Hi Everyone! This year I decided to apply to a few tester calls since many brands were looking for new people to join their tester pools. I was accepted to the Sonia Estep Designs tester pool and answered their first call and was happily accepted right away. This is my second time this year participating as a pattern tester and they ended up releasing on consecutive days. I “may” even be testing another wonderful pattern with a new to me brand, so stay tuned for something else NEW coming soon!! Testing patterns has become something I really enjoy and has really motivated me to sew more for myself. If you’ve lost your sewjo and are looking for a way to get motivated again, consider applying for a tester call. It really helped me get going when I was feeling a little unmotivated about getting back in the groove. Try it!! One word of caution though……Just make sure you’re able to make and KEEP the commitment. It’s a win/win but only if you follow through with the deadlines and procedures set forth by the brand.
So this wasn’t as much of a tester call as a promo call. The Sonia Estep Design brand was adding girls sizing to their Juliette Cardigan Pattern, so they wanted some new promotion photos of the adult version. Sounded good to me! As soon as I saw the pattern I knew I had the perfect knit fabric in my stash already. I used a multi-colored metallic knit that’s so soft and has beautiful drape. Anyone that knows me knows “blues” are my colors too!! I styled mine as more of a “business casual” look and am very happy with my new cardigan. If you follow me on Instagram, you probably saw my “sneak peek” video I posted showing this beautiful shimmery fabrication. If you missed it, check it out HERE and consider following me over there where I occasionally share short “how to” videos and “sneak peeks” of what I’m working on.
This is a simple cardigan pattern with only 4 pieces. Front, back, sleeve and neckbinding. It also has a front patch pocket option, but I chose not to add them since my fabrication was on the lighter side. I really don’t like that baggy pocket look but if that’s your jam, great! I sewed this entire jacket using my conventional sewing machine. I made sure to stabilize key seams with a 1/2″ wide fusible tricot. I don’t like wavy seams and this technique solves that issue. Looks clean and professional.
There are also length and sleeve options. I made the short length option with long sleeves, but the pattern also offers mid and long lengths as well as 3/4 length sleeves. So you’re getting an amazing value with all the versatility this pattern offers. This was my first time sewing up a Sonia Estep Design Pattern. It was a quick sew with easy to understand directions. I’ve seen a few photos of makes from this brand before and it was on my list for pdf pattern brands to try this year. I’m still new to the pdf pattern game, but I really liked the way this pattern brand offers a edge to edge or E2E printed patterns. It was not only easy to put together, but quick too! Anything that saves me time and effort is a BIG win in my book. For those of you that are lucky enough to have projectors, this brand also offers that option as well as the other standard printable versions. There are 2 others bonuses as well! These patterns have layers to isolate your size or sizes and there’s also a FB group for support and help if needed.
I hope this pattern review has been helpful if you’re interested in a style like the Juliette. It was a quick, easy “Victory Sew” for me an I highly recommend it. This pattern is 50% off right now, but ends on Sunday, January 31. So head on over to check out the Juliette Pattern before it’s back to regular price.
