Breaking the Pattern: A modern way to sew

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Charles Platkin frequently refers to his own personal experiences which combined with case studies he provides manage to cover most of the problems we face, and the energy we waste on them. Breaking the Pattern – a modern way to sew offers a modern approach to dressmaking, showcasing the true beauty of clean-cut Scandinavian style. For instance, individuals experiencing overload often could get relief by switching out one behavior for another. While I didn’t complete that pledge, I did sew several of the items from that book including two Ruska knot dresses, a Ruska knot t-shirt, a Solina dress, the Halla coat, the Sade blouse and the Rae pants.

I’ve already been thinking about making more of these, but maybe with short sleeves and a skirt that ends at the knee for something more summer-appropriate and casual. My husband and I decided a few weeks ago to break patterns for both our Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday celebrations, and we’re already relieved. Most times, this isn't too much of an issue and I usually add a cm to shoulder seams to compensate if the fit looks off. The Finnish sewing duo behind the dressmaking fashion label Named Clothing, Laura and Saara Huhta offer up an enticing selection of tops, dresses, skirts, and trousers for the modern seamstress.I could probably do the opposite adjustment at the back and take out a little length to account for my swayback too, if I'm being picky. I understand that it’s meant to teach some techniques, but because of the French side seam on the exterior, the pocket bottoms have to be finished together with some bias tape, but where all the seams (flat felled seam + french seam + 2 regular seams of the lining) meet up, there is SO MUCH BULK! It was a bit of a slippery beast to work with and didn't like being overhandled - the points where I've turned through my corners are looking a bit chewed up and my band collar isn't the neatest on the inside!

It has taken me so long to complete that I wondered if I would be able to talk purposefully enough about it in case anyone else fancied it for themselves.In all honesty, this one is a little bit of an entirely self-induced mess and my shortening of the bodice makes it look, well, kind of weird. and when you went to page 89 it said “Go to page 203” and so on and so forth, and in the end it got you nowhere.

The free gift of thread snips have come in very handy for this make, keeping all the ends of my shirring rows neat, and actually I am rather tempted to add the gored skirt pattern, also from the magazine, to my growing list of things to make. It isn't a knit like the main fabric, but seeing as the melange is quite sturdy I wasn't concerned about problems and it was fine in the end. I was concerned throughout the project that the dress would be too long and would maybe look like a bathrobe? What really bothered me is that there was no chart or numbers indicating where specific pattern pieces could be found, and the sheets weren’t all organized by pattern.For those of you not who’ve not got made any of Named patterns before, we’ve collated a collection of their most made patterns, and love patterns below. Complete with stunning photography, clear illustrations and instructions, this book shows you how to create a coherent capsule wardrobe – complete with a collection of 20 garments that are easy to make, wear and combine with each other. Best thing about it is I got this fabric almost free as my reward as a loyalty club member so it feels even more special.

And in today’s more chaotic and uncertain times, you may find it hard to follow through on long-established routines, which makes considering new options for action more appealing. In his new book, Insightful Leadership: Surfing the Waves to Organizational Excellence , Tompkins explains how disruption has become the new normal. With the exception of fulfilling its aesthetic function, the ties get in the way of hand-washing (*ahem* toilet etiquette in general), curry-eating, blog-writing and everything in between.Designed for the fashion-conscious, this book equips you with the tools to create a coherent capsule wardrobe – complete with an enticing collection of 20 timeless garments that are easy to make, wear and combine. NOTE: Seam allowance for most of the patterns is 3/8 -- it isn't obvious, but early on in the book (page 6) this is specified. Breaking the Pattern will help you gradually improve your expertise throughout the book, with new techniques introduced project by project – from tote to coat. In the late fall, Named Patterns released previews of their book Breaking The Pattern, and I knew I had to have a copy.