Doctor T Designs

In an effort to get caught up on all the new major pattern releases, I thought I’d role Kwik Sew and Marfy into one post.  Partially because I’m trying to get caught up before the Winter Holiday Vogues roll out, and partly because Kwik Sew is not bad, but rather small and Marfy feels like a repeat of patterns I’ve seen posted on the McCall’s website before?  I’m aware that if I really wanted to dig into Marfy, I’d be best served by buying the catalog, but I’m not really in the market for wedding gown patterns at the moment.  In any case, let’s take a look at the new Kwik Sew Patterns:

K4225 – This coat is great.  The collar looks classic, but not too complex to sew, the pocket placement is fantastic, and the back darts are great for fit.  The bright blue color isn’t hurting the sell either.  Definitely worth checking out, especially if you are nervous about sewing a coat for the first time.

K4223 – This asymmetric jacket is pretty interesting.  I’m not sure if I love it enough to make it, but I do find it visually striking.  After the last Sewing Bee challenge, I’m also thinking it could be made to be reversible.  My brain is so stuck in Bee mode.

K4224 – There are a lot of cape options out there, but this one is pretty cute. The arm holes are a nice feature.

K4222 – The poncho also seems to be everywhere in the sewing pattern options this fall.

K4221 – In theory I really like this asymmetric jacket, but in the model photos the proportions seem just a bit off.  The trim seems so slightly too wide, and the whole thing looks heavy.  I also feel that I probably have at least one Burda pattern in the stash that is similar, so I’ll probably pass on this one.

K4215 – It’s the ruffle sleeved sheath that’s been everywhere this year.  The fit of this pattern looks really great though, so it might be worth considering, even if you wanted to leave the ruffle sleeve off.

K4220 – This wardrobe pattern really isn’t my style, but otherwise it’s fine.  I could see the vest being great for running, especially if you added zippers to the pockets.

K4218 – At this point there isn’t much to say about these sleeve variation blouses.  They are pretty ubiquitous among the pattern company options right now.

K4216 – Asymmetric peplum t-shirt is kind of cool, or at the very least, not boring.  And it has plain sleeves if you are looking for something interesting and drapey that isn’t going to use oodles of fabric.

K4217 – This is the sort of pattern that is kind of boring to review, but you know you would live in all winter if you made it.  Not fussy, sort of cozy, not too fitted.  Perfect for a post-turkey day shopping spree or a post-turkey day lazy nap time.

K4219 – Ignoring the velvet (I’m so not into velvet track suits) I actually think this is pretty cute!  Well, the jacket anyway.  I’d totally wear that to exercise in.  The high collar is perfect for cold morning, and the ruching is a nice detail.  This one is definitely going on my wishlist.

K0243 – Ellie Mae Loungewear.  It’s PJs, so not much to say, but they do look very comfortable.

K4226 – I’m not sure, but I think this is supposed to be a make your own hospital gown?  It says it is “adaptive clothing,” whatever that means.  I suppose I can see reasons why people might want this, but fortunately I’m not one of them at the moment.

K0239 – Ellie Mae Aprons.  Cool for aprons, I guess?  I’ve never been one to get all excited about apron patterns, but this one at least has some different design features.

K4214 – This kid’s athletic wear pattern is actually super cute.  Love the leggings.

K0241 – Ellie Mae backpack.  The square shape does make it fairly practical for books.

K0242 – Ellie Mae quilted bags.  Not an exciting design, but very practical.

K0238 – Ellie Mae oven mits.  A little bit kooky, but could be a fun gift if you know someone who would enjoy it?

K0240 – Ellie Mae elephants.  Could be a cute baby gift.

K4227 – Dog sweaters.  I’ve yet to meet a dog who’s enjoy wearing this.

Since a lot of the Marfy “releases” look like patterns that McCall’s has posted before, I give you this montage:

I’m always a fan of the Marfy aesthetic, and I always see such gorgeous makes from their designs.  I haven’t bit the bullet and ordered any of their patterns yet, but I do love looking at their designs.

Interestingly, even Marfy doesn’t provide all of their patterns for viewing on their website; the only way to get a full preview is to order a catalog from them.  However, it does look like they’ve made the jump into the PDF pattern game, and apparently if you register with them you can download a free pattern.  This is definitely something I’m going to look into, as I’d love to try their company before shelling out €15-80 for a pattern.  And I’d be much more willing to spend the money for a multi-sized PDF (even though I traditionally don’t like PDFs) as opposed to a single size paper pattern.

And that’s it!  I’m not sure there could be two pattern lines with such different aesthetics as Kwik Sew and Marfy, but timing wise it made sense to roll them into one post.  Kwik Sew seems to have a few awesome patterns in this release, though there is also a large amount of crafty projects as well.  The Marfy offerings switch out on the McCall’s site, but Marfy has a pretty clear and consistent vision as far as design goes.  On the whole I’m actually pretty impressed with the Kwik Sew offerings, or at least some of the garment selections.  What do you all think?  See anything that is going to make it to your fall sewing plans?  Or are we going to impatiently wait for the Vogue releases that we’ve been teased with on the McCall’s Instagram account?  Feel free to discuss in the comments!