hem instead.

It looks so lovely and cosy and I love how snuggly the funnel neck looks. Perfect for when you don't want to wear a scarf but still want to be warm!

I made the version with the regular neckline, cuffs on the sleeves and the asymmetrical waist tie. I used our cotton loopback jersey which is more of a medium weight fabric that can cope with the extra bulk created when you have a tie.

I made a size 4 based on my bust measurement, even though my waist and hips fell into the size 6. As it's so loose and straight shaped I knew there would be enough easy in the pattern anyway. I used 1.3m of fabric and the pattern recommended 1.5m

After trying it on and before I had attached the cuffs, I decided to take the sleeves in and make them more fitted. Creating the hem at the tight curve where the tie section in was a bit fiddly and if you are new to jersey I wouldn't recommend this version as a first try - the regular straight hem or hem band are easier options.

I find it does also come up more on the cropped side, which I actually really like but I do have to wear a vest top underneath. So thats just something to bear in mind if you prefer things bit longer!