Link to the pattern can be found here This is a PAID pattern purchased via Etsy.

Update Finished Item

Part 1 of my struggles with this pattern. Including a review so far

As anyone who knows me will realise, I LOVE organisational stuff, even better if it is complicated, holds everything, and needs made from scratch. I love making truly useful things.

Now the joke of this is, I really am the most disorganised person imaginable, and I can never find anything. (Typical foreshadowing over what is about to happen)

When I saw this pattern, I just had to buy it. As patterns went, it wasn’t horrifically expensive, it came with a tutorial, which was fantastic. And from the photos it looked like it was pretty complicated in terms of pieces but not complicated sewing. I was struggling at the time of purchase to get a good idea of the full view of the finished item, the photos are often arty, but not entire or in sequence.

I read through the requirements, thought that I had most things but needed mesh, so ordered that and waited. I probably should have properly read the pattern before hand, because there were. a few things that I wished I’d checked or bought first.

First impression of downloading the file. There are a lot of pages and a lot of photos, but as I flicked back and forth. There is no actual printable pattern and no complete cutting list. Not what I was expecting at all. As you can see above the instructions tell you what to cut, as you’re going through the tutorial. To me, this really isn’t a pattern, it’s a tutorial which is fantastic… but it’s not a pick up and go pattern.

The cutting instructions as you go along. Now this is a pain in the butt to me, because it means you can’t do a layout and check you have the right quantity of each fabric as I’m using remnants. It also means that you can’t cut everything and then just sew.

I did email the author because to be honest I wasn’t keen on this way of working . The author immediately refunded the item without being asked, and explained that it was a pattern made from a tutorial they had given.

Now because I have started to make this I will go back and repurchase it, not fair otherwise. My overall impression is that this is a very good concept but it is NOT a pattern, and it really lacks this overview stage.

The next observation I have is that I should have read the instructions through first, as there was a lot of making straight and bias tape. I hate working with this, especially as I don’t have a tape maker, and I would have just bought coordinating bias tape if I’d known. I’m especially annoyed with myself cutting up some of the big remnants for tape, when I could have used them for the pieces.

So far I’ve created a lot of mess, the constant back and forth with the cutting, and I have also discovered I can’t find my zipper foot, created more mess, cut myself with the rotary cutter, found a dropped pin with my foot, and stopped for the night at 1am!!

I’m really annoyed that I can’t find the right foot, have ploughed on ahead and will hope for the best in finding it, the room is a lot cleaner now than when I started!

I’ve now found one place where the pattern doesn’t tell you to cut a lining piece but then you’re sewing it, so I’ve added that to my notes for next time, and also the directions aren’t very clear.

There’s multiple places where there’s no indication on seam allowance size, and the directions on quilting pieces are very basic. I’ve chosen not to quilt more than the one piece as I felt it was going to be too bulky.

Thoughts on the pattern so far

The actual concept itself is amazing, this item is so well thought out, and very practical. It’s absolutely something I’m going to use again and again.

The way it is laid out as a tutorial though is not for me. I’ll probably go through and make pattern pieces and a cutting list for myself, buy bias tape, I really do prefer just a set of instructions.

The photos used in the tutorial are essential due to issues with the written instructions. However the fabrics used are very busy, and it can actually be very difficult to see what the author is talking about.

There’s also no top stitching which I wish I had just gone and done at the time as I do think it would have elevated the finish a little. I didn’t do it at the time in case it messed things up, and now it’s too late to go back and do it.

Overall I think this is a really clever design, and with a little bit more effort the pattern would absolutely be worth what I paid for it.

I finally finished it off today, the quilting of the cover was a long slog. I also had issues as I didn’t have a big enough piece left for the final side, so I improvised with what I had left including more pockets and pencil holders on one side. No closures as my closure pliers are not currently working well. Will decided on a closure soon.