pattern tester roundup
Peta Top and Dress Pattern Tester Roundup Part 1
I never have enough words to describe how talented each and everyone of our pattern testers are. I am always humbled and forever grateful that they have chosen to road test one of my designs.
Our new Peta Top or Dress is such a gorgeous design. It features beautiful pleating at the front neck, gorgeous little petal sleeves or the option of a elasticated pleat mock cufflet short sleeve. Or if you live in a colder clime then the long sleeve with cuff is the perfect choice.
Everything about the Peta Top or Dress is about sophistication and polish. The fit of the Peta allows for the garment to be easily slipped on and falls perfectly every time you wear it.
The Peta Top or Dress is a key shape that you will need in your wardrobe.
So my friends – I would like to introduce you to Part 1 of our Peta Top or Dress Rockstar Tester Roundups. Prepared to be blown away my friends . 💗
And our roadies would like to share the following with you all :
1. Your name and where you live ?
2. Your choice of option for the Peta and why ?
3. What fabric did you choose and where did you purchase ?
4. What alterations did you have to make to your Peta toile ?
5. What sewing tips can you share when sewing the Peta ?
6. What was your favourite thing about making the Peta ?
7. Did you make more than one combo of the Peta ?
8. Have you worn your Peta yet and what compliments did you receive ?
And the finer details; (AU/UK) 6 – 30 (US) 2 – 26 (EU) 34 – 58
Cup Sizes – B, C, D, DD
On Sale for a limited time only – $9.95(US)
Very Confident Advanced Beginner and Above Sewing level
2. For my white with black dots, that is a georgette fabric. For the blue and cream striped fabric it is a 100% polyester. I purchased both of them at our local Walmart in the pre-bundled “mystery” rolls.
3. When sewing the Peta my advice is to follow the instructions carefully and trust the process. If you have a narrow hem foot for your sewing machine that also helps on the hem of the short petal sleeve.
4. I made two versions, one in a top length and one in a dress length. I love my top for a great everyday wear summer choice. For the dress I will save that for outdoor parties and church!
5. This pattern came together so well that the only alterations I needed to make was to raise the bust dart to fit my taller frame (I am 5’7.5″).
6. I have worn my dress once, and my top a few times and received compliments on both. One person has actually asked me to make them one of their own!
7. Once the weather goes back to cold here in a few months I plan to make a long sleeve top version!
8. You can find me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/northwoodssewist/
Hello I’m Ashley R from London, I’m excited to share with you the amazing new Peta top/dress
I used a crepe fabric for my Peta top with gathered sleeves and elastic. I love how this fabric give the sleeves a good puff, I got the beautiful crepe from @jororags. I always say make a fit first for any adjustments needed, myself I have to move the dart up and shorten the length as only 5 foot. The neck band was something new for me and had to give it a few try’s before being happy with it. But love my whole top now.
I styled my Peta top with some jeans and flats but you can always dress it up too. This is the perfect pattern for summer and works well with a flowy fabric.
Hello everybody, I am Camelia and I am living in Germany,
For my first Peta, I chose to make the top option with the petal sleeves and for that, I used a gorgeous looking dark fuchsia crepe. Only looked gorgeous because it was a pain to sew, actually pressing it was not so much fun!
My second one was the dress option with the long sleeves and cuffs. For the dress I used a crushed rayon with a bit of sparkle in it, I love it! The rayon was perfect for this pattern, as chiffon will also be and all kinds of other soft fabrics.
The tips that I can give for making a beautiful Peta are : handle your cut pieces with care ( as you mostly will use a soft fabric and you don´t want to stretch the armholes or the neck edge, stay stitching will prevent that ) also make the pleats accurately on the neckline and the sleeves.
The neck bind is sewn finished by hand, very beautiful but I did it by machine, stitch in the ditch and you can´t tell :)), I am from the team ” do it my way as long as I am getting the same results “
This is a beautiful pattern, I love all the sleeve options, my next will be the short one with the elastic, I love the tester’s versions of that sleeve!
If you want to see more of my Designer Stitch makes you can follow me on
Hello everyone! my name is Christine, Filipino currently based in Singapore.
My first Peta is a top with puffy sleeves in size 5B. Fabric used is Liberty Tana Lawn which i think gave enough drama to the puffy sleeves minus the stiffness. Got the fabric on sale straight from Liberty London! I love how this version is simple yet sweet and trendy.
My second Peta is a dress with petal sleeves this time in size 5C graded to 6 at the hips. This is made of viscose fabric from Atelier Brunette purchased from NekoNeko Fabric. I like the fit of the first version but since i am in between cup sizes, i am also curious how the C cup version would fit me which turned out to be better. I love how the dress can be a perfect office outfit yet sultry at the same time!
I have worn both Petas in multiple occasions and have received compliments every time! From being simple yet elegant to sweet and sultry at the same time.
Needless to say the most important thing i’ve learned is how to hand sew the neck binding! It’s quite challenging for my shaky hands but with patience and perseverance and some cursing and tears, I was able to accomplished it, twice.
I have plans of making another dress with long sleeves using viscose fabric but still saving it until we confirm our move to this windy city somewhere in middle earth. Ahhh that Peta will be perfect for it’s roaring forties!
By the way if you are interested to see my makes and my random thoughts and whims behind each of them, please follow me in instagram:
Hi I am Christina from the lovely Cape Town. I chose 2 different fabrics to sew the long sleeve cuffed Peta. The 1st a more structured cotton blend polka dot fabric (def my preferred to sew) the 2nd by far made a bugger statement color wise – but the viscose was definitely not a very good one, it wrinkles looking at it!
I chose to sew the cuffed version as I would never choose cuffs – and wanted to challenge myself – it was a breeze with the perfect instructions! just take your time. I am busy with a very slippery fabric – def take your time with the pleats in this case.
I will be wearing my Peta all through winter and plan a dress for winter, and a short sleeve one for summer!
Hi, I’m Hillary from Atlanta GA. I made Peta out of a chiffon and an embroidered cotton gauze. I styled Peta casually here, but I love that a chiffon fabric can take this from suit blouse to evening party. I also love my breezy cotton gauze Peta that will be great for sitting by the pool this summer. I love the unique petal sleeve option that can show off a great border print or embroidery. I might squeeze a dress out of the rest of my cotton gauze to use for a swim cover up. I love that Peta is a staple basic that I will go back to again for all seasons.
Peta! Oh Peta! How beautiful you are!
I LOVE sewing with wovens and whenever Ann drafts a woven pattern, I jump for joy!
Hi my name is Kiran and I’m from Singapore. I love sewing with wovens and the Peta is no exception. With charming details like a pleated , bias bound neckline to a choice of three sleeve options, Peta is sure to be a flattering dress/top on anyone.
I chose to sew the dress version for this test and accompanied it with full length, cuffed sleeves. This lovely batik rayon was my top pick of fabric and if it looks familiar to you, you have a keen eye on Designer Stitch patterns coz this is the same fabric I am wearing on my Remi dress in the pattern listing!😉
I sewed the pattern exactly as per the instructions with the exception for the hem. I abhor hemming and where i can take a shortcut, I do 😬 I’ve roll-hemmed this dress as a short cut and that results in the dress being a wee bit longer than drafted.
One word of caution when sewing with rayon is beware the dreaded stretch! Its notorious for expanding after being cut so staystitch where possible and avoid excessive handling. Also, try to sew it as soon as you cut it so it doesn’t lie around and fray. But don’t get daunted! As finicky of a fabric it is, its just that much comfortable to wear and is one of my preferred substrates of woven fabric.
I cant wait to see all your lovely Peta dresses and tops in the Designer Stitch FB group. Till we chat again, you can find me at www.instagram.com/sew_kiran_sew
1. I’m Lindsie and I live in the Philly area, USA!
2. I used some rayon that’s been in my stash for years! I think I originally got it at a thrift shop.
3. Have a nice cup of tea when it comes time to stitch the binding, and don’t do it when you’re sleepy.
4. I chose the tulip sleeves on a top. Since I’m pregnant, I need more tops that I can tuck into my high-waisted pregnancy pants, and this pattern was perfect for that!
5. I did a 6” full bust adjustment on the DD cup to make this a K sewing cup. I then rotated part of my dart to the hem so I’d have room for my third trimester belly.
6. I have! My mom was jealous of the lovely pleats!
7. After I’m not pregnant anymore, I plan to make a dress version and probably a shirt or two.
8.Blog: sewbusty.com
Facebook: facebook.com/sewbustcommunity/
Hello, I am Luana and I live in North Carolina, in the US. For my Peta tops I used a rayon challis (the yellow version) that I bought from Sincerely Rylee Fabrics, while the second version (the magenta one) is a chiffon from Fabric Mart.
The difficulty in sewing the Peta depends highly on the fabric choice. I have to admit that sewing the chiffon version wasn’t my easiest project, but I made sure to double and triple check every step of the way that I wasn’t pulling the fabric more than necessary and the pieces matched. I also used a ton of pins at every step!
For both my versions I chose to make the top with petal sleeves because those sleeves are just too pretty. The only alteration I needed to do was to raise the darts by 2 cm.
I didn’t have the opportunity to wear my Peta yet, but I can’t wait to show it off! I am definitely planning on a dress version too.
Hello, here is Marieke from the Netherlands.
When I saw the testercall from the Peta blouse/ dress I knew exactly what fabric I wanted to use.
Of course I made a toile first, but since I am pretty familiar ^^ with DS patterns, I have no doubt I end up with a beautiful dress. So, I cutted immediately into my beautiful fabric. The fabric is something in between a viscose and chiffon, not especially the most easiest fabric to sew with, but more then doable and the result is a lovely lightweight casual chique dress.
I especially love the long sleeves, so I used it for my second dress as well- because life is too short for not having enough dresses right? ^^
This time I picked a crèpe viscose fabric and although I mostly fall for bright colors, this pastel with little flowers I just had too buy and I am even more pleased with the result as I was hoping for.
I worn both dresses already a couple of times and since it ‘s finally weather to go outside without a jacket, complete strangers noticed my dresses and gave me compliments and asked where I bought it. Well, I am honest enough to say that I grow a couple of cm’s by telling it’s me made, lol.
The dress is surprisingly easy to sew, just take your time to pin and baste the pleats correctly- it is worth it.
About the neckband, it is handsewed on and is falling thin and nicely with this way. Handstitching isn’t hard and an advice is to watch a YouTube video first if you aren’t sure about how too.
Stitch in the ditch with your machine is absolutely possible too, but when you make a beautiful fresh salad, you also don’t use canned vegetables…😉
My preference is wearing it with a belt, but I was surprised how casual elegant it looks without belt. It’s so flowy!
Anyways, I have also made a blouse with cap sleeves and I hope to get some pictures while the release is going on- and my husband is back for taking proper pics ^^
I don’t have to say anything more except for: happy sewing!
When you are curious about more of my makings, you can have a look at my Instagram https://www.instagram.com/jongdesign
Hi
– My name is Meredith and I live in Sydney, Australia.
– I made two Peta’s – the first in a cotton sateen and the second in a rayon – both from Spotlight stores
– My sewing tips for the Peta would be to make sure that you line up the bind on the neckline as suggested in the pattern and remember that you need to stretch the bind (just a little) to make it fit. My other tip would be to make sure that you mark all notches for the pleating 😊
– I made my cotton sateen Peta with the Petal Sleeves and I love how the structure of the fabric defines the pleats on sleeve and neck beautifully. I chose the long sleeve top for the rayon as I knew the fabric would drape well with the sleeve pleats
– I graded my cotton sateen Peta from a size 3 to 4 at hips. Next time I sew this I will also do a bicep adjustment for the sleeves. I have chunky biceps and the sleeves (while I think sitting well) would be super pretty with a little more room. My rayon Peta was a straight size 3
– I wore my long sleeve Peta to dinner the other night and felt very ‘glam’ in it. It is too cold to wear my petal-sleeve one yet
– I am carrying quite a bit of extra weight at the moment and don’t feel fabulous in dresses which show my knees … so my plan (and perhaps an inspirational goal) is to make a lovely summer Peta dress with petal sleeves. That gives me 5-6 months to hit my goal weight 😉
– My Instagram page is https://www.instagram.com/sew_mere_makes/
and my Minerva Profile Blog is
Thank you Ann 😘😘
Hi! My name is Sonia and I live in Southwest Missouri with my husband and our fur baby Dune.
I used a medium weight chiffon for my fabric. I bought this fabric at a local shop that unfortunately doesn’t sell online.
My biggest tip is to take the time to hand stitch the neckband. It will give you beautiful professional results and is actually quite relaxing!
I chose the longest dress length and the short gathered sleeves which I absolutely love the pleat detail on the shoulders!
The only alteration that I made was lengthening as this is my personal preference.
I currently have plans for at least 2 more dresses with the short gathered sleeves as they will be perfect for our upcoming summer! I think the blouse will look great in my wardrobe too!
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hi, I’m Stephanie from Oklahoma, USA. I used a silk blend out of my stash for the Peta top. It’s not a fabric hungry top, so was great for a random cut I had. Peta is a truly easy sew and if you pick out your favorite TV show to hand stitch the neckline to, it’s a pretty enjoyable experience. For as much I bellyached about the hand-stitching, it really does look gorgeous and it probably my favorite neckline I’ve done in awhile. I chose the top for mine since while nursing a pumping separates are the way to go. I graded out for my waist, but otherwise didn’t need adjustments. My husband thinks it’s super flattering and loved the print. I’m considering it for a wedding guest dress later this summer.
You can find me and my Peta top on IG at Instagram.com/scrapsandscissortails
Hello DesignerStitch community. My name is Taryn and I live in Cape Town South Africa. I dug into my stash for my Peta and picked a polka dot fabric I purchased as a georgette but suspect it is more likely a crepe given body and texture of the fabric. My top tip would be to ensure your pleats are accurately lined up and held in place, especially when it comes to inserting the sleeves. I made the long sleeve Peta dress (longest length) as we are heading into Winter here in South Africa and waiting till Summer to wear it, just seemed like madness. I also made a thin fabric tie belt to pair with it but love that any skinny belt will be the perfect complement to nip in the ease at the waist. The only adjustments I made was to grade to a bigger size over the hips. There is definitely a few more Peta’s in my future especially a top with gathered lace sleeves and I do love the look of those tulip sleeves. You can catch my sewing adventures at the following
Hi I am Uma from Sunny island Singapore 🇸🇬. Honestly, can’t recall the exact name of this fabric however the gorgeous peacock 🦚 print and the vibrant blue drew me to choose it for this project. I must say that it was rather difficult to sew with this fabric given the PETA top is a very easy pattern to sew up. So choose the right fabric for it if you can!
I chose size 3 and had to shorten the pattern at the waist by 3cm because of my shorter torso. I can image making plenty of Peta tops in the near future as it’s a super easy pattern to follow and sew.
Here are my social handles :-
Hello, my name is Vaida and I live in Vilnius, Lithuania. For my muslin I have used white chiffon fabric from my stash and made a top verson (with short petal sleeves). My final version (a dress with petal sleeves) was made out of dark blue Cupra fabric – and man how I love this dress! It’s comfy and very stylish!
I had no issues making my top and dress – and actually I really enjoyed hand stitching the neckband. Main thing is to relax and take your time.
I’ve worn my (very wearable) muslin on a trip to Oxford on a hot May day – and it was a perfect pair to linen shorts. I also plan to buy a leather jacket to wear with my dress – even though it looks lovely worn with/without some cardi.
And the biggest compliment: my 21yo eldest daughter has requested Peta dress – so more sewing for me 🙂
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vaida.bm/