Yipee!!! I am so pleased to introduce you to my very first sewing pattern! Her name is The Rushcutter and I think she's a bit of a beauty.
She is a relaxed knee length A-line dress, which is flattering to pretty much all figure shapes. My main mission when designing the Rushcutter was to create a dress that is comfortable, wearable, effortlessly cool, and would fit comfortable into many different women's existing wardrobes. She can easily be dressed up and down, and is perfect for all seasons.
She comes in two variations, which means she is perfect for all you people in the northern hemisphere too!
View A has three-quarter raglan sleeves, large pockets on the side (optional), an invisible zip, bound neckline and a large hem facing.
View B is a sleeveless dress with back button closure. It has in-seam pockets and the neckline and armholes are finished with bias binding.
Included in the pattern is an optional waist sash, that is suitable for both styles.
The Rushcutter was designed with woven fabrics in mind and is quite a versatile pattern. She makes up beautifully in a wide range of fabrics (and I would know, as I have made at least eight versions over the last two months!). My lovely testers also showed how different this dress can look depending on the fabric - and I will include some of their incredible dresses in the next post.
As well as these two variations, I will also be showing you as many hacks as I can possibly come up with (and am open to suggestions, if you want to send an idea through to me), in the coming weeks, so we can get all you sewers pattern making too (and hopefully seeing how un-scary it is - yes, I made up a word)!
The pattern is suitable for brave advanced beginners and beyond. I have placed it a 'Level 4' on my skill scale, as I think a sewer with a few projects under their belts, along with some pins and patience (and probably a few cups of tea) would be able to handle this project.
You can make the project as simple or as challenging as you like. Add piping for an interesting detail or play with stripes on the various panels to make it a more challenging sew.
The pattern also comes with instructions alongside full colour photographs that hold your hand every step of the way (there is also a 'cheat sheet' available for those of you who don't want your hand held) which can be printed at home, or simply viewed on a computer, tablet or smartphone.
Would you like to sew your Rushcutter along with me? I will be doing a sew-along over the next few weeks (starting on Monday October 19th) and will be giving you some fitting tips, showing you how to get a lovely clean finish with bias binding, and my method for sewing invisible zips! So stay tuned...
And even if you are not planning on buying the pattern, I'm sure you will find some great tips in the sew-along that can help you with other projects that find their way to your sewing table.
What do you think? I'd love to know what you think. Is there room for the Rushcutter in your wardrobe?
