A little late as always but here is my review of Cake Patterns for the month of February. First off, let me tell you that the pattern I tested was absolutely brilliant and I loved the result. This Tiramisu is a very useful and much needed LBD in my wardrobe. Now I'm just waiting for some warmer temperatures to make full use of out this dress. Here is my full review:
REVIEW: Cake Patterns
PATTERNS TESTED:
Tiramisu Knit Dress, Paper Pattern, £ 9.61
ABOUT THE PATTERN:
Cake Patterns were created by Brisbane-based blogger Steph from 3 Hours Past the Edge of the World. The Tiramisu dress was the first pattern published and because I was so excited about the concept I bought the pattern in Cake's pre-sale, which helped fund the making of the pattern. So, I've had my pattern for a while before finally getting around to testing it. Cake Patterns now has a whole range of patterns - both available in paper format and PDF - of mostly practical, easy-to-sew knit wear with great customized sizing options.
MY NOTES:
UNIQUE SIZING - What intrigued me the most about Cake Patterns from their very inception was Steph's unique idea on sizing. For the Tiramisu dress you use your high bust measurement to determine size, not your bust measurement. This makes so much more sense than the traditional method of using your bust measurement to determine size. By using the high bust, the pattern fits your frame (your shoulders and upper bust), from which the dress hangs, rather than your bust, and then ending up either too big or too small for your frame, which ruins the fit entirely. Once you have chosen a dress size for your frame, you then find a combination of that frame with your cup size (bust measurement) for your final size. And tada, it fits!
And to customize it even more, you can even draw in your own waist seam according to your unique combination of bust-to-waist-to-hip measurements. And guess what? It worked. I made a teeny, tiny extra FBA, and judging by the photos I might need a tiny bit more, to get the fit spot on but other than that the pattern worked itself out on its own. It also helps that the instructions suggest sewing the side seam up last, which allows for a final fit.
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| Sorry for the bad photo! |
I have never ever put together such a well-fitting and comfortable dress in so little time with such little fuss. That's what patterns should be all about. That's what you pay for.
The sizing system was really fantastic and based on that alone I would buy Cake Patterns again any day.
VERSATILE AND PRACTICAL STYLES - I also quite like the styles of the patterns Cake has to offer. They are all very simple and quick and practical and seem like no fuss at all. As far as I can make out they are all knit pattern so far, which, of course, makes fitting much easier again. I don't know if Cake Patterns plans any more advanced or woven patterns, and I don't know how the sizing would work on such patterns.
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| Leopard-print lined pockets! |
INSTRUCTIONS -The instructions come on one big recycled paper fold-out sheet, similar to the big 4 patterns. They are simple and straight-forward enough and come with plenty of illustrations. If that's still not enough, Steph often runs sew-alongs and has extensive tutorials on her website.
A WORD ON THE PACKAGING - The only thing, that I suppose Cake Patterns could be criticized for, if one was so inclined, is the packaging. If you are used to elegant booklets a la Colette Patterns and other indie pattern companies, Cake is keeping it simple.
The illustrations by Mikhaela are adorable, but printed on a pretty basic envelope, that is not very durable. I've already had to tape mine to prevent the patterns from falling out. The same goes for the instructions, which are already ripped after one use. But, hey, do I care? No, honestly, I don't. I'd much rather my money went into good design and patterns and wasted as little paper and storage space as possible.
CONCLUSION:
I'm in love! Will make this dress again and again. And I will certainly try a couple more patterns when I feel the need for a quick sewing fix and some easy to sew and wear clothes. In fact, I'm very intrigued by the Espresso Leggings. Has anyone tried them? Is the sizing as genius as with the Tiramisu? Please do tell.
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JOIN IN!
If you have been testing a Cake pattern along with me or are planning to test one, please share your review and photos on the A Year in Indie Patterns Pinterest board, or tell me in the comments what you think. Is Cake for you or not? And if yes, what patterns do you recommend?