The My Dress by Debbie Brooke Designs PDF Pattern Review

I recently had the pleasure of testing the new PDF version of the My Dress by Debbie Brooke Designs.  I have to admit I had been admiring the pattern for some time and was super excited to get the PDF version.  Many people still prefer paper patterns to the PDF versions, but there are some aspects of the PDF patterns that I really enjoy.  Here they are:

1.  I do not have to trace my size, because I can print out the PDF pattern as many times as I want.
2.  You get the file immediately.  (I can be very impatient.)
3.  I always have a copy of the pattern stored on my computer (and a back-up somewhere else of course) and I do not have to worry about loosing a pattern piece or part of the instructions.

These are just the points that are important to me.  Luckily, many independent designers release both a paper and PDF version of their designs, so we can all be satisfied.  I will say that I am not deterred either way, if I like a pattern I will buy it no matter the format, but I am definitely leaning toward the PDF versions these days.  You can get the paper pattern here, and the PDF will be available soon.

The My Dress PDF:
Okay, one of the things that I notice when I piece together a PDF pattern is how well the pieces lined up when I taped them all together.  Out of all of the PDF patterns I have used to date, this pattern lined up the best!  There were easy to follow instructions with letters that matched up on the corners/edges as well as numbers for each page and all of the lines matched up beautifully.  

As for the rest of the aspects of the PDF, the content was organized logically and the instructions were easy to follow with quality photos and diagrams.

Overall Opinion of the My Dress Pattern:
I am in love with this dress at the moment!  The basic shape of the dress is elegant and flattering and I, of course, love the pleats at the shoulder.  One of the best aspects of the dress/pattern is that you can make it with woven or knit fabric!  In addition to that, there is a maternity variation, while I will not be needing that feature for myself, I certainly love a pattern with options.  The construction is clever with a fully lined bodice (which is a favorite of mine) and simple techniques for a nice finish.  And it is definitely a great project for beginners, especially the knit version, since you do not need the zipper!

For my first version of the My Dress, I chose to use knit fabric since I just received the gorgeous, buttery soft Arizona knits in the shop.  The Tomahawk Stripe knit by April Rhodes for Art Gallery Fabrics was wonderful to work with and so comfortable for this dress.  I used a ball point needle with no trouble and the seams turned out nicely.  I did not make any modifications to the sizing or to any of the seams, however I did cut the knit with the stripes running vertically instead of horizontally.  I also did not line up the stripe on the bodice and skirt on purpose because I wanted there to be a slight variation to emphasize the seam separating the two.  Just a side note, the dress is a size six.  The instructions say to go with the smaller size if your measurements fall in between two sizes, which I did.  I will most likely have to cut the larger size (at least for the skirt) for the woven version, or cut back on the junk food!

I would definitely recommend this pattern to both beginners and advanced sewers.  It is fairly quick and easy to put together plus it is comfortable and cute!  I have not made the woven versions with the zipper yet, so I cannot speak for that portion of the instructions, but I will update as soon as I do.

Thanks so much for stopping by and I hope that you enjoyed it!  And also big thanks to Debbie for allowing me the opportunity to test the PDF version of the My Dress pattern.  This post is linked up with Finish It Up Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts and with Show Off Saturday at Sew Can She.