The latest collection from McCall’s is here. Overall I have to say that this is a decent collection – there are a lot of patterns that could be useful for a winter wardrobe (especially if you have a lot of holiday parties to attend), but nothing so outstanding or different that I feel the need to go buy any of these patterns right away. This collections is a lot of basic silhouettes that have been available in other patterns in the past, that are jazzed up with some smart fabric choices. On the whole I think that there is a lot to like in this collection, I just don’t know if (as someone with a fairly sizable pattern stash) there is a lot I need to buy from it. Let’s take a look:
M7282 – Phoebe Couture. I like the style lines of this dress – perfect for a fancy holiday party.
M7283 – David Tutera. The long one-shoulder dress could look very elegant, but this is just a basic princess seam sheath dress with variations.
M7281 – Create It! Another basic silhouette with variations. This is a style that will look good on a lot of different people, but isn’t particularly exciting or innovative.
M7280 – Designer Joi. For some reason I’m not wowed by this design. Maybe it’s just the fabric? Or the proportions of the dress and the top? I’m not entirely sure what’s throwing me off here, but I’m not overly excited by this pattern in any case.
M7279 – Palmer/Pletsch. This is a very basic sheath dress, but the interesting part of the pattern is all of the alteration lines:
Might be a good pattern to use to make a TNT that can be adjusted to create more interesting designs.
M7296 – I’m not overly excited by this jumpsuit. Perhaps it is just the fabric choice, but it feels a bit pj-ish.
M7292 – This jumpsuit is slightly-less pj-ish, but I think we’ve seen better jumpsuit patterns out of the various BMV labels earlier this year.
M7295 – The pants looked ridiculous when Burda did them, and they look ridiculous now. The tops look really comfortable though. And I like the way they used the stripe.
M7294 – Nice set of leggings/top/cardigan. Looks like the perfect rainy day outfit. Too bad I can’t remember the last time we had a rainy day…
M7293 – Jacket/sweatpants pattern. The jacket looks a bit 80s, no? I can’t decide if it is a cool throwback or horribly outdated exercise wear, though I’m leaning towards the latter.
M7291 – Learn to Sew for Fun. This is actually a pretty cute take on the cape style jacket.
M7290 – Nancy Zieman. I’m actually rather liking this cardigan pattern. It looks like something my sister would wear, so I’ll probably be adding it to my stash.
M7289 – David Tutera. These simple bolero jackets could easily be dressed up or down depending on fabric choice.
M7288 – A/B, C & D Cup Sizes. I really like this jacket pattern! The details on the back are fun, and the collar options are great.
M7287 – Fun, flirty skirt pattern. Another pattern that would be great in a fancy fabric for holiday parties.
M7286 – Raglan sleeve top pattern.
M7285 – A/B, C & D Cup Sizes. The fabric choice makes the model photo really striking, though the top itself is quite basic. The cup sizing on a woven top does make it an interesting pattern choice though.
M7284 – Tunic top. Nothing really different here, but this is a nice pattern. I also love the use of a boarder print in the photo.
M7297 – PJs! Normally I really don’t see a need for PJ patterns (I’ve got some TNTs in that department), but I’m sort of digging the options here.
M7299 – PJs for everyone! Not overly exciting, unless you are doing a John Darling from Peter Pan cosplay.
M7298 – Unisex hoodies. The style isn’t too bad. The fit… eh. I wish they’d just released it as a man’s pattern. And with less bulky fabrics. Because I think it could be a really cool man’s jacket pattern.
M7306 – A/B, C & D Cup Sizing. Hoop skirt and corset patten. I’m actually kind of excited to see bust sizing in a costume pattern.
M7305 – Trisha Jane. Aprons are always a fun gift to make, and these have some nice details.
M7301 – Retro looking doll clothes. The coat and dress are so pretty!
M7300 – The dolls are ready for the holidays! Actually the pink coat is pretty cute. And the tree pattern could be good for normal decorations too.
M7304 – Holiday crafts.
M7303 – Pet toys. This release has a lot of craft patterns.
And that’s it! Overall there are a lot of very wearable patterns in this release. I just don’t know that there are a lot of exciting or innovative patterns in it. There are definitely a few patterns that I’ll be adding to my stash, but there are also a lot of other patterns that are just too similar to patterns I already own to justify purchasing. What do you all think? Does this release make you excited to sew a new pattern? Or do you want to go and dig through your stash? Feel free to discuss in the comments!
Nothing in this release really thrills me. But it’s not surprising as Xmas party dresses aren’t something I make or wear. I quite liked the 80s sportswear jacket but I suspect I have something similar in a Burda mag somewhere.
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That’s how I feel about most of this release… If I look hard enough I probably already have a pattern like it somewhere.
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I like the exercise wear and loungewear patterns, but not enough to put them on my wishlist. I don’t wear party dresses so the collection was clearly aimed at a different client.
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