Story of a brand

Lessons learnt from my very first sewing pattern : the Pleiades dress

And why there will soon be two separate Pleiades dress patterns instead of one: Pleiades 1 and Pleiades 2.

The beginning: a personal journey to conceive my ideal dress

Can you tell? The Pleiades dress is the result of months of research and prototyping to conceive my own ideal dress. A dress I could wear in Winter with tights and in Summer with bare legs, a dress that would take me from one season to another with different sleeves and necklines. A dress I could make in all of my favorite fabrics.
After some thinking I wrote down several criteria for this โ€˜ideal dressโ€™:
  • My weight changes every month according to my period cycle. Until recently I was left with very little options in my closet for these days when I was bigger, because I chose all of my clothing according to my โ€˜ideal shapeโ€™. So I thought after several years of this I finally knew my body and should accept its constant changes (entering your 30s makes most people wiser in this regard). This is why I wanted a dress loose enough in the lower part to accomodate these weight changes, or simply to throw out for a good dinner without worrying about how many courses I could have. The best items of clothing are the ones you can wear without thinking twice, knowing you will always look good in them.
  • But I donโ€™t like completely loose dresses. This is just not flattering. I donโ€™t want to feel like I am wearing a tent or hiding under yards of fabric. So I decided to showcase some major yet not too obvious parts of the feminine body:
    • Legs, with a short but not too short length.
    • Upper torso, with a close cut still allowing some room at the waist. The inverted V cut in the front allows just that.
    • Neckline, without showing too much: sometimes a simple slit is enough to soften an otherwise too serious-looking crew neck.
    • Forearms. But I didnโ€™t want 3/4 sleeves, because you need to be able to push them down when the winter gets cold. So I came up with these long sleeves that are cut close enough to the arm that you can push them up easily (and it doesnโ€™t slide down).

I loved the result, and so did you!

After several prototypes I posted a first version of the Pleiades dress on Instagram, ย in a rust-colored viscose. Then a second one in dark green double gauze. I loved this pattern: I wanted to make it in every fabric, in every color. And then came the likes. I was surprised and pleased! I didnโ€™t understand why this dress was more liked than my other makes. The shape was fairly simple. Did all the work I put in it show?
Then I made a third one in a mustard yellow double gauze with golden dots. And the Instagram went crazy. I was humbled and couldnโ€™t believe my eyes: I had never imagined this little account would get me hundreds of likes on just one picture. Then I started receiving messages asking me where the pattern could be bought. I already told you that story. This project came out of nowhere, but I decided to give it a try. So I got an accelerated teaching in pattern grading and started the French Poetry adventure.

 

Voir cette publication sur Instagram

 

Une publication partagรฉe par Blandine (@_frenchpoetry_) le

 

Voir cette publication sur Instagram

 

Une publication partagรฉe par Blandine (@_frenchpoetry_) le

โ€ฆย that led to several problems

This mix of two patterns led me to many problems for the French version of the Pleiades dress pattern because it was originally a printed pattern. To make it short, letโ€™s say having so many pattern pieces (two bodices, two pairs of sleeves, because it is really two patterns in oneโ€ฆ) made the pattern too expensive to print, too expensive to ship as it was heavier, and too thick to be inserted in the envelopes I had ordered.
As for the PDF version, I had several complaints that there were too many pages to print. Yes of course, these are two patterns in one.

 

Voir cette publication sur Instagram

 

Une publication partagรฉe par Blandine (@_frenchpoetry_) le

 

Voir cette publication sur Instagram

 

Une publication partagรฉe par Blandine (@_frenchpoetry_) le

And I like my designs to evolve over time

As mentioned above, I love to make my designs evolve. Once a pattern is made, I donโ€™t set it aside to focus on things entirely new. So I would like to release new versions of them sometimes. Recently I had new ideas for the Pleiades dress version 1: I drafted two new sleeve styles. But they wonโ€™t be compatible with Pleiades 2 as the armholes are different. In parallel, I was thinking of turning Pleiades 2 into a button down style, complete with sleeve cuffs and shirt collar.

Coming back to the most logical option: two Pleiades patterns!

These are the reasons why Iโ€™m splitting this pattern into Pleiades 1 and Pleiades 2, that will come each with its new options, on top of a new, revised fit. They will be live very soon and will replace the old one: you have a few more days to buy it if you prefer this version!
I hope you will like the new ones as much as I do.
But I mostly design for myself, according to what I want to add to my own wardrobe. Maybe this is the secret I temporarily forgot: to follow your own instincts ?

Pleiades 1

This new version will include 4 different sleeves:

  • long sleeve (existing in previous version)
  • short sleeve (existing in previous version)
  • tied sleeve
  • ‘lantern’ sleeve

And two skirt options, simple or with a frill.

The New Pleiades 2 pattern: 3 sleeve options, a slit neckline or shirt dress options

Pleiades 2

This new version will include 3 different sleeves:

  • long sleeve (existing in previous version)
  • short sleeve (existing in previous version)
  • gathered sleeve

And a shirt dress option, with button-down front and shirt collar, as an alternative to the slit neckline option that already existed in the previous version (and still exists in this one).

4 thoughts on “Lessons learnt from my very first sewing pattern : the Pleiades dress

  1. What a beautiful way to evolve your patterns! I’m amazed with your thought process – it’s simple but so effective. I love the new options for sleeves. Thank you for your hard and continuing work on your patterns. I followed you at the beginning and it’s just so amazing to see how far you’ve progressed. Will be buying the new version for sure ๐Ÿ™‚

    1. Blandine says:

      Thank you Sally for your comment, it means a lot to me!! I’m really happy you like the new version, and excited to see how far this gets ๐Ÿ™‚

  2. Megan says:

    Oh my! I have just stumbled across your website by following a Pinterest link. There was a picture of Pleiades 2 and I thought “That’s the perfect dress pattern for my body shape! That’s just what I’ve been looking for!”

    I love your thought process to come up with the “perfect” dress. I totally understand where you are coming from and I think it resonates with many women, which is why your Instagram went mad for your dress!

    Looking at your other patterns, I was so surprised to find that I love them all, I can see myself making all of them – I like your style girl! ๐Ÿ˜‰

    Right, I’m going now so I can buy a Pleiades pattern . . . hmmm . . . version 1 or 2 . . .

    1. Blandine says:

      Thank you so much, comments like yours keep me going!! My day didn’t start easy and I feel full of energy now ๐Ÿ™‚

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