A Quick Review of Three Pamela's Patterns - Skirt, T-shirt and Dress

The past few months have not been filled with very much notable garment sewing, but before becoming pregnant I was sewing like crazy! Just after becoming pregnant I took photos of a lot of the things I made in the winter so that I could share them with you before I couldn't fit into them for awhile!

I love Pamela's Patterns and the simple patterns she creates. They may be simple but they have so many possibilities. I am fortunate to live close to Steve's Sewing and Vacuum in King of Prussia, PA, where she teaches periodically. Many of her classes focus on using her patterns but modifying them with design details. 

I made three different garments using Pamela's patterns and thought it would be fun to share them with you!


1) Pamela's Patterns Magic Pencil Skirt

I shared this skirt on Instagram with you all during the Skirt Challenge back in May. The Magic Pencil Skirt pattern is super easy and looks great! It has an elastic waistband so you have to use a stretch woven or sturdy knit with this pattern. Pamela's directions are great because she guides you through fitting it to YOUR shape for a flattering skirt. 

I used a cotton sateen border print from Maggy London that we had about a year ago. Sorry, there isn't any others available right now! 

2) Pamela's Patterns Classic T-Shirt Dress

In the fall and winter I live in tunics and t-shirt dresses. I pair them with leggings or fleece-lined tights and boots. I was excited to try Pamela's Classic T-shirt Dress pattern because there are so many design options to choose from. You can mix the neckline and sleeves from the t-shirt pattern as well making it even more versatile. I already knew how Pamela's t-shirt pattern fit on me so I knew this was going to work well for me. She grades pretty generously in the hips, but of course if you are extra hippy you want to make sure you're cutting out the size that fits you on top and grade out to the size that fits your hips. 

If you followed last year's Fabricista Fashion Challenge, you may recognize this fabric. We only had enough fabric to supply the bloggers with fabric and a few giveaway pieces, but if we had rolls and rolls I KNOW we would have sold out fast. (I was able to snatch some up for myself though!) I love the color combination, but after deciding to make a tunic dress with it, I really needed to break up the diagonal squares. They were just too big and kind of unflattering. So I cut the front and back pieces with two different halves. Then I used some faux leather knit on the front piece to break it up even more. (I was inspired to add leather details by Tee's challenge project!) 

Like all of Pamela's patterns, she guides you through the process of getting a good fit. This pattern has a back seam which helps give you an even better fit. 

3) Pamela's Patterns T-shirt & Tunic Swing Top 

Remember the pre-cut fabric pieces we had a few months ago? I ended up with a 4 yard piece of the one shown below. I was able to get 2 shirts out of it. (And I think I still had some left!) 

I took a class with Pamela about a year ago where we turned her t-shirt pattern into a tunic swing top. We added godets to the side seams. I LOVE this design detail and have made this tunic multiple times. The particular shirt you see below is a modified version where I didn't actually cut out godets but have a pattern that I created with "attached godets", making it more like a basic swing top. 

I had some extra fabric left, so I made a simple t-shirt. I used Pamela's t-shirt pattern for this. Easy peasy! 

I'm really hoping that I am able to wear these garments after the baby is born! I don't think I'll have too much trouble getting into the t-shirt and swing top but the skirt and t-shirt dress may have to wait a few months after baby is born!

Have you used Pamela's Patterns? Which is your favorite? How have you used design details to make them your own?

Happy Sewing! 

~ Julie