Today I have a special treat. Some of my testers were kind enough to let me share some their finished Mayberry Dress photos!
I don't require testers to blog about the pattern, so I'm incredibly grateful to be able to share these makes with you today (along with some of their comments about the pattern).
I know that when tester makes are shared, there is the potential that what you're seeing is not what you'll get after pattern changes have been made. And while changes were made to the pattern after the makes you're about to see, rest assured that based on the feedback, the pattern itself hasn't changed all that dramatically from the original except in the larger sizes.
The 3/4 sleeve has been shortened as well as reduced in width/volume across the board, and the larger sizes (18-24) have been re-graded to remove some excess ease in the bodice. Parts of the instructions were also re-written, expanded for more clarity and typos fixed.
I go into a little more detail about how I approach pattern changes after a Testing round below, but let's look at some pretty Mayberry Dresses first!
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Khadetjes - 18C
I wore the dress the whole day, it's a pleasure to wear it! For me, the position of the dart is spot on, also very happy with the choice of cup.
I'm planning to make this dress again, I'm so happy with it, it's a comfortable yet fancy design... I am happy with the ease of the dress, normally I need to grade my hips into a pattern, so I was happy that I only had to use one size.
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Like Sew Amazing - 6D
It's a lovely pattern - really easy to make. I made the size 6D and the fit was spot on. I personally would narrow the sides of the skirt slightly, but I made mine in a cotton and it would work fine as is in a drapier fabric.
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Alyssa - 10A
It was very nice to have a dress/top that was already drafted for me instead of a B or C cup!
I feel like it fits great with enough ease for movement. I'll be honest, I wasn't sure about the drawstring waist (I haven't had good luck with those being flattering) but I do like how this fits - I'll be adding it to my general wardrobe rotation.
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I found the bodice fit to be really good, particularly at the bust. Found that the darts should have been a cm or so longer. I find the sleeves to be comfortable and I have enough ease of movement in them.
I think the pattern is really cute. I made it in a slightly stiffer fabric than recommended so it is slightly stiff at the skirt gathers, but I really like how the bodice works in my fabric.
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The cup size is great. I'm on the lower range of the C cup size, but I'm glad I did not size down, it would have been way too tight.
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This was the first pattern of yours that I've sewn up and I was really impressed.
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Christina - 22D
The overall fit of the dress is good and it's comfortable. I did find it a little short so chose to hem it with bias tape. I seldom wear high necked garments as I'm very busty, but I do find that I like it.
The pockets are awesome, love how they are inset a little bit and I really loved the construction of the dress, very intuitive and clean finishes.
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Katrina - 14A
I like this dress so much that I decided to make two (I don't wear a lot of dresses). The fit is very good, I opted to use elastic for the back of my tie for extra comfort. I can easily get the dress on and off without the buttons being functional, I even sewed it up on my sleeveless version.
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It's a different silhouette from the 'fit & flare' style dresses I'm more used to, so it was a little harder to assess bodice fit, as it is drafted with more ease. I was tempted to over think the bodice fit (maybe I need to go down a size?) but I decided to trust the pattern and I'm so glad I did.
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2nd Story Sewing - 8B
I really liked the overall fit of the dress. The length was flattering and the drawstring waistband made it flattering. The dress is very comfortable and I love, love, love the pockets. They do not stick out and add bulk and I LOVE pockets!
Overall I enjoyed sewing the pattern and felt you did a very nice job with details, illustrations etc.
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Top Stitch Roll Hem - 16C
It's such a comfortable dress! I am so impressed with the fit with no alterations, it's brilliant. If I were to make it again, I would probably lengthen the bodice by half an inch (I am quite tall and I make this alteration sometimes) but otherwise it's pretty much perfect. The drawstring at the waist makes it very flattering.
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The general fit is excellent. The Tie waist is a great feature to ensure women can customise the fit at the waist without tinkering with the pattern.
What I really like about the pattern is the choice of cup sizes and bodice fit, the drawstring waist and it's design (very clever and easy to do) and the sleeve options.
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Ellie - 10B
I loved making the Mayberry - I will wear it loads, it is a great work dress for me - comfy, not too tight fitting, modest neckline (all ideal for scuttling about on the floor with kids whilst looking tidy and professional).
The instructions have resulted in a super neat finish and I'm really pleased with it.
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As I mentioned above, I thought I'd go into a little more detail about how I approach making changes after I've received tester feedback.
Making fit changes to a pattern once you've received all feedback can be a tricky one because you can't always be sure whether suggested alterations are a personal preference or something that is more wide-spread. If testers have to make a change to the pattern, I always ask them to specify if it's a change they usually make or whether it's something new to them.
As a general rule, if I'm not sure about a suggestion (either I don't agree with it or it seems odd to me) OR if something is mentioned by two different testers (or more), I'll always look into it and get more clarification from the group or individual if needed.
For example, with Mayberry, two testers mentioned wanting a bit more room in the hips for the style of the dress but when I emailed the group, the general consensus was to leave them as they were.
So, just a heads up, I recommend checking the finished garment measurements included in the instructions to see if you might want a bit of extra hip room in your Mayberry Dress, just in case you fall into the 'more hip room' group.
Thank you so much Mayberry Testers!
xx
J
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