handcrafted by RED - sewing and other crafty adventures: One Thimble Pattern Review

I was excited to have another chance to participate in the blog tour for the latest issue of One Thimble, the sewing e-zine. Things have been a little crazy around here lately so I opted just to review one pattern this time, but I'll be purchasing the rest of the issue for sure - the patterns are fantastic and the articles are awesome, too. There are great sewing tips and tricks, information related to building a sewing or crafting business, and always at least a couple of tutorial-style articles about various sewing techniques.

I chose the Blossom Skirt by Eliana & Thea for this tour; Miss P wears a lot of dresses but I've made very few skirts for her recently and have been on the lookout for cute new skirt patterns. This one really fit the bill!

The pattern is designed for woven fabrics (I used quilting cottons from a local quilt shop for mine), and includes sizes 12 months - 10 years. There are directions and pattern pieces for including a lining, although I opted to leave mine unlined. Miss P still wears bike shorts or leggings under most skirts, so I didn't think the lining was necessary.

The tutorial is well-written and thorough, and accompanied by clear photographs. There are a number of adorable details included, though Miss P's hands-down favorite was the pockets. They're generously sized and have a cute pleat detail at the top. The skirt front is gathered between the pockets and has a flat front waistband. The back of the skirt is gathered by elastic in the back waistband. There are two methods for finishing the elastic and the back waistband included in the pattern, and I used the casing so I can go back and adjust the elastic if I need to when (if??!) summer finally arrives here in the Northeastern US.

I made the size 5 with no adjustments other than to cinch the elastic a little shorter than the pattern called for, and the fit was great. The skirt falls a little above the knee, but I expected that based on P's height. I like that in a darker colored or slightly heavier fabric, like corduroy, this pattern would be great for our cooler fall weather as well. I haven't tried it myself, but I think a stable knit like interlock would likely work also, and would be quite cute with all of the details included.

The pattern also includes the sweet bow pictured above, and includes templates for three different sizes. This is the medium size, and instead of placing it on the front waistband as shown in the pattern, Miss P decided she'd like it on a headband. I LOVE the finished look. It is a great size and though the construction was different than I've seen before, the completed bow is lovely. I did end up omitting some of the interfacing in my bow, as it was a bit too stiff for my liking.

I'll definitely be making more of both the skirt and the bows (in all of the sizes) - it feels like a little bonus pattern was included with the skirt. :) This was my first time sewing a pattern from Eliana and Thea, and it was a great experience. The clarity of the steps in the tutorial really helped ensure a nicely finished skirt that was full of adorable details.