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Sew Over It has been a company I have followed for a while now but never got the courage to purchase from. Their size range is pretty small and up until recently I would have just barley fit in the top end of their size range.
During their Black Friday sale however they had 40% off the entire pattern catalog so I decided to pick up a few patterns and give them a go, starting with the Cowl Neck Dress. There are many other patterns I like the looks of on their site including the two mini capsule wardrobe E Books but I wanted to pick up just a few to make sure I liked the fit and finishing before buying too much. Turns out I liked both!
This pattern itself is minimal. It comes with a top and dress cutlines and short or long sleeves but those are really the only options included. That being said other length and sleeve options are easy to adjust for yourself, like the 3/4 sleeves I used on my make.
I used a really drapey Rayon Spandex fabric from Phee Fabrics for my top which I have talked about my love for time and time again. I wanted to use a fabric I knew I liked and that performs well so that I could separate fabric issues from pattern issues
I did my usual sway back adjustment that I make on nearly every pattern and added a simple full bust adjustment which is also pretty standard for me. The adjustment that I needed for this pattern that was a bit unusual for me was needing to shorted the sleeve cap. I ended up taking 3/4 of an inch off the height to get the sleeve to fit right for me. This was my first SOI make so I am not sure if this will be a recurring adjustment needed or if it was just for this pattern.
The biggest struggle I had with this pattern was the turned over hem at the neckline. The pattern has you fold the top edge under and top stitch all the way around which seems simple in theory but it actually quite hard at the shoulder seams. There just isn’t enough fabric in the area to fold the seam easily under and have it stay in place while you are stitching. The next time I make this pattern I will make a facing for the neckline which I think will give it a much cleaner finish.
So here are my final thoughts! The pattern itself is pretty simple but is well drafted. The instructions are exceptional and the finishing they recommend is really high end which is really nice. It seams like a lot of indie designers are going towards the quick finishes instead of the really high end which is a shame, I like that SOI still still taking the time to keep those couture touches.
Next time I make this pattern I will also make a few other small adjustments to the pattern to improve the fit even more for myself. This would include narrowing the back between the shoulders 3/4 of or even maybe a whole inch and raising the arm syce a touch.
Overall I would highly recommend this pattern to confident beginner seamstresses who have the patience to work out the neckline and want to up their sewing game with a high end pattern.
Fabric source: https://pheefabrics.com/rayon-spandex/?aff=22
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