To help promote the release of my Color Block Dress pattern last month, I asked a few other sewing bloggers if they would be interested in giving the pattern a try and reviewing it on their site. I admit, I was a little nervous as I'd not done something like this before. What would they think of the pattern? Would it fit? How would they review it – love it or hate it?
Turns out I had nothing to worry about, except now I've seen all of the new designs and their fabric choices, I feel the need to sew up some more variations for my own wardrobe. Check out the inspiration below. Please drop over to visit each of these lovely ladies and maybe leave them a comment about their dress.
Lisa from Mabey She Made It
Wow, love this look. Lisa used a stretch lace over a white knit for her center panels and added a small lace trim to the bottom. This dress is a knockout!
Fenna from FABulous Home Sewn
Wow again. Doesn't Fenna look amazing in her bright and cheerful version. Nice to see one in lighter colors and still the shaping looks great. She plans on wearing hers for a date night – her husband should be blown away.
Rachel from Once Upon A Sewing Machine
Rachel took a gamble on sizing and went down a size for hers. It was the first time she had tried one of my patterns and was probably expecting the enormous ‘fitting ease' you get with commercial patterns. It certainly hugs her curves in all the right places, and I love how she added that splash of red with the skinny belt.
Jessica from The Berry Bunch
Jessica feels a little self-conscious about her ‘mommy tummy' so its brave of her to give this dress a try. Perhaps this influenced her choice to make the dark panels in the center and the colorful panels on the outside. That way it still draws attention to and emphasizes all the right curves and she looks great!
Tasha from Friends Stitched Together
Want to wear something bright, bold or red but not be overwhelmed? Tasha has given me inspiration to get out a bright red fabric I've been saving. I think I could pull it off used as the accent panel like she has in her version. The polka dots look great in contrast. A great idea for how to wear black and red together.
Ula from Lulu & Celeste
A perfect example of how home sewing can make a wardrobe to suit you. Ula found the black fabric a little too sheer for the dress, so she cut it off at the hip and made this tunic length. She did all sorts of grading on this pattern from a B to an E to get the fit she wanted.
Al and Scary at Shaffer Sisters
Wow, what a transformation! This dress was fitted with sleeves from another pattern and also a trendy front exposed zipper to turn this into a nursing-friendly dress. A facing was added around the neck instead of the binding, to accommodate the zipper, and a slight extra flare added to the skirt. Doesn't she look great, what a perfect fit and style.
Amanda at Amanda Rose
Amanda suffers from the same husband/photographer problems I sometimes get myself so we've only got the one view of her dress, but with the bright stripes and central black panel, I bet she looks a knockout.
Follow Deby at So Sew Easy's board Your sewing creations on Pinterest.
All of these designs have been pinned to my ‘Your Sewing Creations‘ Board on Pinterest. If you sew and have a blog or website, I'll be happy to pin or link to your project. If you sew anything from a So Sew Easy pattern or tutorial, let me know so I can share your work on Pinterest or Facebook.
So are you feeling inspired now? See a version you like or a color combination that would look great in your wardrobe? Try out the Color Block Dress, I think you'll like it.
Buy the Color Block Dress Pattern here. The pattern can be downloaded from my design account at Payhip. If you have any trouble downloading, opening or printing the pattern, please see this post - How to download PDF sewing patterns.
I think someday I will try the color block dress pattern but think I will need to learn how to draft it to fit me.
Wow! All looks wonderful! Congrats to sewists group!
These are great examples of color-blocked dresses. Just don’t make the mistake the designer of the dress Natalie Morales wore on the Today show. It was blue with a white apron-shaped front panel. It made her look like Alice in Wonderland.
Haha, I’ve not seen that but it sounds funny.
These are all fabulous!
I know! Great examples, from a great bunch of sewists.
The dresses came out fabulous! All of you did a wonderful job!