Dear Amy,

I adore your patterns. No, I take that back. I adore your DESIGNS. Your patterns - not so much.

I’m currently working on my third project from one of your patterns. The first was a Madison bag, and the second was the Weekender. Now I’m sewing a Cabo halter. Fortunately for me, I’ve been sewing for nearly all my life and understand the basics of laying out and cutting a pattern. Although your sewing directions are fabulous, your pattern layout & cutting directions are seriously lacking.

When I opened the Madison bag pattern, I was dumbfounded that the pattern did not include layout instructions for the pattern pieces. Fortunately the pattern pieces are small and your fabric requirements were generous enough that the pattern could be laid out just about any way I chose. The pattern didn’t mention anything about where to position the pieces with respect to the grain of the fabric (at least for the pieces that weren’t laid on the fold), but presumably the straight edges of the pattern piece were to be parallel to the selvedge. The Weekender layout gave a bit more guidance, but left it to the sewer to create his/her own pattern pieces for several parts of the bag.

Tonight I cut out my Cabo fabric. I was pleased to see that you included an actual pattern layout diagram in the pattern. However, as I was studying it, I realized that anyone who was using directional fabric and following your pattern layout literally would end up with an upside down fabric pattern on the top part of their halter. According to your layout, all pattern pieces face in the same direction EXCEPT the top exterior front piece. Yikes! Check out the diagram below:

See the pink shaded piece? The piece you labeled as “Upper front exterior”? The red “V” I’ve drawn on that piece to indicate the direction of the pattern faces the opposite direction of the “V”s on the other pattern pieces. Interestingly, the piece labeled “Upper front lining” is facing the right direction.

I’m guessing that most people sewing this pattern would realize that the lining and exterior pattern pieces are interchangeable, and would end up sewing the pattern pieces to achieve an upright pattern on the upper front of the halter. Someone new to sewing, or someone who is very literal about following a pattern may not notice, however. Personally, I would chose to cut out the fabric so that both the lining and the exterior pieces are facing the right direction, which would require extra fabric. (Yes, I am that anal.) But, I’d need to know this before I went to the fabric store, not after I purchased my fabric and was in the middle of my pattern layout.

So, to sum it up, I’m a bit frustrated and conflicted. Your designs are great, it is nice to have options other than the big pattern companies, and I like supporting independent designers. However, for such expensive patterns, they always seem to be lacking a bit in the pattern layout area - the part that I consider to be the most important when sewing from a pattern.

Sincerely,

A frustrated sewer

PS. Your seam allowance instructions are kind of wonky too.� Why 1/2″?� Typically garments are constructed with a 5/8″ seam allowance, and quilts with 1/4″.� I’ve never seen another pattern using a 1/2″ seam allowance for all seams.� Oh, and on the Weekender, there was one seam with a 1″ seam allowance.� Huh?� If you’re going to choose a non-standard seam allowance, at least be consistent!