Doctor T Designs

The summer pattern release from Butterick is here! I thought Butterick was winning the Spring release game, at least among the Big 4/1, so I’m excited to see what we’ve got going on for summer. Let’s take a look:

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B6756 – Ok, so while I have to say that neither the dress nor the jumpsuit is particularly original in style (and possibly might be a re-print?), I love them both! I think the gathered sleeves and simple cross-over v-neck are so perfect for a summer look, and I really love the way the skirt flows on the model. The overlap of the skirt pieces looks quite deep, which is nice.

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B6757 – This dress is also not particularly innovative in design, but I think it looks super cute! Despite the ruffle overload that’s been happening this year, I actually think the skirt ruffle and sleeves have nicely balanced proportions here and create a really cute overall look.

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B6758 – I’m a little less excited by this shirtdress design. I do like the relaxed sleeves and the interesting shape of the neckline, but version with the ruffle makes the overall look feels sort of… meh? I’m not above buying a pattern for one view, but the second option just makes me less interested than I think I would be if it were just the version on the left.

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B6759 – This dress doesn’t have much new in terms of silhouette, but it is interesting to see the use of the angled darts in the bodice. I do actually think that the View B option (with the dress that looks like a top/skirt) is a really interesting idea, and I think the faux-button front skirt is a cute way to get the look of that style without having to be concerned about the practical functionality of a button-front skirt.

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B6760 – Lisette. I think this looks like the more wearable version of that fun Vogue jumpsuit from the summer release. I like the wrap-around back with the slight cut out at the small of the back. I think the front with the ties looks super cute for summer, and like how this works for both the dress and romper version. The length of the shorts is nice – not too short, and I think the legs could also be lengthened to make a really fun jumpsuit as well.

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B6761 – I think the cross over neckline with the cutout is interesting, but I don’t know if I like how it translates onto the model. I’m also not sure how I feel about the skirt slit. It’s like…. not high enough to be “sexy” so it just looks sort of unintentional? I feel like there are some interesting ideas in this dress, but I feel like they don’t necessarily come together in a way that makes sense to me.

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B6762 – Ok, so I’m pretty sure we al have a shirt dress similar to this in the stash somewhere. I mean, I think it’s a nice design, and I like the different skirt options, but I’m not sure it’s something that needs to be added to an already overflowing stash.

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B6763 – Another dress that isn’t particularly innovative, but looks like it would be a great style for summer. The open v-neck would be really cool, and the waist tie feature seems to be a trend in this release. Not a pattern that I need, but it’s not a bad option.

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B6764 – I always like an asymmetric hem, so this top pattern is intriguing to me. It was a style that I had sort of glossed over at first, but I find that it grows on me the more I look at it, despite the giant puff sleeves. I’m not sure that I need it in my pattern collection, but it might sit in the “maybe” pile of consideration for a while.

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B6765 – If I was only looking at the line drawings, I don’t think I would be that interested in this pattern, but I do think that the garment photos are kind of selling me on the looks. I think the long-sleeved version would be great for wearing to the office (when… if? we ever go back to working in an office), whereas I could see wearing the short sleeved version for something more casual. Again, the asymmetric drape is really what’s catching my attention here, so this is a pattern I might consider checking out.

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B6766 – I feel like this pattern isn’t as innovative/original, but I do think it looks very much like what I imagine trendy summer outfits would be consisting of right now were I going outside and seeing people in normal clothes.

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B6767 – Again, nothing too revelatory here; we’ve seen ruffled wrap tops in the past. The puff sleeves here might be just a tad too much for me, especially mixed with the ruffle.

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B6768 – I’m not that excited by this tunic top; it just feels sort of generic.

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B6769 – Same with think dress/top/tunic pattern. I think if you want a maxi dress fast this could be a great pattern, but there just isn’t a whole lot that I find super exciting here.

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B6770 – Again, this top just feels like an iteration of what we’ve already seen. The gathered raglan sleeves are an interesting feature, but I feel like the details sort of get lost on the garment photos.

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B6771 – Katherine Tilton. I think if you are into the Katherine Tilton style you will like this pattern, and if you aren’t it’s probably going to be a skipp. I will say that I really love the drape of the dress and the way that the hem hangs in the photo.

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B6772 – More slits and ruffles. Honestly, I think I’d rather just go for a normal skirt? Or, if I did want these designs, maybe I’d add them to a skirt pattern I already had? I think the final result is not having quite the impact I’d want if I were going to try to make a more outrageous skirt.

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B6773 – This skirt I find slightly more interesting – the asymmetric button detail is fun, and the ruffles are more intense in a good way. I also like the option for the waist tie as well. It feels very summer!

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B6774 – I think that this wardrobe pattern isn’t the most exciting, but I do think the pieces mix and match well as showcased on the cover image. It’s fun to see the topstitching detail in this sort of pattern, and I really like the look of the shorts. I don’t think I need to add this particular pattern to the stash (I think I’ve got similar styles already in my pattern collection), but I might be inspired to try mixing and matching patterns in new ways now.

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B6775 – Ok, so while this wardrobe pattern is less versatile (I mean, you basically have a jacket, dress, and jumpsuit), I have to admit that I really like it! I don’t necessarily love the fabrics that were chosen for the cover image (the matching dress and jacket is a bit much), but I love the back detail, the waist detail, and the streamlined look of the jacket. I can’t say that’d I need to wear any of this soon, but in the case of a possible eventual return to office life I think this would be a fun pattern to add to the stash.

And that’s it! Overall I don’t think there is a lot of innovation going on in the Butterick line right now, but I do think they are offering the best selection of “everyday wearable” patterns from the Big 4. It seems clear that the new direction of BMV is that McCall’s = young/trendy crowd, Butterick = modest/slightly older crowd, Vogue = high fashion crowd, Simplicity = basic/minimalist crowd, and Kwik Sew = there is no crowd. (Honestly, Kwik Sew had a “spring release” and I was so bored I could barely even be bothered to link it. I am so sad at what has become of that pattern line because I have so many of their older patterns, which have such fantastic fit and instructions. Sigh.) Anyway, I think there are a few patterns here that I’ll plan to pick up at some point, though the vast majority is probably going to be a skip for me. But what do you all think? Is there anything here that’s going to make it to your summer sewing plans? Or is this a total snoozefest that’s too full of peasant blouses, ruffles, and office wear that will be out of style by the time any of us need to set foot into an office again? Feel free to discuss it all in the comments!