Additionally, Platkin is a Distinguished Lecturer at the City University of New York School of Public Health and the Hunter College in New York City. Ever get the sense that you're reliving the same events, arguments, and frustrations again and again? The photos in the book are beautiful and inspiring (though I’m not sure what it is with the trend of holding a leaf while posing these days) and had me flipping through the book over and over again. It looks pretty complex with all its ties and interesting pleats, but I actually found it really quick to put together.

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. This is not the actual number of garments you can make with the patterns from this book since you can further mix and match the details between the options presented in the book. I might even go ahead and make this adjustment to the current dress so that I can get more wear out of it. Still, though, the more I use the Breaking the Pattern book, the more I have a few very practical beefs with it. It’s a simple, often low cost, low time investment tool for experimenting with a new way of doing things.I'm also the designer behind West Beach Knits knitting patterns and I host a Knitting and Sewing channel on YouTube where you can see all of this in person.

Fortunately I have long legs so the length doesn’t look awkward (the patterns are drafted for a 5’8″ woman) and I can picture it looking really cute with sandals in the warmer months. When I sewed for my sister, it was a size 5 and I was pretty sure that would have been too small for me, so I sized up. But I reckon this is the lightest weight of fabric that can withstand the long invisible zipper in the back. The book includes ten sewing patterns, each pattern has two variations so twenty patterns in total and tutorials on how to do more with each pattern. I've been posting my trip on Polarsteps ( linkinbio) and my brain can only manage one app at a time.In the meantime, I went to the Helsinki book launch party to congratulate the designers for their achievement. Just from personal experience, the books I used to learn were so much less clear, convoluted, or full of ugly designs compared to this little gem. The Finnish sewing duo behind the dressmaking fashion label Named, Laura and Saara offer up an enticing selection of tops, dresses, skirts, and trousers for the modern seamstress.

Taking you beyond the patterns, Building the Pattern offers expert advice on how to achieve the perfect fit, alter the designs to suit your shape and tips on adding your own personal twist.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.