Mainstreet Tee & Dress by Terra's Treasures
/Welcome back, today we have an awesome pattern review for you of the Mainstreet Tee&Dress by Terra' Treasures. This is such a cute and versatile pattern - it is a Tee, it is a dress, it can use just knit, it can combine knits and wovens.... I love it!!! (you can find my review of the Tee style HERE). If you don't own this pattern, you should go check it out! And Terra is offering a copy to one of YOU - enter using the giveaway below.
Now Take it away Trisha....
Hi ladies (and gentlemen if there are any guys who read this)! My name is Trisha and I am a stay at home mom to 3 kids, with the oldest being 6 and the youngest only 3 1/2 months. I love to sew and was taught by my mom when I was little. I pretty much jump feet first into any sewing project and am bound and determined to tackle anything in there.
I was asked to review the new Mainstreet Tee/ Dress pattern by Terra's Treasures, so I decided to make the dress option for my youngest daughter. I love using knit, as knit clothes are so comfortable. Especially for a little baby. This pattern allows for the use of quilters cotton for the ruffles, but I decided to go with knit for those as well. I have to say the ruffles are my favorite part of this pattern. It turns just a basic dress into something more by giving it that extra touch. Perfect for casual wear, but the ruffles dress it up a bit.
I have never used a pattern by this designer before, which can always be a little scary. Sometimes branching out to new pattern designers is like wearing a new pair of shoes. You like your old comfy ones and you know how they fit, but you're not exactly sure if the new ones will fit your style or if they will just leave you in pain. I am pleased to say that this pattern did not leave me in any sort of pain. I was quite impressed with how easy it was to follow and the clear pictures that help you through each step. She even includes a finished measurement chart, which not a lot of pdf pattern makers do. Along with this chart is a size chart and a fabric yardage chart, which is a must.
For those of you who are new to knits, don't worry, this is a pretty easy pattern to practice with. The hardest part would have to be the bindings, but I do have to say that the way she has you do them is actually one of the easiest ways I have done it and have it look good. With so many different kinds of knit out there, it can sometimes be hard to know what is acceptable to use, so I was happy to see that this pattern includes a stretch gauge and instructions on how to determine if your knit would work. There is also a section on tips for sewing with knits, which is perfect for a beginner.
Another element I really liked was the chart showing how all the pages go together. I know this would never happen to you, because your kids are perfect, right? But for me, I would print the pages out, and then one of my kids would decide they want a snack, so I set them aside, and while I am getting them a snack that said child proceeds to throw my neat little stack all over the room. But that would never happen to you! While I enjoy puzzles, I am not often thrilled to have to try to piece these pieces together. With each page being clearly labeled with a letter and the chart showing exactly how it all lays out I don't have to pull my hair out trying to figure out which piece goes where. And color coded pattern pieces made it easy to figure out which line was for which size, even when there were several lines overlapping, etc.
All in all, I have to say I am quite happy with this pattern. I was able to sew it up in a few hours, even with my children constantly interrupting me. (Did you know they have to be fed everyday? And multiple times a day at that! Geez, the nerve of them cutting into my sewing time...) I love that it goes from 0-6 months all the way up to a 10. My oldest is only 6, but she is quite tall for her age and often is a size or two above her age, so we're hitting that cut off where several patterns only go to a 6 or 8. With this pattern going all the way to a 10, I can make her and her sister matching dresses for a while now.
I was a little worried about the neck hole fitting at first, because it is only a faux lap tee. Getting the neck hole big enough for a baby's head to fit through, but not being too baggy when it's on is often a problem, but I think this pattern achieved that!
My next concern was the length. My kids are tall, so I often have to adjust the length for them on clothes. I made this with the exact measurements from the pattern and I think this 0-6 month size came out perfectly. It hits her right at the knees, so I don't have to worry about putting shorts or leggings underneath, although it would still look adorable if I did.
Well, there goes all my concerns! This pattern sewed up quick and I am very pleased with the results. I think my daughter had to agree as she kept grabbing it and trying to examine it further. The ruffles were her favorite.
