This is the last day of the kcw kick off week. The sewing starts Monday! Cherie from You & Mie joins us today to share her favorite pattern, The Geranium Dress, by Made by Rae. With the amount of Geranium dresses and tunics that pop up in my rss reader everyday, you would think it’s the internet’s favorite pattern too. Cherie has taken this pattern and not only made many lovely dresses with it, but an absolutely beautiful coat as well! She is an extremely talented sewer and we’re so happy to have her here!
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Thanks Meg, for letting me share one of my favorite patterns with the KCW community! Honestly, most of you probably already know about the awesome Geranium Dress/Tunic pattern, as you should, because this pattern is AWESOME. It’s another one by the talented Rae of Made by Rae (her upcoming Parsley Pants pattern was featured here yesterday). You’d think we were being paid to sing her praises, but I swear we’re not! She’s just that good.
Geranium in Feathers
I’ve used this pattern several times now and it is definitely one of my “go to” patterns. Here are some of the reasons why:
1. The pattern is extremely well put together, with great charts and tables, awesome photos and diagrams, clear instructions, and tons of helpful hints and tips. The pattern is easy to print, cut and assemble. The whole package is just professional and high quality.
Geranium in Eyelet
2. Versatility. The pattern itself comes with lots of choices for variations. You can choose from tunic or dress length, multiple sleeve options, necklines, skirt types and pockets. With the variations given, the combinations you can make are limitless! Plus, it’s just such a great basic pattern that you can go on to make your own changes as well – try different sleeve types, lengthen the bodice/drop the waist, different skirt styles, pockets or closures. Depending on what fabrics you choose, you can make it into a casual every day top, or a fancy special occasion dress.
Baby Geranium
3. It’s an easy and fast sew! Between Rae’s awesome directions and the simplicity of the construction, you really can’t go wrong with this dress. Once you’ve made one or two, making more will be a snap and it comes out adorable EVERY. TIME.
This is not a Geranium Dress, but I actually used the bodice pattern piece and altered it to make into a reversible spring coat! See the full tutorial here.
There are tons of Geranium dresses and tunics already out there and you can see a lot of them in the flickr pool. It’s really impossible to pick my favorites, but here are some that caught my eye . . .
Top left: Miss Matatabi’s Geranium Christmas Dress
Top right: Delia Create’s Geranium Dress Bouquet
Bottom left: Groovybaby and mama’s 1000 Cranes Geranium
Bottom right: Made by Rae’s Mini Washi
You really should also check out the awesome collection of Geranium dresses made up in the new Tsuru fabric line by Rashida Coleman-Hale. I think these are my favorite out of the entire collection:
And Rae has a great post for adding trim to the Geranium, like piping, ric rac or mini pom poms that you definitely want to check out. AND Trine of Groovybaby….and mama has a great tutorial on how to add a zipper to the Geranium (instead of a button placket). I haven’t tried it yet, but I definitely will be trying that on my next one!
I really think that everyone needs this pattern in their collection. So if you’re looking for something fun to sew up next week for KCW, put the Geranium Dress/Tunic on your list!
In honor of this post, I sewed up a new Geranium, in feathers! So head over to my blog, you & mie, for more pics and details.
Thanks for having me and happy sewing!
